Gavnø Castle

In 1737 Count Otto Thott (1703–1785) bought the estate of the forrmer St. Agnes' Priory and set about creating what is called today Gavnø Castle. An additional story was added to the surviving ranges, and the Rococo style exterior was added. The south range of the complex is the old dormitory of the priory. Thott was a collector of books, so spaces were created for the 200,000 books in his library, one of the largest private collections in Europe. The walls were hung with the hundreds of paintings he amassed. At his death all the books published before 1530 were donated to the Royal Library in Copenhagen.

The construction of the castle and French formal garden park was complete in 1750. In 1850 the gardens were reconstructed as an English style park with a more open and natural appearance.

In 1960 the entire estate was turned over to a foundation in order to conserve the castle, priory church, and gardens. It has become world famous for its spring tulip display. The property is open to the public, though it is still the residence of the current Baron Reedtz-Thott and family.