Hornsherred is a peninsula between Roskilde Fjord and Isefjord on the island of Zealand. I like the place very much, and often go there for winter swimming, hiking, or a stroll in Jægerspris park. This time, I decided to give more attention to Hornsherred from the air, especially to its castles and manors. The route looked like follows, and I was going to see eight very special places:
My first way point was Trudsholm. Its main building from 1551 – one of the oldest Renaissance buildings in Denmark – seemed to be in a poor condition. Later I learned, that it is on purpose, in order to keep the medieval vibe and historical atmosphere. The manor hasn’t been inhabited past 30 years, and instead used for events, filming and exhibitions.
Trudsholm is said to have ghosts, and paranormal activities have been recorded there by a group of ghost hunters. A well-documented story about Jacob Grundtvig tells us of the time when he in 1776 bought Trudsholm. He paid the down payment, but held off the rest. Later Grundtvig was found drowned in the moat, with stones tired tightly to his body. He had left a farewell letter where he described that he felt like he was sunk in a giant black hole.
Ryegaard was difficult to take photos of – the buildings were surrounded by tall trees of its 200 years old park:
Ryegaard is known from the beginning of the 14th century, though no buildings from that time exist today. There is a large forest nearby which hilly overgrazed landscape was formed during the ice age. It is open for public, and one can meet many deer there.
Egholm on the photo below, one of the oldest manors in Denmark. Egholm was built on an old rampart with building remains from approx. 1250. With its 26 lifestyle shops and a more than 1000 m2 private arms museum, it is an interesting place to spend a day in.
I visited Egholm together with Roskilde flying club where we had a guided tour by the owner, and a coffee by an exhibited in the museum Draken, a Swedish fighter. You can read more here.
Krabbesholm is one of the younger manors, it was established in 1673. The main building from 1853 was quite beautiful, and I did a couple of rounds over it:
There are several protected sites from the old days in Krabbesholm estate. One of them is Sofiehøj, a dolmen with two chambers from the Bronze Age 1,800 – 500 BC.
I’ve flown by Selsø Castle so many times – and always admired it. Its history can be traced back to the 13th century. Selsø was originally located on an islet in a lake with a river connection to Roskilde Fjord. Before the current building there was a small medieval castle. The large stone well in the courtyard stems from those old days of the 13th century:
Selsø Castle was built of 500,000 monk stones rom the Sankt Clara monastery (when it was discontinued) in 1576. Today, the castle and its grounds are open for public. There is a beautiful museum, and the venue is also used for concerts and events. In the castle’s basement, a visitor would find the only one 18th century kitchen in Denmark.
Svanholm is a vibrant collective with approx. 150 residents of all ages. Since 1978, when they bought the estate with the purpose of running one of the first organic farms in Denmark, the organisation has successfully run their business producing vegetables, eggs, milk, meat and grains. Charming manor house that was built in 1744 looked a bit neglected from air (but not necessarily is):
Nobody knows how old Svanholm is. It was first mentioned in 1346, when the farm’s first known owner was Niels Knudsen Manderup. He was a skilled landowner and eventually also became a very wealthy man.
Orebjerg is an old farm that dates from the 13th-14th century. The estate was then located on an islet surrounded by wetlands that provided a natural protection against enemies. There are still water-filled moats and stone fences around it. And note that cute water tower on the left!
Orebjerg has had many owners; there were also royals among those mortal ones: Margrethe I, Christian VI, and Frederik V. Today the estate is a private property.
I continued to Jægerspris Castle, one of my favourite places to go for a walk. More than 50 monuments are erected in the park and adjacent forest, and a number of contemporary art objects exhibited on the castle’s grounds. Its beautiful museum is also worth visiting:
Jægerspris Castle has mostly been the crowns estate through the centuries. Jægerspris’ ownership can be traced back to an unfortunate event in 1318, where the King Erik VI only son, a three month old child, lost his life when his mother, Queen Ingeborg, according to history, lost him from his carriage.
Many kings and queens have left their mark on the estate, but it is mostly known as a Countess Danner’s Castle who in 1873 established a Frederik VII’s foundation for the benefit of poor and abandoned girls. The Countess herself was of a poor origin, and knew very well what life of the lowest class of society was. The need was large, and around 350 girls lived there by the end of 19th century.
In the Jægerspris graveyard, one can see many graves of children of different ages that died and were buried there.
To this day, Countess Danner’s wishes are respected, and the buildings around the castle house children who need support and care for a shorter or longer period. In recognition of her importance to the place, the orphanage celebrates every year on August 7th Frederik VII and Countess Danner’s wedding day.
My tour of Hornsherred was finished, and it was time to fly back to Holbæk, my home flying club.
Though I often (unreasonably) complain that there is nothing to do on Zealand, even during short winter flights one can always find something exciting to experience from air!
