Frederiksberg Palace: Summer Serenity

Frederiksberg Palace perhaps the city’s most simple and elegant castle. Its closest neighbors are beautiful parks and exotic animals, and maybe because of this, the yellow palace often lives a somewhat overlooked existence.

Perched on top of Valby Hill, the yellow Frederiksberg Palace discreetly watches over the city, with Søndermarken across the street and Frederiksberg Gardens open to the public as a park. You can spot the palace from Roskildevej just before reaching the Zoo. However, the best view comes when you enter Frederiksberg Gardens and follow the path to the large slope, where the entire facade stands elegantly.

The Garden’s Importance

For many Copenhagen residents, the palace itself is not a prominent part of the collective consciousness. Instead, it’s the palace’s park, Frederiksberg Gardens, with its streams, boats, bridges, hidden corners, paths, and open spaces, that holds a special place. Particularly during the summer, the park is packed with people enjoying the sun. Both small and large concerts, especially classical music performances, are held here during the summer months.

There’s a distinctly southern and summery atmosphere about the palace, which was built as a pleasure palace for King Frederik IV between 1699 and 1703. The design was inspired by Italian Baroque, and it quickly becomes clear how that has influenced its appearance. Frederiksberg Palace lacks the heavy stonework, bronze, and intricate details that characterize many of the city’s other castles and palaces.

The History of the Summer Palace

The palace was designed by architect Ernst Brandenburger and later expanded—first with an additional floor and two wings by architect Johan Conrad Ernst, and later with a curved extension of the side wings by architect Lauritz de Thurah.

Its current appearance came through a minor renovation in 1828-1829, carried out by architect Jørgen Hansen Koch for King Frederik VI, who spent a lot of time at the palace. His widow, Queen Marie Sophie Frederikke, was the last royal resident of the palace before her death in 1852.

Today, the palace is under the Ministry of Defence and houses the Royal Danish Defence College.

Nearby Frederiksberg Palace

One unique feature of the palace’s park is the direct view into the elephant enclosure at the neighboring Zoo. In the early 2000s, Norman Foster created a new enclosure where the wall between the Zoo and the palace park was made transparent, allowing a glimpse into the zoo without a ticket. Similarly, you can see the animals on the Zoo’s savanna if you stroll through Søndermarken.