A 1700s Garden in Grand Baroque Style
Large parts of Fredensborg Palace Garden are designed in the grand and strict Baroque style of the 18th century. Later, the garden was influenced by neoclassical ideals and was then partially transformed into a more romantic landscape with woodlands and lakes. In recent years, the garden has been restored to its original Baroque design, with long straight lime tree avenues radiating from the palace. Some of the avenues lead to the idyllic Lake Esrum, and along the way, visitors encounter a series of newly restored historical marble sculptures.
Brede Allé (Broad Avenue)
From the Garden Hall inside the palace, one overlooks Brede Allé, where the surrounding trees have recently been replanted and appear delicate and fresh. The avenue is flanked by a series of large statues of Greek gods and heroes created by the sculptor Johannes Wiedewelt.
The Valley of the Norsemen
A fine collection of 70 sandstone figures depicting Norwegian and Faroese farmers and fishermen. In the mid-18th century, when Denmark and Norway formed a single kingdom, there was a postman in Bergen named Jørgen Christensen Garnaas. His hobby was carving small wooden figures of people in traditional local dress, inspired by those he encountered on his routes. King Frederik V asked him to replicate the figures in ivory.
These ivory models then served as templates for the royal court sculptor Johann Gottfried Grund, who carved the final versions in sandstone. Over time, weathering took its toll on the sculptures, and between 1981 and 2011, they were recarved – this time in a more durable type of sandstone from Central Europe.
