In 1268, the Danish king built a castle to defend the frontier between the Danish kingdom and the Duchy of Schleswig. Today, the castle is known as Koldinghus – the last royal castle in Jutland. In its more than 700-year-old history, Koldinghus has not just acted as a border defence, but also as a home to royals and as a seat of the local government. The castle burnt down in 1808 and lay in ruins until the 1890s. It took more than 100 years to restore the castle again to its current impressive state. The castle is one of Denmark’s most memorable and historic attractions.
Koldinghus History Center
Koldinghus is regarded as an authentic assembly point whose vision is to “give the users a perspective on their own lives – through history.” The Koldinghus, with its rich history is alone a great story to be told. For that reason, the Koldinghus History Center, in which the castles history and its restoration is uncovered, is a permanent exhibit.
The castle’s history is bought to life through the use of texts, pictures, original artefacts, videos and models. The models show the development of the castle throughout its history. These models are designed by the architect Lars Rothenburg and produced by the ceramic artist Ulla Gravesen. Among the preserved originals are artefacts dating back from the 1400s.
A castle, a city, a collection
This collection is also a permanent exhibit at Koldinghus. The focus here is on the joint story of Koldinghus and Kolding city. “A castle, a city, a collection” is made up of the museum’s large collection of Danish silver from the 1500s to the end of the 19th century. You are taken on a historical journey where you can experience the development in silver design trends. Besides objects of silver, this exhibition also showcases examples of pre-protestant Danish church art, furniture and paintings.
Annual exhibits
In addition to the permanent exhibitions, the castle also houses new exhibitions each year. There is always a broad assortment of Romanesque and Gothic church sculptures, old Danish art and crafts. You can check out the current and previous exhibitions at koldinghus.dk.
Other attractions near Zleep Hotel Kolding
Hotel around the corner from Koldinghus
Zleep Hotel Kolding is in walking distance from Koldinghus. If you are visiting the castle and exploring the rest of Kolding city, this is the ideal hotel for you.
