Nyborg Castle

Nyborg was built in the twelfth century at the crossing point between Funen and Zealand and became the political centre of medieval Denmark: from 1282 the Danehof, the assembly of the realm, met here regularly, and it was at Nyborg that Erik Klipping signed the charter of 1282 that is generally treated as the first Danish constitutional document, limiting royal power. The surviving building is the great hall block and a tower, much altered, standing within the remains of ramparts, and the town around it keeps a rare grid layout from the same period. A long restoration and rebuilding project has been reshaping the castle and its presentation. The town also holds a substantial run of seventeenth-century fortification earthworks.

History

Founded around 1170, the moated castle was at first square, with corner towers joined by a curtain wall; a residential palatium was built against the west wall in the mid-13th century and a strong tower on the east wall. Here King Eric V signed Denmark's first constitution in 1282, and until 1413 the palatium was the main meeting place of the Danehof, the medieval parliament. Christian III, who often stayed here, added a banqueting hall and a tower in the 1540s, and in 1607 the Italian architect Domenicus Badiaz gave the main tower a spire like that of Copenhagen's Blåtårn. The castle was badly damaged in the Dano-Swedish War of 1657-58, most of its buildings were later torn down and their stone used from 1722 for Odense Palace, and what remained stored grain or gunpowder. Mogens Clemmensen restored it in 1917-1923, after which it became a museum (Wikipedia, Nyborg Slot).

What to look for

• The medieval hall block - the surviving core of the royal castle.
• The Danehof story - where the assembly of the realm met from 1282.
• The 1282 charter - the document limiting royal power, signed here.
• The town grid and ramparts - a medieval plan with later fortifications.

When to go

April to October; winter opening is reduced. Two hours. The restoration project has affected access in recent years, so check what is open before travelling. Medieval events run in summer.

What to expect

Much of the castle is gone and the surviving block has been heavily altered, so the historical importance outweighs what there is to see. Building works have closed parts of the site for extended periods. Interpretation is better than the fabric. Winter hours are short.

Nearby

The Great Belt Bridge is east; Odense lies west across Funen.

Key facts