Marselisborg Palace and Deer Park

Marselisborg was built in 1902 as a wedding gift to the future Christian X and remains the royal family's summer residence in Aarhus, a modest white neoclassical house rather than a palace. When the family is not in residence, generally outside the summer weeks and Christmas, the garden is opened to the public: rose beds, a sculpture collection including work by the queen, lawns and a view down toward the bay. Nearby, in the Marselisborg forests along the coast south of the city, is the deer park, a large fenced enclosure of woodland and clearing holding red, sika and fallow deer and wild boar, free to enter and walk through, where the deer are used to people and come close, which makes it a standard family outing.

What you actually see

• The royal garden - open to the public when the family is elsewhere.
• Sculpture in the grounds - including work by the queen.
• The deer park - red, sika and fallow deer in open woodland.
• Wild boar enclosure - within the same forest park.

When to go

April to October for the garden, though it closes when the family is in residence, typically in summer and at Christmas; check before travelling. The deer park is open year round. Half a day for both.

Honest expectations

Garden opening is unpredictable because it depends on where the royal family is. The house is never open. Deer in the park are habituated and feeding them is discouraged but common, which is not good for them. Parking is limited at weekends.

Nearby

The Marselisborg forests and coast path run south; central Aarhus is north.