Fredensborg Slot og Slotshave

If you find yourself in Denmark during July, on a day that the sun is shining go to Fredensborg Palace on Lake Esrum. During the month of July, one is able to take a tour of the inside of the palace, as well as the private gardens of the royal family. Throughout the rest of the year this is not possible. So while I had been to Fredensborg several times before, it was always walking the trails outside at quite a distance from the Palace itself. In July, it had been set it up so that one could take a tour of the palace, and then an additional tour of the gardens, including the "Orangeri "

Understandably, they do not allow people to take pictures inside the palace, since it is one of the Royal residences. I liked walking through this palace. While I tend to say that about the majority of palaces due to the sense of wonder they invoke, this one I liked due to the feeling of living. From the Queen's bowl of biscuits for her dogs, to the personal family photos scattered around, you get a feeling that this palace is a more 'livable' space than most. While I personally could never see myself living in such grandeur, to see signs that people were in fact living at Fredensborg allows one to connect to this palace on a more human level.

While I was unable to take pictures of the inside of the palace, I was able to take pictures in the private gardens and the 'Orangeri'. It was a gorgeous day outside for a tour through the gardens. The sky was a brilliant blue, the sun was shining and many of the flowers were in bloom.

With Flora the Goddess of Flowers in the middle, I am sure this island covered in roses is a beautiful  sight to see out one's window.

The garden has far more treasures than Flora's island, such as the rose garden. The rose garden was originally created for the Queen's mother. For the Queen's 70th birthday, she was given a present of roses by the government and parliament so as to renew this garden. So with the artistic flare of the Queen this garden was given new life, and is quite nice today.

The final stop on our tour of the private gardens was the ' Orangeri '. Under lock and key, one can not go into the walls of the 'Orangeri' without being on a tour. Within the walls myriad plants are kept, including the vegetable garden for the palace, favorite royal plants, citrus plants and flowers galore.

To see Fredensborg in the summertime was quite unlike other times I had visited. The colorful treasures of the palace grounds make it a wonderful place to visit. I understand now why this is a summer residence of the Royal family.