Description of the attraction
Esrum Monastery is the oldest Cistercian abbey in today's Denmark. It is located approximately at the same distance of 14-15 kilometers from the cities of Hilerod and Helsingor.
It is believed that earlier this place was a pagan sanctuary, and then the first wooden Christian chapel. At first, Benedictine monks were housed here, but already in 1151 a Cistercian abbey was built here. It burned twice and was rebuilt for the last time in 1204. The monastery complex was built with red brick, the main building material in Denmark.
In the XIV-XV centuries, Esrum monastery gained great influence thanks to donations from Danish monarchs. In 1355, Queen Jadwiga of Schleswig was tonsured a nun and remained in this monastery until her death. Her daughter, Queen Margrethe I of Denmark, Norway and Sweden, also remained the patroness of this Cistercian abbey.
It is from the Esrum monastery that one of the oldest surviving documents in all of Denmark originates - the Esrum Code, which includes records of the conduct of business in the abbey from 1374 to 1497. It is now kept in the Royal Library in Copenhagen.
However, after the Reformation in 1536, the abbey, like other religious institutions in Denmark, lost its significance. Almost the entire complex was destroyed, and building materials were later used in the construction of Kronborg Castle. In the 17th century, there was a royal hunting residence here, and the former monastery grounds were converted into agricultural land and grazing for livestock. For some time, barracks were located here, and then the remaining part of the monastery was given to the local administration. During World War II, national archives were kept here, and after the war, refugees from the Baltic States were housed here.
Only in 1996 the former monastery was restored and transformed into a museum. On its territory there is an old mill, and also colorful performances and medieval festivals are often held here.
