Dragsholm Slot

Dragsholm Castle is located in the heart of the beautiful Odsherred peninsula. In its 800 year-old castle the past, present and future converge in a harmonious interplay between history, local produce and gastronomy.

And this must be both seen and tasted. The castle’s two recognised and prize-winning restaurants are based on changing menus using the season’s ingredients from the Baron’s reclaimed Lammefjord.

The surrounding countryside has been designated as Denmark’s first Geopark by UNESCO and offers plenty of activities. Dragsholm Castle’s exciting history can be experienced in a guided tour, and the castle’s 41 hotel rooms are decorated with Hästens beds, so guests can get a well-deserved good night’s sleep.

HISTORY
The past, present and future meet at Dragsholm Castle and we offer experiences where nature, gastronomy – and not least history – are in harmony.

The castle is one of Denmark’s oldest, and has stood on the beautiful Odsherred peninsula for more than 800 years, as wars have raged, noblemen and women have been married in the castle church and prominent prisoners led over the castle courtyard.

Today, Dragsholm Castle is open to the public as a hotel with 41 double rooms, two acclaimed restaurants, as an events, courses and conference centre and a church for weddings and services.

Our ambition remains to welcome our guests with a total experience. The art is to preserve and convey the historical authenticity and the character of the region, while also bringing the castle and its cultural history into the 21st century’s functionality and aesthetic.

THE NAME DRAGSHOLM
Prior to the damming of Lammefjord, Odsherred was connected to the rest of Zealand by a narrow stretch. A ”draugh” or ”drag” means a small stretch of land, which in this case connected Odsherred to the rest of Zealand. The stretch of land was located east of Dragsholm where the mill, Dragsmølle, lies today.

In the Viking Age, “drag” meant that you could drag the ships across the land and thereby avoid the dangerous waters north of Zealand.

The islet on which Dragsholm Castle was built is surrounded by lakes and meadows just south of the border moraine deposit, which ends at Vejrhøj (123 m) to the north. Consequently, Dragsholm means the islet by the ”drag”.

EARLY HISTORY
Dragsholm Slot is one of the oldest secular buildings in Denmark. The original Dragsholm Castle was built around 1215 by the Bishop of Roskilde. During the Middle Ages, the building was modified from the original palace to a fortified castle.

During the Count’s Feud (1534–36) (Grevens Fejde) it was so strong that it was the only castle on Zealand to withstand the armies of Count Christoffer.

CROWNLAND AND PRISON, 1536-1664
In connection with the Reformation, Dragsholm was passed on to the Crown. As Crownland during the period from 1536 to 1664, Dragsholm Castle was used as a prison for noble and ecclesiastical prisoners.

In the large tower at the northeast corner of the medieval castle, prison cells were made and equipped with toilets and windows depending on the prisoner’s crimes, behaviour and the seriousness of his insults towards the King.

Some of the most well-known prisoners at Dragsholm Castle include the last Catholic Bishop in Roskilde, the former owner of the castle, Joachim Rønnow; James Hepburn, 4th Earl of Bothwell and third husband of Mary, Queen of Scots; and the seemingly raving mad squire, Ejler Brockenhuus.

THE BAROQUE CASTLE
During the wars against Charles X Gustav of Sweden, an attempt was made to blow up Dragsholm Castle, and the place was a ruin until the King as part payment of his outstanding debts gave the castle to the grocer Heinrich Müller, and he started the restoration.

In 1694, Dragsholm Castle was sold to the nobleman Frederik Christian Adeler and finally rebuilt as the baroque castle we see today. Several owners from that family have made a lasting imprint on the development, including G. F. O. Zytphen Adeler, who took the initiative to drain the Lammefjord.

The family line became extinct in 1932, and Dragsholm Castle passed over to the Central Land Board which sold the place to J.F. Bøttger, but only with the land belonging to the main estate.

ARCHITECTURE
Today, the baroque style of the castle still remains intact, but the interior of the Castle has been subject to restorations and modernisations over the years. The most recent major restoration took place after the first world war, where the Baron aimed for a Late Romantic Style, which still prevails in the salons and ballrooms.

