Christiansborg Slot

Useful Information

Location:	Prins Jørgens Gård 5, 1218 København. (55.676322, 12.580327)
Open:	OCT to MAR Tue-Sun 10-17. APR to JUN daily 10-17. JUL to AUG daily 10-18. SEP daily 10-17. [2023]
Fee:	Adults DKK 60, Children (0-17) free, Students DKK 50. Groups: Adults DKK 55, Guide DKK 975. [2023]
Classification:	Underground Museums
Light:	Incandescent Electric Light System
Dimension:
Guided tours:	D=1 h, Max=30.
Photography:
Accessibility:	no
Bibliography:
Address:	Christiansborg Slot, Prins Jørgens Gård 5, 1218 København, Tel: +45-33-92-64-92, Tel: +45-33-92-70-85. christiansborg@natmus-dk
As far as we know this information was accurate when it was published (see years in brackets), but may have changed since then. Please check rates and details directly with the companies in question if you need more recent info.

History

1167	first castle built by Bishop Absalon, who is considered the founder of the city.
1369	demolition of Bishop Absalon's castle by the Hanseatic League.
1906-1937	the current castle erected.
1917	ruins beneath the palace square excavated.
1924	ruins opened to the public.
1974-77	Ruins Exhibition renovated.

Description

Christiansborg Slot (Christiansborg Palace) is the Royal castle of the Kingdom, because here the Danish King resided. the history of Denmark and the Danish Royal House are inextricably linked to this castle. The castle has five different parts, which require different tickets and even have different open hours. Theese are Royal Representation Rooms andThe Hall of Knights with the Gobelins, the Ruins, the Royal Feast Kitchen, the Royal Stables and the Castle Church. For showcaves.com we only list the underground tour which is dubbed The Ruins.

Beneath the current château are the ruins of two predecessors. Bishop Absalon's castle from 1167 was a military fortification. Later the Copenhagen Castle was built on top, which was more like a fairytale castle. It was demolished in 1731 and the current palace built.

Bishop Absalon is considered the founder of the city. He buit a fortification on a small island outside Copenhagen Harbour. The castle walls protected a courtyard with several buildings, the bishop's palace, a chapel and several minor buildings. After his death the castle was owned the bishops of Roskilde. When a bitter feud erupted between crown and church the ownership of the castle and city was contested between kings and bishops. At the same time the castle was frequently under attack by pirated and the Hanseatic league, and frequently occupied and plundered. Finally, in 1370, King Valdemar IV of Denmark was defeated by the Hanseatic League, and they sent 40 stonemasons to demolish the castle stone by stone.

Years later the ruins on the island were covered with earthworks, on which a new stronghold was built. This castle named Copenhagen Castle was completed in the late 14th century and was the property of the Bishop of Roskilde. In 1417, it was occupied by the king and became the principal residence of the Danish kings and the centre of government during the middle of the century. It was rebuilt several times, for example in the 1720s by Frederick IV. But it became heavier by the additions and the walls began to crack.

In 1731 the castle was completely demolished and King Christian VI commissioned architect Elias David Häusser to build the first Christiansborg Palace. The baroque palace was completed in 1745 and was the largest palace in northern Europe. But not for long, the palace and church were destroyed by a fire in 1794. And so the Second Christiansborg was built by the master builder of Altona, architect Christian Frederik Hansen. Until the completion in 1828 the royal family lived in temporary accommodations at Amalienborg Palace. By then King Frederick VI decided to not live there after all. His successor King Frederick VII lived in the palace between 1852 and 1863. The Second Christiansborg again burned down in 1884. The current castle is the Third Christiansborg and was built between from 1907 to 1928 by Thorvald Jørgensen.

The underground tunnels are not exactly an underground structure. The ruins of the old castles were excavated during the construction of the Third Christiansborg, when the foundations were being cast. Archaeologists of the National Museum of Denmark excavated them. As Public interest was tremendous it was decided to preserve the foundations by erecting a reinforced concrete structure to cover them. As a result the ruins became an underground museum. Unfortunately the underground tours are open only for groups, so it is not possible to visit as individual.