Valdemars Slot

Valdemar's Castle (Danish: Valdemars Slot) is a small palace situated on the island of Tåsinge near Svendborg in southern Denmark.

History

Valdemar's Castle was commissioned by King Christian IV (1588–1648) and built between 1639 and 1644 under the supervision of his architect Hans van Stenwinkel. "Castle" is how the local population refer to the building when speaking English, but despite the ornamental cannons outside, it is not a fortification, but rather, a large mansion house. The nearest fortification to Valdemar's Slot was Kærstrup voldsted, two kilometers to the west, today a copse near the junction of Vievej and Nørreskovvej.

King Christian was well-known for his interest in building. Tåsinge, the island where Christian planned to have Valdermar's Slot built, belonged to his mother in law Ellen Marsvin. He intended the new mansion should become the home of his son Valdemar Christian, whose mother was Kirstine Munk. In the event, Valdemar Christian never occupied the place, and in 1656 was killed during a battle in Poland.

In 1678 the naval hero, Admiral Niels Juel, was given title to the castle and the land on Tåsinge after his victory over Sweden in the Battle of Køge Bay in 1677. The estate was transferred to him as payment for the Swedish ships captured in the battle.

Today

The present owner, Baron Iuel-Brockdorff, who is 11th generation of the Juel family, took over his childhood home from his father in 1971 and lives in the castle with his wife and family. Valdemars Slot has been open to the public since 1974. The mansion is open from May to October and on public holidays. It features a large chapel, a toy museum, the Iuel-Brockdorff family's big game trophy collection and a local maritime museum. As it stands close by the shore, many visitors make the trip from Svendborg using the veteran ferry Helge.