DRAGSHOLM CASTLE TODAY
In recent years, the Bøttger family has managed the running of the castle after a number of minor restorations, which in addition to general conservation of the building has had the purpose of raising the level of quality of the castle as a hotel, restaurant and attraction.

The hotel rooms at the castle have been refurbished and modernised, and more rooms have been added in the porter’s lodge on the other side of the moat.

GASTRONOMY
Only one hour of driving from Copenhagen, in the middle of the beautiful Odsherred, Dragsholm Castle welcomes you to it’s unique and authentic universe. The past, present and future meets at Dragsholm Castle in a harmonic cooperation between history, terroir and gastronomy.

It is something to behold and taste. In many ways nature plays a large role at Dragsholm Castle. The gastronomical level is high in the castle’s Scandinavian, nature conscious kitchen.

In the gourmet restaurant ‘Slotskøkkenet’ and in the more informal bistro ‘Spisehuset’, the menus are based on the season’s local raw ingredients from the baron’s dammed Lammefjorden.

The castle’s nature conscious kitchen is on of the most innovative in Denmark and can, among others, be experienced on one of the castle’s many gastronomical stays.

DRAGSHOLM SLOT GOURMET
Where the style of the bistro Spisehuset is more simpel and informal, we would like to surprise and challenge the guests in the gourmet restaurant Slotskøkkenet.

Slotskøkkenet is often highlighted, in Denmark and abroad, as one of the most innovative gourmet restaurants in Scandinavia, and our ambition is for Slotskøkkenet to belong among the elites of Scandinavian gastronomy.

Our head chef, Claus Henriksen, defines his kitchen style as nature conscious, and is based on the season’s vegetables and herbs from Lammefjordens forests, fields and beaches. Read more about Restaurant Gourmet.

DRAGSHOLM SLOT BISTRO
The bistro is based on the same kitchen philosophy as the critically acclaimed gourmet restaurant Slotskøkkenet. Similar to Slotskøkkenet, the seasons local vegetables, along with the many herbs from the castle herb garden, creates the foundation for the kitchen.

Together with this foundation comes the best meat, fish and shellfish, we can find in the area. The kitchen style in Spisehuset is more simpel and informal than in the gourmet restaurant Slotskøkkenet.

The quality of handicraft and raw ingredients is not compromised. Different from how we want to surprise and challenge our guests in our gourmet restaurant, here in Spisehuset we want you to confirm that “Old love never rusts”, but in our own interpretation.

When the weather allows it, we move the kitchen outside and fire up the grill on The Bastion with a view of the Sejerø bay. Read more about Restaurant Bistro.

DRAGSHOLM SLOT FOOD BAR
At the castle terrace our Food bar is open all summer. Here we serve our green interpretations of “street food”: Snacks, light dishes and drinks based on seasonal herbs and vegetables.

From lunch to evening in laid-back surroundings overlooking the Herb Garden, The Sejeoe bay and The Lammefjord. Read more about The Food Bar.

THE WINE
The wine plays a very important role at Dragsholm Castle. The wine cellar houses a carefully curated collection of exquisite wines, found while visiting wine farmers, at wine castles and through countless wine tastings with some of the country’s best wine merchants.

Our chief sommelier, Peter Fagerland, has been awarded for being the country’s most skilled sommelier and for the best food and wine match. Our ambition is to continue providing large, exciting gastronomical experiences.

FOOD BAR
At the Bastion, the castle’s terrace, our new ‘Madbar’ (Food bar) is open from 1 June and throughout the summer. We offer our green interpretation of “street food”: Snacks, light dishes and drinks based on the season’s herbs and vegetables, from lunch to evening, every day.

From the Bastion you can enjoy the summer weather in the relaxing lounge area or in a comfortable spot in the shade – all overlooking the Herb Garden, The Lammefjord and The Sejero Bay. Reservations can not be made at the Madbar. We look forward to welcoming you to a great summer at the castle.

