Hørsholm Municipality: Gardens, Nature and Cultural History

At Hørsholm Palace Gardens, Baroque garden lines meet lime trees more than 250 years old. The grounds preserve the layout of the former Baroque garden at Hirschholm Palace and were the setting for the relationship between Queen Caroline Mathilde and Struensee. The garden landscape also includes Kongens Dam, a large restored pond with an island; it benefits visitors to the forest as well as animals and plants.

Gardens and a variety of trees

Those interested in trees and shrubs will find a different kind of garden visit at the Arboretum in Hørsholm. The collection includes around 2,000 species and is Denmark’s largest collection of trees and shrubs. The arboretum can be visited daily from 7:30 a.m. until sunset; seasonal access arrangements may change.

Twice a year, at the beginning of May and in September, open days are held there. Researchers, staff members or students talk about their research and the trees in the collection. Dates vary from year to year, so if you are planning a visit, you should check the specific dates.

History in buildings and landscapes

The Hørsholm Local History Museum is housed in an 18th-century building that originally served as a tenant farmer’s house on the royal Hirschholm Crown Estate. Its subjects range from Hirschholm Palace to freedom of the press and a royal affair. Modern exhibitions and creative activities for children complement this historical perspective.

Hørsholm Church also offers a tangible glimpse into architectural history: its Neoclassical design is by C.F. Hansen, and it was inaugurated on 21 September 1823. The church has clear similarities to Hansen’s Church of Our Lady in Copenhagen. It is normally open during the summer half of the year and in calendar week 42; check opening hours before your visit.

Different traces of time lie close together in Folehave: there are 59 Bronze Age burial mounds and two surviving Neolithic long dolmens. One of the structures is 32 metres long and 9 metres wide. This information about its size makes a visit especially interesting if you like to consider archaeological sites not only by their period, but also by their scale.

Another strand of history leads to Usserød Cloth Factory. It was founded in 1791 and began producing uniform cloth in 1809. The well-preserved buildings are considered an example of the reuse of a decommissioned industrial complex. Hørsholm’s cultural appeal thus extends from royal and ecclesiastical traces to industrial history.

Routes of varying lengths

There are three marked walking or running routes in the Folehave and Hørsholm Palace Gardens area, measuring 2.4, 5.2 and 9.5 kilometres. The Heart Trail in Hørsholm Palace Gardens is a shorter circular route of around two kilometres. For both options, check route information and trail conditions before setting out.

For a longer outing, consider the 16-kilometre Blixen Route. It starts and ends at the Karen Blixen Museum. Here too, check route information before travelling. Rungsted Kyst station provides precise guidance for accessing Rungsted Hegn: it is about 500 metres from the forest’s northern entrance.

The Clover Trails offer four marked walking, running and cycling routes that start at the Clover Pole in PH Park. On the red route, QR codes let you listen to the horror story “Allikernes Arv”; its digital availability may change. The combination of exercise and audio storytelling gives this route a different character from routes focused mainly on the distance covered.

More culture and leisure ideas

In the centre of Hørsholm, Kulturhus Trommen offers changing exhibitions, a cinema, a library, a theatre and a concert hall. Its distinctive design and carefully selected materials have made the building an attraction in Hørsholm since its inauguration in 1988. As the exhibition and event programme changes, it is worth checking the latest dates.

Another activity is Hørsholm Golf’s six-hole pitch-and-putt course. It is open to everyone and can be played on a pay-and-play basis, with a green fee and no membership required. Bookings and seasonal availability may change; check these details when planning your visit.

When choosing a hotel in Hørsholm Municipality, your planned excursions can help you decide: gardens and tree diversity, architectural and local history, or marked trails each offer a different focus for your stay.

Discover more destinations: Rungsted Kyst, Albertslund, Gribskov Municipality, Allerød Municipality, Lyngby-Taarbæk Municipality, Rudersdal Municipality, Frederikssund, Copenhagen.

For the overview of the wider region: Capital Region.