Fredensborg is a station town in North Zealand between Hillerød
and Helsingør with 8,769 inhabitants (2020), located in Fredensborg
Municipality in the Capital Region. Fredensborg Castle is located a
little west of the center and has named the whole city. The city has
a railway station, Fredensborg Station, which is located in the
middle of the city.
Fredensborg has, by virtue of Fredensborg
Castle, over time been visited by prominent politicians, popes,
princes and royals as well as athletes including Bill Clinton;
George W. Bush; FC Barcelona's football team when it was to play
against Brøndby IF in the UEFA Champions League; Pope John Paul II,
the Russian Tsar Alexander III and the English King Edward VII.
By plane
The nearest airport is Kastrup Airport.
By rail
There is a railway station here.
By car
Fredensborg is an
important road junction.
The castle town
In the middle of the 19th century, Fredensborg
consisted of a large part of country houses and housing for
pensioners and other people who had retired, but also had a number
of officials, traders and craftsmen, was the courthouse for Kronborg
østre Birk and Hellebæk Birk og bolig for the birch judge, had post
office, 2 inns and was polling station. In 1857 a courthouse and
detention center were built with offices for the birch judge and
arrests for 21 detainees, municipal school, secondary school,
payment schools, Queen Louise Children's Asylum (established 1865),
a 1866 built poverty and welfare institution (maximum occupancy
108), which was then merged with the Winterfeldt-Vossiske Hospital,
pharmacy, mission house (built 1893), Hegel's Recreation Home
(established 1891), was the polling station for Frederiksborg
County's 2nd Folketingskreds, had a post office (with 1 postmaster
and 1 clerk), telegraph and telephone station, 2 hotels and a
station on the Nordbanen (built in 1864). The town had no church of
its own, but used the castle church.
In 1801 Fredensborg had
443 inhabitants, in 1840 618 inhabitants, in 1860 758 inhabitants,
in 1870 776 inhabitants, in 1880 795 inhabitants.
Urban
development 1900-1960
In 1911, Fredensborg had 1,280 inhabitants,
of which 105 subsisted on agriculture, 340 on handicrafts and
industry, 202 on trade, 92 on transport, 482 on own funds. By 1911,
Asminderød had developed into a suburb and district in Fredensborg
with 459 inhabitants, of which 50 subsisted on agriculture, 160 on
crafts and industry, 76 on trade, 19 on transport and 70 on own
funds. The district had a church, rectory and school, inn and
sawmill. In 1916 the town had 1,320 inhabitants and was described as
"Villaby og Forretningsby". A savings bank was established in 1902,
the city had 3 hotels, gasworks, waterworks, grocery stores,
furniture factory, tobacco factory, post office, telegraph station.
In 1930, Fredensborg had 1,557 inhabitants, of which 89
subsisted on agriculture etc., 420 on crafts and industry, 244 on
trade and turnover, 94 on transport, 92 on intangible business, 227
on housework, 375 were out of business and 16 without information.
In the same year, Asminderød, which had then grown together with the
town, had 718 inhabitants, of which 141 subsisted on agriculture,
etc., 216 on handicrafts and industry, 47 on trade and turnover, 59
on transport, 45 on intellectual property, 49 on housework, 143 were
out of work and 13 without information.
In 1901 Fredensborg
had 930 inhabitants, in 1906 1,162 inhabitants, in 1911 1,280
inhabitants, in 1916 1,320 inhabitants, in 1921 1,448 inhabitants,
in 1925 1,499 inhabitants, in 1930 1,557 inhabitants, in 1935 1,810
inhabitants, in 1940 1,707 inhabitants, in 1945 1,832 inhabitants
and in 1950 2,006 inhabitants. In the same years, the population of
Asminderød, which quickly developed into a district in Fredensborg,
grew from 366 inhabitants in 1906 to 459 inhabitants in 1911, 463
inhabitants in 1916, 503 inhabitants in 1921, 713 inhabitants in
1930, 639 inhabitants in 1935, 758 inhabitants in 1940, 782
inhabitants in 1945 and 1,075 inhabitants in 1950. After that,
separate population figures were no longer calculated: in 1955
Fredensborg-Asminderød had 3,199 inhabitants and in 1960 3,448
inhabitants.