MANIFESTO
There are not many restaurants which are situated quite literally out in the vegetable fields. This can be tasted and experienced in Dragsholm’s kitchen.

With its starting point in the castle’s gastronomic and historical roots in the rich local earth around the Lammefjord, it has always been, and will continue to be our ambition to create, maintain and develop a local kitchen, which cultivates the narratives and the special character and qualities of our own local produce.

HERB GARDEN
The Herb Garden at Dragsholm Castle contains over 100 Nordic herbs and vegetables, which are used daily in the kitchens of the castle’s two renowned, natural-conscious restaurants: Slotskøkkenet and Lammefjordens Spisehus.

The herb garden’s history can be traced back to the 13th century, when the monks who lived at the castle designed the herb garden in order to plant herbs that could be used for medicinal and medical purposes.

When the Castle Garden was renovated in 2009 with financial assistance from various funds, the herb garden was re-established in the same place where it is believed that the monks’ original herb garden was located.

The garden is situated directly south of the castle in front of Bastionen, and in the summer, you can enjoy a herb cocktail with a view of the garden and its array of fragrances from all the different herbs.

The herb garden is used in all its phases and throughout all four seasons, from the budding shoots that push up from the soil despite the snow and cold, over the blossoming spring and the plentiful beds of the summer, to the seed planting of late summer and autumn.

LAMMEFJORDEN
Dragsholm Castle is surrounded by the beautiful rolling glacial landscape of the Odsherred peninsula on the edge of the ​​Lammefjord in Northwest Zealand, Denmark. The area is known and loved by many people due to the intense light that characterises the region.

Odsherred is ringed by fjords and bays, and the sun’s reflection in the water gives the region a very special light that is found in only a few places in Denmark.

The hilly terrain was created during the Ice Age by enormous amounts of ice, which formed the rolling landscape that stands in sharp contrast to the flat, reclaimed Lammefjord.

Baron Zytphen Adeler of Dragsholm Castle initiated the damming up of the ground in the mid 19th-century. Today, we can thank him for the fertile areas around the Lammefjord, which supply some of the country’s best carrots and has almost become synonymous with vegetables of the highest quality.

This is because the Lammefjord’s soil was once under water, so the topmost soil is extremely sandy and rich in calcium due to the many clam shells that once lay on the seabed. It is especially root vegetables that thrive in this soil.

Today, the Lammefjord is known as Denmark’s best ‘kitchen garden’, and the area is dedicated to the cultivation of various types of vegetables.

CELEBRATION AT THE CASTLE
Dragsholm Castle creates the authentic framework around your next party: The historical buildings, the renowned nature conscious kitchen, and placement in the middle of Lammefjorden, in Denmarks first and only Geopark. You have the opportunityto give yourself and your guests an experience beyond the norm.

No matter what kind of birthday party, company party, wedding or other occasion, there is plenty of options to tailor the party after individual wishes and needs. The castle’s halls and lounges can be used for groups of 4 to 100 people in private surroundings.

we’ll gladly help with suggestions and coordination of entertainment and activities like music, photography, limo booking, events, decoration, fireworks, transportation, and more.

Below we’ve described a series of arrangements as inspiration to your party. Call or email us, if you want to know more or wish a guided tour and a personal consultation at Dragsholm Castle.

WEDDING AT DRAGSHOLM CASTLE
With its own church, banqueting hall and bridal suite, Dragsholm Castle is a much coveted venue for weddings. No doubt because both the bridal couple and their guests allow themselves to be seduced by the presence of history, first during the ceremony in the romantic castle church, in the park or in one of the many beautiful reception rooms, and later during the reception at the castle.

From the bridal suite there are views over the Herb Garden and the surrounding landscape. We have also experienced a growing demand for Sunday weddings, where the concept can be a more intimate experience for the bridal couple.

We are happy to offer our assistance by ordering the bridal bouquet, photography, flower arrangements, music, fireworks, limousine service and everything that will make a wedding at the castle an unforgettable experience, both for the bridal couple and the wedding guests.

