The City, the Castle, and Helsingør's Hidden Stories - Sunday, October 4, 2026

Join historian Christian Holm Donatzky on an atmospheric stroll from old Lappen through Marienlyst Palace Garden and into the royal pleasure palace. Learn about sailors, executioners, kings and queens, and the unique connection between the town, the landscape, the garden, and the palace.

The event is held in collaboration with Nationalpark Kongernes Nordsjælland.

The tour begins with a walk to Lappen, where ferrymen and fishermen have lived since the late 1500s. Here, we'll hear about the common people and about Helsingør as an international seafaring town, where ships from all over the world brought trade, people, and new stories, but also diseases and other darker aspects.

Along the way, we'll also hear about the executioner and the nightman, who lived in the area close to the town.

From there, the tour returns towards Marienlyst Palace and its garden. We'll follow the garden's development through different stylistic periods and hear about the special landscape surrounding the palace and its location on the ice-age slope.

The connection between the town, the garden, the slope, and the palace is a central part of the story of Marienlyst as a royal pleasure palace.

We'll take a closer look at the palace's architecture and hear about the major renovation in 1759–1763, which created the Marienlyst Palace we know today. The renovation was led by the French architect Nicolas-Henri Jardin, who left his significant mark on the palace.

The last part of the tour takes place indoors. Here, we'll move through the beautiful historical rooms and hear about some of the kings, queens, and advisors who have been connected to the palace and their role in Danish history.

After the guided tour, we'll gather in the King's Kitchen, where coffee or tea and apple cake will be served.

The ticket also includes admission to the exhibition Paradise for All Time. Here, you can experience the story of Marienlyst Palace's gardens, the great stylistic periods of garden art, and humanity's changing ideas about paradise through time.

Practical information

The event is held in Danish at Marienlyst Palace.

Address:
Marienlyst Allé 32
3000 Helsingør

Meeting point:
In front of Marienlyst Palace at 12:00 PM.

Program:

• Guided tour at 12:00 PM–approx. 1:30 PM
• Coffee/tea and apple cake in the King's Kitchen at 1:30 PM–2:15 PM
• Exhibition Paradise for All Time

Part of the tour takes place outdoors, so we recommend dressing appropriately for the weather.

Admission to the exhibition Paradise for All Time is included in the ticket. The exhibition can be experienced on the same day either before the event from 10:00 AM or after the event from 2:15 PM to 5:00 PM.

Accessibility

The tour takes place partly outdoors and may be challenging for those with walking difficulties. Due to the access conditions of the route, it is unfortunately not suitable for wheelchair users.

Please also note that Marienlyst Palace does not have an elevator, and therefore the exhibition Paradise for All Time on the 1st floor is not accessible for wheelchair users or those with severe walking difficulties.

DKK 295 per person

There is a limited number of spots.

The price includes:

• guided historical tour with historian Christian Holm Donatzky
• admission to Marienlyst Palace and the King's Chambers
• admission to the exhibition Paradise for All Time
• coffee or tea and apple cake in the King's Kitchen after the tour

Special brunch price on the same day

From 10:00 AM to 12:00 PM, the King's Kitchen offers brunch at a special price for guests of the event:

DKK 130 per person
Normal price: DKK 175.

Brunch can be ordered as an add-on with your ticket and enjoyed in the King's Kitchen before the guided tour.

We look forward to welcoming you to Marienlyst Palace.