The King of Denmark built this castle in the 13C for defensive reasons. In the Middle Ages a fortified town stood here, but nothing remains of it: the oldest parts date from the 15C. When it became a royal residence in the 16C, it lost its fortifications. Frederik IV altered it, but it was then destroyed by a fire in 1808. The originality of its restoration (20C) lies in the alliance of modern structures with the ancient ruins, as seen in the great hall, the chapel and the south wing. A museum of Danish crafts and decorative art is now housed here.