Things to Do in Hillerød, Denmark: Walking Guide

Hillerød is a historic town in Denmark’s Capital Region, best known for the grand Frederiksborg Castle and its surrounding lakeside gardens. It offers a quieter cultural experience just a short trip from Copenhagen, with museums, churches and archaeological sites that tell the story of Danish royalty and everyday life. Neywo provides a free audio guide for Hillerød with 25 narrated places, letting you explore at your own pace.

Exploring Hillerød’s Highlights

Præstevang Church

Præstevang Church sits in the eastern part of Hillerød Municipality. Plans for the building arose during the war years, and the foundation stone was laid on 11 September 1961. The church was consecrated four years later, on 16 September 1962, by Bishop J.B. Leer‑Andersen.

Hillerød Church

Located on Østergade in the town centre, Hillerød Church serves as the parish church for the municipality. It stands in the heart of the community, offering a modest but welcoming space for worship and quiet reflection.

Folkemuseet (Hillerød Bymuseum)

Set on Jægerbakken inside the gardens of Frederiksborg Castle, Folkemuseet traces Hillerød’s development from the mid‑1500s to the present. The town grew as a service community for the castle and is one of the few castle towns that survived after the royal residence lost its political role. A permanent exhibition called Tidens Gade (Street of Time) walks visitors through 20th‑century shops, workshops and living rooms, recreating everyday life from the First World War to today. Since May 2008 a documentary about Maskinfabrikken Nordsten—once Hillerød’s largest workplace before it moved away in 1988—has been shown. In the basement, the Grafisk Museum preserves hand‑ and machine‑typesetting techniques, with former printers and compositors gathering each Wednesday.

Annaborg

Just beside Frederiksborg Castle stands Annaborg, a Neoclassical building erected in 1783. Until 1939 it housed the headquarters of Frederiksborg County, and it was added to Denmark’s register of protected buildings in 1945. Today it hosts temporary art exhibitions, so there is always something new to see inside.

Neptune Fountain

The Neptune Fountain (Neptunfontænen) is a striking feature on the castle grounds. Its sculptural group draws the eye and provides a pleasant spot to pause while wandering the formal gardens and lake‑side paths.

Frederiksborg Castle

Frederiksborg Castle dominates three small islands in the castle lake, surrounded by a grand formal garden. The estate’s origins date to 1560, when King Frederick II acquired the old Hillerødsholm property and began construction. His son, Christian IV, demolished most of his father’s work and erected the present Dutch Renaissance palace between 1600 and 1625. Frederick II also commissioned several pleasure houses, of which the Bath House (Badstueslottet) completed in 1580‑1581 still stands in the natural area around the castle and remains in use by the royal court. A devastating fire in December 1859 destroyed much of the interior; the building was rebuilt between 1860 and 1884 under architect Ferdinand Meldahl, with financial backing from brewer J.C. Jacobsen and later the Carlsberg Foundation. The restored apartments now house the Museum of National History.

Det Nationalhistoriske Museum (Museum of National History)

Inside Frederiksborg Castle, the Museum of National History is Denmark’s premier destination for exploring the nation’s past. One of its most intriguing objects is a depiction of Nereus, the pre‑Olympian sea god from Greek mythology. Nereus was said to foretell the future—according to Horace, he predicted the Trojan War—and could change shape at will. His mythic struggle with Herakles, in which the hero forced him to reveal the location of the Garden of the Hesperides, is a recurring theme in the collection. In art, Nereus appears as a dignified older man with a human torso and a fish‑like tail, often holding a trident or sceptre and sometimes riding a triton or hippocampus. The motif can be traced from Archaic Greek vase painting to sculpture, including a notable frieze displayed in the museum.

Badstueslottet (the Bath House Castle)

Tucked within the castle park, Badstueslottet is a modest, charming building erected in 1580 under King Frederick II. Executed in the Dutch Renaissance style, it is one of the very few surviving structures from the original castle that preceded Christian IV’s grander Frederiksborg Palace. Today it offers a quiet reminder of the estate’s earlier leisure architecture.

Mutter Gribs Hule

Mutter Gribs Hule is a prehistoric monument hidden in the landscape of Hillerød Municipality. It provides a rare, tangible glimpse into Denmark’s distant past, inviting visitors to contemplate the lives of the region’s earliest inhabitants.

Grønnevang Church

Grønnevang Church, located in the eastern part of Hillerød, began as a temporary vandrekirke inaugurated on Palm Sunday 1987. Services were held every second Sunday at the nearby Skanseskole for seven years before a separate parish was established. The Grønnevang church district was created on the first Sunday of Advent in 1989, the separation was completed in 1991, and from 1 January 1992 the congregation became an independent parish. After years of fundraising, an architecture competition in 2000 was won by Friis and Moltke; construction delays followed, and the new church was finally inaugurated on 28 September 2008 by Bishop Lise‑Lotte Rebel.

Download Neywo and Explore Hillerød

Neywo’s free audio guide turns a walk through Hillerød into a self‑guided storytelling experience. The app offers one walking tour and one bike route:

• Walking tour: “Hillerød, the Castle Town: From Præstevang to Frederiksborg” – 3.63 km, 111 minutes, 9 stops (Præstevang Church, Hillerød Church, Torvet, Folkemuseet, Annaborg, Neptune Fountain, Frederiksborg Palace, Det Nationalhistoriske Museum, Badstueslottet).
• Bike route: “Hillerød by Bike: Town Museum to Grønnevang” – 8.1 km, 40 minutes, 4 stops (Folkemuseet, Hillerød Church, Præstevang Church, Grønnevang Church).

Each story plays automatically as you reach the site, letting you move at your own pace with no group and no schedule. Narration is available in 11 languages.

If you’re looking for things to do in Hillerød, what to see in Hillerød, a Hillerød self‑guided walking tour, a Hillerød audio guide, or a free walking tour Hillerød, Neywo provides the perfect companion.

For broader context, Hillerød lies in the Capital Region of Denmark and is an easy day trip from Copenhagen. Other nearby towns worth considering are Elsinore, Klampenborg, Gudhjem and Dragør.

Enjoy discovering Hillerød’s royal heritage, tranquil gardens and lively local history—all at your own rhythm with Neywo.