Picky Girl's World Trip
Hillerød: Frederiksborg Castle and Gardens
Frederiksborg castle and gardens were beyond my expectation. The castle is one of the most impressive castles that I have ever visited. The castle housed Denmark's Museum of National History. The exhibitions were very beautiful and interesting, which included not only historical decorative art but also modern photography. Grace and beauty continued from room to room. The chapel inside the castle was just breathtaking. Once my friend and I stepped out of the castle, we noticed that the Danish king built the castle in such a huge property, containing beautiful baroque garden and natural landscape garden. I am obsessed to walk to everywhere I can. This time, however, I gave up my obsession. It was too huge to walk cross the King's property.
Food
We had lunch just outside of Frederiksborg, near the bus stop. I ordered salad while my friend ordered a buffet. I was disappointed when I saw the salad only containing slices of tomatoes and cucumbers. However, the salad was refreshing and tasty. My friend was surprised that I finished the salad because she knew I did not usually have tomatoes and cucumbers. Despite my surprise triumph over unfavorite vegetables, she did not like the buffet much. Maybe, we should have visited a cafe or restaurant (the site in Danish) inside the palace. We were afraid that king's lunch may be too expensive.
Sights and Activities
The major sight in Hillerød is Frederiksborg Castle and its gardens. A picture is worth a thousand words. I do not have to explain much beauty of this castle and gardens, but let me tell you about the special painting that I saw in the castle. It depicted the same mythical scene as the Gefion Fountain in Copenhagen did. However, the painting had a trick. An older gentleman working there told us that we could have an eye contact with the goddess Gefion from anywhere we stood in front of her painting. My friend and I were amazed. We walked around in front of the painting. You should check it out when you are there!
Accommodations
Transportation
Our overall trip plan:
We planned to visit both Frederiksborg and Kronborg for one day. Frederiksborg opened 30 minutes earlier than Kronborg. Therefore, we decided to visit Frederiksborg first and then Kronborg.
From Copenhagen to Frederiksborg, Hillerød:
We took an S-train from the Copenhagen Central station to the Hillerød station. The trip took around 40 minutes. We bought 24-hour tickets, which were valid for riding a bus, ferry, and train in the Greater Copenhagen region. The ticket cost 120 DKK.
From the Hillerød station, you can reach Frederiksborg by bus or on foot. We took a bus for two reasons: 1) the 24-hour ticket covered a bus ride to Frederiksborg; and 2) we could not find a map or visitor center where we could get a map near the station area. We asked a local lady which bus we needed to take to visit Frederiksborg. The ride took less than 10 minutes. After lunch, we decided to return to the station by bus. This time, however, we had to wait for a while. Only a few buses ran for an hour when we saw the schedule. In addition, our bus happened to be late. We wondered whether we should have a 20 minute walk back to the station while we were waiting. We did not have a map or a guidebook. We did not know how to return to the station on foot. Meanwhile, our bus came. Thinking back now, we lost our valuable time on the bus stop.
Travel Tips
- Do not forget to bring a camera or camcorder.
- The castle and gardens required you to walk longer than usual. Bring a good pair of shoes.
- The castle closes at 5 PM while the gardens open until 9 PM during summer.
- Tipping is not required in Denmark.
- I did not meet any Danish people who cannot speak English during the trip.
- Buses do not run often between Frederiksborg and the Hillerød train station. Check the return bus schedule first before you enter the Frederiksborg.
- You can also walk from the train station to Frederiksborg in approximately 20 minutes. I did not see a sign, but there were signs with the word "slot" which means a castle in Danish, according to other visitors.
- If a bus comes, take a bus. Otherwise, walking may be your time saver.
- Punch your 24-hour ticket once in a yellow machine at a train station or on a bus before you take your first ride.
- Carry a valid ticket to avoid the fine. Occasionally, you are asked to present your ticket.
- A single train ticket is not a worthwhile cost. It is expensive and valid only for a short time.
- After the trip, I found a very useful site to plan your Danish journey via a bus and train. This site is written in English, although you have to type the Danish name! Luckily, search suggestions appear as you type letter by letter.
- Some people might wonder which they should buy, a 24-hour ticket or Copenhagen Card (CPH card), in terms of traveling from Copenhagen to Frederiksborg. Their answer should be up to their itinerary. We wanted to visit both Frederiksborg and Kronborg for one day. However, the CPH card gave a free admission to Frederiksborg only, but not to Kronborg. We also knew that we would not be able to visit any other sights. Therefore, it was cheaper for us to buy a combination of the 24-hour ticket (120 DKK) and the Frederiksborg ticket (60 DKK), which cost a total of 180 DKK, compared with the 24-hour CPH card, which cost over 200 DKK at that time.