Koldinghus, Kings and Religion

In the guided tour “Koldinghus, Kings and Religion” you can experience both a good story and the whir of history in the burned down royal castle, which is now a modern museum. Here, together with a committed and experienced guide, you will discover 250 years of religious history at Koldinghus and in St. Nicolai Church in Kolding.

As far as possible, this tour begins with a visit to Kolding’s large, beautiful church, St. Nicolai, which for centuries belonged to the castle. In the church we find historical traces of Koldingshus’ impressive vassal, Caspar Markdanner. Come along and hear the story of the vassal, who probably was a king’s son.

After the visit to the church, we go to Koldinghus, where, through the history of the castle and the kings, we move from Catholicism to Protestantism and to Pietism. How did it go and have the three religious periods left their mark on the castle’s history?

You will hear about what Catholicism has to do with Denmark’s first university. We visit Denmark’s first church room, which was built for Protestant worship, and hear what Christian III had to do with Protestantism. Only the remains of Christian IV’s magnificent castle church remain, but the story creates images that leave no doubt about the king’s faith with the many Christian symbols that characterized the church.

Finally, we visit the castle’s Great hall, where one of the spectacular events in the history of the Danish royal house took place, when Frederik IV fell in love with a beautiful noble lady, whom he married. Falling in love led the couple on to pietism, which became an essential part of their Christian atonement. Sure, the king was despotic, but bigamy was a sin that, in the realization, wore on them both. How did it go and what happened?

Come along and hear the stories about Denmark’s history and ours.

Practical information

Price: Total price for a group of max. 30 people: DKK 1,990. In addition, participants pay an entrance fee. ​
Duration: 2 hours

Book a tour here