Frederiksberg Palace Copenhagen: History, Tours & Visitor Guide

TLDR: Frederiksberg Palace is a baroque royal residence from the early 1700s on Valby Hill above Frederiksberg Gardens. Now a military academy, you can visit on guided tours the last Saturday of each month. The gardens are free and open year-round.

Frederiksberg Palace doesn't scream for attention the way Amalienborg or Christiansborg does. It sits quietly on a hill, overlooking one of Copenhagen's most beautiful parks, and most visitors walk through the gardens without realizing the building above them is packed with 300 years of royal drama.

Secret love affairs, a marble bathroom built for a mad king who refused to use it, and a Russian czar showing up for dinner. The scandals here are better than the architecture, and the architecture is genuinely impressive. This article will guide you to everything.

What is the story behind Frederiksberg Palace?

Crown Prince Frederik IV fell in love with Italian architecture while traveling through Europe in the 1690s and convinced his father to let him build a summer palace on this hill. The original one-storey building was completed in 1703, then expanded into a three-storey baroque palace by 1709. Architect Lauritz de Thurah added the lateral wings between 1733 and 1738, giving it the grand footprint you see today.

Frederik IV hosted Czar Peter the Great here in 1716 and married his mistress Anne Sophie Reventlow at the palace in 1721. The most dramatic chapter came when the mentally ill King Christian VII lived here with his wife Queen Caroline Mathilde and her secret lover, the royal physician Struensee.

After the royal family left for good in 1852, the Royal Danish Military Academy moved in during 1869 and has been there ever since.

Can you go inside Frederiksberg Palace?

Yes, but only on guided tours. The palace opens on the last Saturday of each month (except July and December), with sessions at 11 AM and 1 PM lasting about 90 minutes. You'll see the main halls, the chapel, and the infamous marble bathroom in the basement.

Since the building is an active military academy, you can't wander in on a random day. The gardens and terrace, however, are accessible year-round and free. The hilltop view over the park is one of Copenhagen's best free viewpoints.

What is the story behind the marble bathroom?

In the early 1770s, royal physician Struensee had a marble bathroom built in the basement with Copenhagen's first running hot water. The idea was that thermal baths would help treat Christian VII's schizophrenia.

The king was terrified of the narrow staircase and never used it. Instead, it became Queen Caroline Mathilde's private bathroom and, according to palace lore, where she and Struensee carried on their forbidden affair. Struensee was arrested in January 1772 and executed that April.

The bathroom still exists and is a highlight of the guided tour.

What can you see in Frederiksberg Gardens?

The Frederiksberg Gardens were originally designed in 1703 as a symmetrical baroque garden, then transformed between 1795 and 1804 into an English landscape garden with winding paths, lakes, and canals.

The Chinese Summerhouse from 1803 and the neoclassical Apis Temple are tucked into the grounds. The large Smørrebrød Lawn below the palace is perfect for summer picnics, and Svendsen's Boat Service runs canal tours in warmer months.

Copenhagen Zoo borders the gardens, and you can spot the elephants from inside the park without paying admission.

The park is free, open year-round, and one of Copenhagen's finest green spaces.

When is the best time to visit Frederiksberg Palace?

For the interior, you're limited to the last Saturday of each month (excluding July and December).

For the gardens, late spring through early autumn is ideal. The lawns fill with locals on warm weekends and the canals are open for boats.

Winter visits are quieter and atmospheric, with bare trees revealing architectural details you'd miss in summer. Early mornings any season give you the gardens almost to yourself.

Is it worth visiting Frederiksberg Palace?

If you can time your visit for a tour Saturday, absolutely. The baroque architecture, scandalous royal history, and that marble bathroom make it genuinely memorable. Even without the interior tour, the grounds are worth visiting.

Frederiksberg Gardens rank among Copenhagen's most beautiful parks, the hilltop view is excellent, and you can easily spend a couple of hours wandering. If you're choosing between this and Amalienborg or Rosenborg, those palaces offer better interior access, but Frederiksberg delivers something they don't: a park setting that makes the whole visit feel like an escape from the city.

What else should I see in Frederiksberg?

Frederiksberg has a lot more to offer - we've gathered the top attractions here. The highlights include:

• Copenhagen Zoo sits next to the gardens and is one of Europe's oldest, founded in 1859. 
• Cisternerne is an underground museum of modern glass art in former water cisterns beneath Søndermarken park, just across from the palace. 

The neighbourhood itself is known as Copenhagen's "Little Paris" with tree-lined boulevards, independent boutiques, and excellent cafes along Gammel Kongevej and Frederiksberg Allé. You can read our full guide to the neighbourhood here, and you can easely explore it with StoryHunt - download the app here.