Koldinghus, Kings and Religion

On the guided tour ‘Koldinghus, kings and religion’, you will hear fascinating stories and feel the presence of history in the burnt-out royal castle that rose from the ashes as a contemporary museum. In the company of an experienced guide, you will explore 250 years of religious history at Koldinghus and in Saint Nicolai Church in Kolding.

Whenever possible, we begin the tour with a visit to Kolding’s large, beautiful Saint Nicolai Church, which for centuries belonged to the castle. In the church, we find historical traces related to the powerful Lord Lieutenant of Koldinghus, Caspar Markdanner. On the tour, you will hear the story of the Lord Lieutenant, who is believed to have been the extramarital son of The King.

After our visit to the church, we continue on to Koldinghus, where we follow the transition from Catholicism to Protestantism and on to Pietism as part of the history of the castle and the monarchy. How did this development unfold, and how did the three religious periods influence the history of the castle?

You will hear what Catholicism has to do with Denmark’s first university. We will also visit the first Protestant chapel built in Denmark and hear what Christian III had to do with Protestantism. Today, little remains of Christian IV’s magnificent castle chapel, but the storytelling brings up images that leave no doubt about his faith, as illustrated by the many Christian symbols in the chapel.

Finally, we visit the Great Hall, where one of the most spectacular events in Danish royal history occurred, as Frederik IV fell in love with a beautiful noblewoman, whom he later married. As a result of their affair, the couple embraced Pietism, which played an important part in their Christian atonement. Although The King had absolute power, bigamy was still a sin, and the awareness of it weighed heavily on them both. How did things work out for them, and what happened?

Join the tour to hear these stories that bring Danish history to life.

Practical information

Price: Total price for a group of up to 30 persons: 1,990 DKK. In addition, the participants will need to pay the price of admission.
Duration: 2 hours

Book your guided tour here