Kongens Have – the Kings Garden

The most popular parks in central are Kongens Have – the name literally mean kings garden and there is a reason for this. The park was originally the kitchen garden of the king supplying the royal household with the needed vegetables.

When you see the park you will probably think of it as a park in the center of the city – but this wasn’t the case originally – the garden was actually built outside the city walls which were running along one side of the park at what is now the street called Gothersgade. The garden was founded by King Christian IV who had acquired land outside the city walls to make his garden.

The park dates back to 1606 and there was only a small pavilion in the garden. The small pavilion was soon replaced by a small castle namely the Rosenborg Castle which was completed in 1624. Only ten years later the French ambassador to Denmark compared the garden to the Tuileries Garden in Paris which probably made the king satisfied.

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After Rosenborg were built there were additional buildings built here namely the Rosenborg Barracks which was finished in 1709. Today the barracks are headquarter of the Royal Guard who is a military unit which do take part in regular military operations but they also has the responsibility of guarding the royal residences across Denmark – including Amalienborg which is the main residence in Copenhagen.