SUNDAY WEDDING
With its very special atmosphere, Dragsholm Castle is an obvious choice when looking for somewhere to celebrate family events and special occasions.

And as the castle houses so many rooms and halls, we can offer the most exquisite framework for all kinds of arrangements, from the intimate dinner for those closest to you to a big party with up to 100 guests.

If you would like a more informal wedding, Dragsholm Castle offers a relaxed Sunday wedding in our unique surroundings. Naturally, we make our expertise available for advice and can accommodate individual requests in close cooperation with the bridal couple.

CASTLE CHURCH
800 year old Dragsholm Castle is among Denmarks oldest functional worldly buildings. The original Dragsholm was not called a castle, but a palatium. The palatium building was established by Roskilde bishop Peder Sunesen in circa 1215.

During the middle ages it was expanded and reconstructed to a four-winged fortress castle with a church in the western wing. The church – or chapel – was mentioned first in 21. August 1536, but is assumed to be considerably older and has probably been moved to it’s current placement at the end of the 1400s.

The church was apparently not used after the swedish wars (1657-1660) and until 8. April 1730, where Christian Lente von Adeler had finished restoring the church in the baroque architecture style and requested that it would be inaugurated.

The inauguration was delayed by the priest in Fårevejle, who requested extra payment to perform the service there. But the 4. May 1731 the king upheld, that the church was to be put back into service by the priest of Fårevejle.

Today the chapel in Dragsholm Castle works as a parish church with worship christmas evening, easter day and during the summer half year, from Pentecost to harvest. Baptisms take place when there is worship, as well as weddings year round.

BUSINESS AT THE CASTLE
At Dragsholm Castle the past, present and future converge in a harmonious interplay between history, local produce and gastronomy. We work closely with nature at Dragsholm Castle, both in and around the castle, throughout all the seasons.

We are convinced that nature is the key to our well-being. This is why we include nature in our food, our activities and our meetings. By going out into the natural surroundings and getting the body moving, our meeting participants strengthen their concentration and their motivation.

Nature creates the framework for better learning, and all research shows that learning ability is improved significantly through regular physical exercise.

Dragsholm Castle therefore offers nature-rich meeting days for companies that wish to get the most out of the days their employees spend on meeting activities, conferences or team building.

Just one hour’s drive from Copenhagen and the airport is Dragsholm Castle in the heart of the beautiful Odsherred peninsula, right in the middle of Denmark. The castles historical buildings and saloons are furnished with modern facilities and advanced equipment.

The magnificent surrounding countryside has been designated as Denmark’s first and only Geopark by UNESCO and provides our guests with the opportunity to recharge their batteries and enjoy the array of inspiring activities in and around the castle.

Fresh air while running, mountain biking, archery, skeet shooting, yoga and work out at our large outdoor fitness base. Our chefs will set the culinary scene for your meeting days with Nordic, historic dishes using only the best in season and local ingredients.

The 34 hotel rooms are fitted decorated with new Hästens beds, giving your participants a well-deserved good nights sleep after a day of meetings.

ACTIVITIES
Far from the rush of the city, but only an hour’s drive from Copenhagen and the airport, Dragsholm slot provides the tranquility needed to bring focus and inspiration to your meetings. If you need a break, we’re happy to help you plan activities around the castle.

At Dragsholm Castle we work closely with the natural landscape, both in and around the castle, through all the seasons.

The magnificent surrounding countryside has been designated as Denmark’s first Geopark by UNESCO and provides our guests with the opportunity to recharge their batteries and enjoy the array of inspiring activities in and around the castle.

In collaboration with professional instructors and guides, we can offer the following activities:

• Guided tours
• Exercise on our OutdoorFitness-base
• Herb walks with ranger guides
• Wine tasting
• Yoga
• Running
• Mountain biking
• Flower arranging
• Billard
• Boardgames
• Mushroom tour with ranger guides
• Clay pigeon shooting
• Morning swimming
• Golf at Dragsholm Golf Club

Website: www.dragsholm-slot.dk

Rooms: 34

Price: from 309 EUR per night