Description of the attraction
In the south of Denmark, on a small island near Jutland, in the town of Sønnerborg, there is Sønnerborg Castle. The founder of the castle in 1158 was King Valdemar the Great, the great-grandson of the Kiev prince Vladimir Monomakh. Among the famous castles in Denmark, this one occupies a special place. The impregnable fortress of Sonnerborg is significantly different from the beautiful residences of kings. The main strategic purpose of the castle is to protect the shores of the Baltic from the raids of the Slavic tribes of the Wends.
In the XIV century, the castle was significantly expanded, massive walls appeared here, the Blue Tower was completed. In 1490 the fortress became the property of King Hans. King Hans and his son Christian II made every effort to build the strongest and most impregnable fortress in the country. In 1523, Christian II was dethroned and spent 17 years in custody in the Blue Tower, but in conditions befitting a royal person.
From 1549-1557, the famous architect Hercules von Oberberg reconstructed the fortress and completed the three wings in the Renaissance style. The same architect built a chapel in Sønnerborg Castle in 1568 for the exiled Queen Dorothea. From 1718-1726, by order of King Frederick IV, the fortress was rebuilt in the Baroque style by the famous architect Wilhelm von Platen. In 1755, the Blue Tower was demolished.
From 1921 to the present time, the Sønnerborg Castle houses a museum, where a variety of exhibits are presented, from the Middle Ages to the present. Special attention of tourists is attracted by expositions dedicated to the wars of the 19th century, the First and Second World War. Also in the castle is an exhibition of paintings by masters of Jutland.
