Kongstedlund

Architecture

Kongstedlund was erected on the foundations of an older castle and is encircled by drained moats. The main building was constructed in 1592 for the nobleman Niels Juel. In 1640, a Baroque-style sandstone portal was added at the entrance by the then-owners Ivar Krabbe and Dorte Juul.

During the 1770s, a low half-timbered wing was attached to the main structure. The mansion rests upon an old arched vault that survives from the earlier construction. Its facades are now whitewashed, though originally they were of unpainted brick. Anchor plates mark the levels of the main building, and the rectangular windows sit within curved window slots.

The gables have been adjusted to the saddle roof in a straight line, but were likely originally arched in the Renaissance style. The Baroque sandstone portal, bearing the initials of Ivar Krabbe and Dorte Juul, is a particularly notable architectural feature. Its most prominent elements include sculptures of two warriors in full armour framing the entrance, two angels supporting the uppermost part, and two female figures in the upper section framing a family coat of arms and a laurel wreath.

Did You Know?

• Princess Dagmar of Denmark, daughter of Frederik VIII and Louise of Sweden, lived at Kongstedlund from 1922 to 1961.
• She was married to Jorgen Castenskiold, hunting master of the Danish court and member of the ennobled Castenskiold family.