2. Frederiksberg Palace (Frederiksberg Slot) is a very impressive 300 year old palace which once served as the Danish Royal Families’ summer residence. The palace was first built in 1700-1703 by King Christian the IV, and for the next 150 years the Danish Royals used the palace as their summer home. King Christian spent much of his early life travelling Europe, and was very moved by Italian architecture. When he returned to Denmark he asked his father’s permission to build the palace we see today. Frederiksberg Palace is surrounded by a beautiful park which was once the Royal gardens for the palace. In 1869, after the palace had sat empty for many years it was turned in to a Royal Danish Army Academy, which is still active today. The palace is very close to Copenhagen Zoo.
Unfortunately because the building is an active military academy tourists are only welcome one day a month. Guided tours are available on the last Saturday of every month, between 11:00 and 13:00. Private tours can also be arranged, however unless you are travelling in large groups this can be quite expensive. Even if you don't enter the palace, Frederiksberg Palace and palace grounds are still well worth a visit.
3. Frederiksberg Palace Chapel (Frederiksberg Slotskirke) is a small chapel which is located inside Frederiksberg Palace. The chapel was constructed from 1707-1709 while the palace was undergoing an expansion of the east wing. The decision to add a chapel to the palace was not in the original expansion plans. The decision was taken to build a chapel after the expansion had already begun. The result is a rather curious piece of architecture. From the outside of the palace there is no indication that a section of the palace houses a chapel. It simply appears to be more rooms in the palace. The chapel was the private chapel for the Danish Royal Family and people close to the family for over 150 years. Tourists are welcome to visit the chapel.
4. Frederiksberg Park (Frederiksberg Have) is a very large park (68 hectares), which was part of the original construction of Frederiksberg Palace. The park was originally the private gardens of the palace and the park was originally in the baroque style. Today the park is a very popular place to visit with locals and tourists alike. As one of the largest green areas in Copenhagen it is a very attractive place to spend an afternoon. The surrounding palace and other palace buildings make for beautiful scenery. The park has many winding paths, lakes and pretty cultural buildings.
5. Sondermarken Cisterns (Søndermarken) is a popular tourist destination in Frederiksberg. Deep in the underbelly of Frederiksberg Palace grounds are the remains of 3 enormous cisterns, which were once vital in supplying Copenhagen with water. The 3 cisterns total 4400 square meters. The cisterns began construction in 1856 after Copenhagen had been ravaged by 7 serious cholera outbreaks during the previous 40 years. In 1980 they were emptied of water, and two of them are now open for visits. Inside the cisterns is the Museum of Modern Glass Works (Museet for Moderne Glaskunst). The unique facility is a permanent exhibition of glass art by famous Danish artists. An interest in art is certainly not necessary to enjoy a visit to the cisterns. Open Thursday to Sunday.
6. Frederiksberg’s Oldest Building (Bakkehuset) Originally constructed in the 1620s, is Frederiksberg’s oldest building. The building has undergone a number of alterations over the years. On of Denmark’s famous theater director, Knud Lyhne Rahbek and his wife Kamma lived here in 1798, and for 30 years onwards. During the period Bakkehus was a gathering place for Denmark’s best known literary minds. In 1925 a section of the building opened as a museum, Bakkehus Museum (Bakkehuset Museet). The museum contains personal memorabilia of the famous Danish poets Johannes Ewald and Adam Oehlenschläger. The museum also contains furniture, photographs and objects from the when Rahbek’s called this place home. Open Tuesday to Sunday.
7. Frederiksberg Church (Frederiksberg Kirke) is a rather atypical church by Danish standards. The octagonal building was designed by the Dutch architect Felix Dusart, and was completed in 1734. In the same year the bell from a previous church which had burned down in 1658 was transferred to the newly built church. The altarpiece painting was completed in 1841 by the famous Danish artist C. W. Eckersberg. Frederiksberg Church is located on the Palace grounds and is open to visitors year round.
8. Frederiksberg Cemetery (Frederiksberg Kirkegård). The cemetery behind Frederiksberg Church is one of the oldest in Copenhagen. Due to limited space it has become very expensive to be buried here. Some of Denmark’s most famous artists, architects and writers are buried in Frederiksberg Cemetery, such as Adam Oehlenschlager and Carl Th. Dreyer.