Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
difficulty in just getting it back to Europe in one piece made it precious. The
Danishpieces,called“FloraDanica”(ontheleftasyouenter),arefromahuge
royal set showing off the herbs and vegetables of the realm.
On your way back down, the middle floor is worth a look.
Middle Floor:
Circling counterclockwise, you'll see more fine clocks,
fancy furniture, and royal portraits. The queen enjoyed her royal lathe (with
candleholders for lighting and pedals to spin it hidden away below; in the
Christian IV Room). The small mirror room (up the stairs from the main hall)
was where the king played Hugh Hefner—using mirrors on the floor to see
what was under those hoop skirts. In hidden cupboards, he had a fold-out bed
and a handy escape staircase.
Back outside, turn right and find the stairs leading down to the...
Royal Danish Treasury (Castle Basement):
The palace was a royal res-
idence for a century and has been the royal vault right up until today. As you
enter, first head to the right, into the
wine cellar,
with thousand-liter barrels
and some fine treasury items. The first room has a vast army of tiny golden
soldiers, and a wall lined with fancy rifles. Heading into the next room, you'll
see fine items of amber (petrified tree resin, 30-50 million years old) and
ivory. Study the large box made of amber (in a freestanding case, just to the
right as you enter)—the tiny figures show a healthy interest in sex.
Now head back past the ticket-taker and into the main part of the treasury,
where you can browse through exquisite royal knickknacks.
The diamond- and pearl-studded
saddles
were Christian IV's—the first
for his coronation, the second for his son's wedding. When his kingdom
was nearly bankrupt, Christian had these constructed lavishly—complete with
solid-gold spurs—to impress visiting dignitaries and bolster Denmark's credit
rating.
The next case displays
tankards.
Danes were always big drinkers, and
to drink in the top style, a king had narwhal steins (#4030). Note the fancy
Greenland Inuit (Eskimo) on the lid (#4023). The case is filled with exquis-
itely carved ivory. On the other side of that case, what's with the mooning
snuffbox (#4063)? Also, check out the amorous whistle (#4064).
