C 38 ]
C H A P. IV ,
Excurfion to Hirjholm, Fredericjborg, Friedenjberg, and Frederic
fwerb. .
’ I ' H E fhortnefs o f my flay at Copenhagen during my firft.-
tour, and the earlinefs of the feafon, prevented me from
making any excurfions in the environs-of Copenhagen.. My fe-
cond tour in 1784, afforded me an opportunity of gratifying my
curiofity: an agreeable expedition to the palaces of Hirfholm,
Fredericfborg, and Friedenfberg,: and to the iron founderies* of
Fredericfwerk, will form the fubjedt of the prefent chapter.
Hirfholm, a royal palace begun by thriffian the Sixth, and
finifhed by his queen Chriftina Sophia, is a large quadrangular
building of brick ftuccoed white,, furrounded by a moat, and
placed in a very low and marfhy fituation, The fuite of apartments
is princely, but almoft. totally without furniture, as they
have not been inhabited, fince the imprifonment and exile of
queen Matilda, who made it her favourite refidence, The diningroom
is a. very large, apartment, and remarkable for a je t d'eau,
and twelve fountains, which fpouted from the fides. The
gardens are. formal, and full of jets d'eau. The place is fo. entirely
negle&ed, that the eourt-yard is covered with weeds, and the
moat is a green mantled pool,
•Orders
h i r s h o l m—f r e d e r i c s b o r g . 39
Orders were lately received to put the palace in repair CHAP;
for the refidence of the prince royal, who in all things feems t ■
to fhow an affeitionate attachment to the memory of his
mother.
In the gardens is a fummer-houfe, which ufed to ferve as a
temporary theatre for the diverfion of queen Matilda, and her
company ; and in another part is a wooden building called a
Norway-houfe, containing landfcapes of Norway in relief, and
imitations of rocks, with wooden cottages perched on them, and
wooden roads. Near this building the walks are not unpleafantly
carried through the grounds in the Engliih ftyle of gardens;
The road from Hirfholm to Fredericfborg winds agreeably,
through a very beautiful and undulating country, richly clothed,
with forefts of beech, birch, and oak, and enlivened by finall
lakes in the recefies of the wood,
Fredericfborg was built by Chriftlan the Fourth, and was fo
called in honour of his father Frederic the Second. If is an enormous
and motley mafs of building, partly of red brick,and partly
o f flone, partly Gothic, and partly in the Grecian ftyle of architecture,
It is built round three courts,,each of which is furrounded
by moats, and joined by bridges. The principal façade is full
of niches, containing bad ftatues. In the inner court are two
ftories of feven arcades, conftruited with ftone painted black, and
pillars of dark Norwegian marble. This appendage con trailing,
with the red brick prefents a moil ftrange effedt, while a profu-
a , fioni