“As with all matters of the heart, you’ll know when you find it”. – Steve Jobs

The Frederiksberg section of Copenhagen distinguishes itself from the others through its royal origins, which date back to the 1600s. Located far outside the medieval city walls and high on a hill, it remains the poshest of neighborhoods, even today. The original stately country homes built by nobility on generous properties have become surrounded over time by elegant villas that line extra-wide roads and tree-lined boulevards. Since 1901, Frederiksberg has been completely enveloped by the city of Copenhagen, yet it endures as an independent municipality, through a historical anomaly, with its own town hall and courts.

During the Viking era, this high-lying area overlooking the Øresund Straight was called Tulehøj, meaning magician’s hill. In medieval times, the largest village of Solbjerg, or Sunny Hill, was surrounded by vast tracks of agricultural land where farmers grew produce for Copenhagen’s palaces and sold overages to the citizenry. In the 1600s, the Royal Family initiated building in the area, and then, in 1699, King Frederik IV built the eponymous Frederiksberg castle on the highest point of the hill as an out-of-town royal summer retreat.

From the baroque castle, which has served as the Army’s Officer School since 1869, there is a commanding view over Copenhagen’s city center and to the harbor beyond. Around his castle, the King also had two grand parks laid out for his pleasure. Both are now open to the public and loved for strolling and picnicking by neighbors and all Copenhageners. Within the garden, there’s the delightfully surprising (Royal) Garden Society’s Garden, which claims to be the world’s second oldest.

Frederiksberg Gardens, characteristic of a French-style romantic garden with the requisite waterfalls and statutes, is graceful and peaceful. Paths wind alongside the canals that are plied by small boats, as in Frederik’s day. The 300-year-old linden trees also lend a noble air, as do the oriental-style bridge over a canal and the ornate Chinese pavilion to which it leads. Part of the original garden now houses the acclaimed Copenhagen Zoo, whose landmark tower can be seen from many parts of the city.

Søndermarken, or Southern Fields, with its more natural landscape, also has compelling attractions. The Cisterns that provided clean drinking water to the city and to Carlsberg Breweries from 1859-1933 are now accessible via a modern glass cube entrance. In the depths, visitors can experience modern art exhibitions in a unique cave setting among limestone stalactites. A nearby memorial was erected by Danes who emigrated to the United States in an homage to their homeland, and, in a clearing close by, a beer garden-type café serves refreshments.

Frederiksberg grew around several main streets which still have a very different feel from the rest of Copenhagen. Frederick IV’s private access road to his castle has become a wide avenue lined with trees and elegant apartment buildings, ending at the Garden entrance. The perpendicular road features parks and small gardens in front of the set-back buildings. Here, during Denmark’s Golden Age, numerous restaurants opened, adding a traditional lunch to leisure opportunities for Copenhageners during Sunday outings, then and now.

Don’t miss:

Finding the delightful tucked-away Garden Society’s Garden.

Lunch Tip:

Restaurant Allégade 10 for traditional Danish lunch.

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*All photographs are mine, taken with my Nikon D3100 or iPhone 12 Pro.*