Dragsholm is one of denmark’soldest castles. In addition, it is in the top 10 places in Europe, where, according to experts in paranormal phenomena, the largest number of ghosts live. To date, this castle is not only recognized by all a historical landmark, but also a comfortable hotel that is never empty. The reason for this popularity is the numerous legends and legends surrounding the old building. Thanks to them, the castle-hotel is a kind of center of mystical tourism. It is constantly “flocked” to lovers of the supernatural who want to try to see ghosts with their firsthand.
Location
Dragsholm Castle is located in western Denmark, on the Odscherred Peninsula. It stands near the town of Herve.
The architecture of the castle is very unusual and unique in its own way, as it is mixed (but you need to give the architects their due – with grace and taste!) numerous styles that prevailed in Northern Europe in different eras.
The structure has a rectangular shape. There are no high pointed towers, nor heavy-duty fortress walls. Light painting of the whole complex gives it a rather “friendly” look.
In general, Dragsholm looks more like an old mansion (and there is a reason for this, which will be mentioned below) than a classic castle. It has never been completely destroyed, so now it has a partially authentic appearance.
History
The old building once belonged to the clergy. The castle was erected in 1215 by order of a bishop from the seaside town of Roskilde. Its name literally means “island of resistance”.
Initially, the building was built as a palace, but in the Middle Ages, due to constant military threats, it was converted into a defensive fortress. It was so well fortified, although you can not tell about it by the appearance of the fortress walls, that the only one withstood the civil war that raged on the territory of Denmark in the XVI century.
In 1536, the castle was transferred to the ownership of the royal family of Denmark. For almost 130 years, this place was used as a prison for especially noble persons and clergy. In the underground dungeons there were many famous people who committed certain crimes or for some reason were dissuaded to the rulers.
During the war with Sweden, the castle was partially destroyed.
A little later, the Danish king, as payment for an external debt, handed the fortress to the merchant Heinrich Müller. This man immediately began to restore Dragsholm.
At the end of the XVII century, Müller sold the building to the nobleman Frederick Adeler, who completed the restoration in the Baroque style.
Subsequent owners, among whom there were noble persons and the city council, also contributed to the design and improvement of the castle.
To date, the owners of the estate are the Böttger family. It was these people – more than two and a half centuries after the end of the restoration of the castle by F. Adeler – who overhauled it, modernized most of the interior and turned the ancient fortress into a prosperous hotel and a magnificent place to relax.
Local ghosts
The wide popularity of Dragsholm is explained by numerous legends about ghosts. There are persistent rumors that there are more than 100 spirits in the castle-hotel. Let’s talk about the 3 most significant:
- The Grey Lady gets the most attention. According to legend, this woman once worked on the territory of the complex and suffered from severe toothache for a long time. Eventually, she recovered from it. Nowadays, her ghost wanders around the building at night and checks to see if any guest has gotten lost and if everything is in its place.
- Another famous cited of the place we are describing is the White Lady. As they say, this is the daughter of the former owner of the castle. She was in love with the common man. They met secretly. When her father found out about their relationship, he imprisoned her in one of the rooms. In the XX century, when the interior of Dragsholm was being modernized, a skeleton dressed in a white dress was found in one of them. It was after this that the story of a girl who lures visitors into various traps located in an old building appeared.
- No less interesting is the ghost of the 4th Earl of Bothwell. This man , James Hepburn – who was the third husband of the infamous pretender to the English throne and Queen of Scots Mary Stuart, implicated, as most historians claim, with her tacit consent in the murder of her previous husband Henry Stewart, Lord Darnley, once died in the castle dungeon. But he was placed here not for the above-mentioned crime, but for seducing a minor. Now his spirit lurks tourists on the street and pounces on them, emitting a wild horse rustle. Sometimes at night, guests hear the of hooves – this is allegedly the count driving through the yard on his horse.
Room stock
The castle has a small museum dedicated to its history and a restaurant. The rest of the fortress is used as a luxury hotel.
There are 37 double luxury rooms, which in themselves are a certain attraction. They are decorated and furnished in one style or other and correspond to a certain historical era. For example, in many apartments there is furniture with embroidery and satin upholstery, and the walls are decorated with various hunting trophies and family portraits in antique frames.
The windows of the rooms overlook the garden or the courtyard with a green lawn.
Also in the castle there is a unique collection of collection wines, among which there are truly rare specimens.
In addition, there are halls where various conferences, seminars and business meetings are held.
Infrastructure
Dragsholm Castle is surrounded by a picturesque park, where everything is organized for hiking and relaxation.
Among the tall trees there are paths that lead to shallow lakes and canals or to spacious glades with neat lawns.
In the garden there are small fountains, around which numerous flower beds are laid out, and nearby there are comfortable benches.
The park area is a great addition to a luxury hotel.
Entertainment for tourists
Among them, as mentioned above:
- visiting the museum;
- a meal at a local restaurant;
- excursion to the wine cellar;
- hiking in the picturesque park.
In addition, here, in order to entertain vacationers, the administration of the complex periodically arranges entertainment events and celebrations of holidays.
And of course, an additional entertainment for hotel guests is the search for numerous ghosts of the castle.
Of course, Dragsholm is a beautiful castle-hotel. It is a wonderful example of how you can use ancient buildings without disturbing their unique style and the atmosphere of antiquity. Here, tourists can not only admire the historical landmark, but also relax. And numerous legends about the ghosts located in the castle allow you to give the journey here a certain touch of mystery and for a while find yourself in the place of not quite real, but still ghost hunters.
