Originally built as a hunting retreat for Frederick IV in 1719, the grand Fredensborg Palace (Fredensborg Slot) now serves as the summer residence of the Danish Royal family, as well as a popular location for Royal weddings, anniversaries, birthdays and state visits. Less than an hour from Copenhagen, the palace makes an easy day trip from the capital, often coupled with a tour of North Zealand’s many castles, but the palace interiors are only open to the public by guided tours in July.

For the rest of the year, visitors will have to make do with exploring the grounds – an over 300-acre plot set around Lake Esrum and offering prize views of the palace’s dramatic Baroque façade. The palace gardens are among the largest and finest Baroque gardens in the country and include the Valley of the Norsemen sculpture park, designed by J.G. Grund, and a vegetable garden and orangery, connected by tree-lined avenues and dotted with Johannes Wiedewelt sculptures.