Gottorf Castle

Gottorf was the seat of the dukes of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp and now holds the state museums. Its archaeological collection includes bog bodies and the Nydam boat, a rowing vessel of about AD 320 preserved in a peat bog and one of the oldest surviving large boats in northern Europe. In the seventeenth century Duke Friedrich III commissioned the Gottorf Globe, a hollow sphere over three metres across that visitors sat inside while it rotated to show the stars; Peter the Great took it to Russia in 1713 and it remains in St Petersburg, so a working replica was built and installed in the reconstructed baroque garden in 2005.

History

The estate was first settled in 1161 as the residence of Bishop Occo of Schleswig, after his former residence was destroyed; the Danish Duke of Schleswig bought it in 1268, it passed in 1340 to the Count of Holstein, and in 1459 it came by inheritance to Christian I of Denmark, the first Danish king of the House of Oldenburg. His younger son Frederick I made it his main residence, and after the duchies were divided in 1544 Frederick's son Adolf made Gottorp the seat of the Duchy of Schleswig-Holstein-Gottorp; under Duke Frederick III, from 1616 to 1659, it became a European cultural centre, and the present palace was built between 1697 and 1703 by Nicodemus Tessin the Younger. After the dukes had to leave in 1702 the Danes let it fall into disuse from 1713, its contents were gradually removed and it served as barracks in the 19th century; restoration began in 1947 and was considered complete in 1996 (Wikipedia, Gottorf Castle).

What you'll find

• The Nydam boat - a rowing vessel of about AD 320 from a peat bog.
• The bog bodies - preserved human remains from the region's peat.
• The Gottorf Globe replica - a rotating walk-in sphere rebuilt in 2005.
• The baroque garden - a terraced garden reconstructed with the globe house.

When to go

April to October; the globe house is seasonal and entered on timed visits in small groups. Museums close Mondays outside summer. Allow most of a day.

Practical notes

The original globe is in St Petersburg; the one here is a replica. Globe visits are timed with small groups. The museum complex is large.

Nearby

Hedeby lies across the water; Flensburg is north.