Fredensborg is a picturesque railway town in North Zealand
(Nordsjælland), part of the Capital Region of Denmark (Region
Hovedstaden). It lies approximately 30 kilometers north of Copenhagen,
serving as a commuter hub with excellent rail connections via the
Hillerød-Helsingør line. The town's geographic coordinates are
55°58′30″N 12°24′20″E, positioning it midway between Hillerød to the
southwest and Helsingør to the northeast, roughly 10-15 kilometers from
each. Fredensborg Municipality, which encompasses the town, spans 112.13
km² and includes surrounding areas like Humlebæk, Karlebo, Kokkedal, and
Nivå, blending urban settlements with rural and coastal zones. The town
itself covers an urban area of about 4.8 km², with a population of
around 9,100 as of recent estimates, resulting in a density of
approximately 1,900 inhabitants per km². This location places
Fredensborg in a transitional zone between the bustling metropolitan
area of Copenhagen and the more serene, forested landscapes of North
Zealand, influencing its role as a residential and tourist destination
centered around Fredensborg Palace.
The topography of Fredensborg
is typical of Denmark's gently undulating glacial landscape, formed
during the Weichselian glaciation of the last Ice Age. The town sits at
an average elevation of 31-43 meters above sea level, with minimal
relief—within a 3-kilometer radius, elevation changes are modest,
reaching a maximum variation of about 47 meters (154 feet). The terrain
features subtle hills, shallow valleys, and flat plains, primarily
composed of moraine deposits of clay, sand, and gravel. This low-lying
profile contributes to a serene, accessible environment, ideal for
cycling and walking paths that connect the town to nearby attractions.
Surrounding areas exhibit similar characteristics, with the landscape
rising slightly toward inland ridges in Hillerød and dipping toward
coastal plains near Humlebæk and Nivå along the Øresund Strait. Human
modifications, such as palace gardens and urban planning, have
integrated seamlessly with the natural contours, enhancing the area's
aesthetic appeal without significant alteration to the glacial legacy.
Fredensborg's natural features are dominated by lush forests, serene
lakes, and proximity to coastal waters, creating a verdant mosaic that
supports biodiversity and recreation. The town is nestled beside Esrum
Lake (Esrum Sø), Denmark's second-largest lake at 17.3 km², which lies
immediately to the west and offers tranquil shores fringed with reeds,
wetlands, and mixed woodlands. This glacial lake, with depths up to 22
meters, hosts diverse aquatic life including fish species like perch and
pike, and serves as a vital habitat for migratory birds. To the east and
north, extensive forests such as those in Gribskov (one of Denmark's
largest woodlands at 5,600 hectares) envelop the area, featuring beech,
oak, and coniferous trees that provide habitats for deer, foxes, and
numerous bird species. These forests, part of protected Natura 2000
sites, include heathlands and meadows that add textural variety to the
landscape. Coastal influences are felt through nearby Øresund beaches in
Humlebæk and Nivå, about 10 km southeast, where sandy shores and dunes
meet the strait, fostering marine ecosystems. The overall environment
promotes outdoor activities like hiking in the palace gardens or boating
on Esrum Lake, while conservation efforts preserve the area's ecological
balance amid urban pressures.
The climate in Fredensborg is
classified as oceanic (Köppen Cfb), characterized by mild, humid
conditions influenced by the nearby Øresund Strait and North Sea.
Summers are short and comfortable, with average highs of 20-22°C
(68-72°F) from June to August, and up to 17 hours of daylight in
midsummer. Winters are long, cold, and windy, averaging 0-3°C (32-37°F)
from December to February, with occasional frost and light snowfall
(typically 10-20 cm accumulation). Annual precipitation totals around
600-700 mm, evenly distributed but peaking in late summer with frequent
showers; the wettest month is August (about 70 mm), while February is
the driest (around 35 mm). Winds, often from the west, average 5-6 m/s,
contributing to a fresh, maritime feel, and humidity remains high
year-round (70-85%). Fog is common in autumn and spring, and the
moderating sea effect prevents extremes, though climate change may bring
warmer temperatures and more variable rainfall, potentially impacting
local agriculture and lake levels.
In summary, Fredensborg's
geography combines low-lying glacial topography with rich natural
elements like lakes and forests, fostering a harmonious blend of human
habitation and environmental serenity. This setting not only enhances
its appeal as the site of the royal Fredensborg Palace but also supports
a high quality of life, with the landscape's gentle contours and
maritime climate shaping daily activities and tourism.
The development resulted in the establishment of an urban development committee for the Helsingør area in the early 1960s, which also included Asminderød-Grønholt Municipality. While Helsingør municipality, Tikøb Municipality and the Humlebæk area were treated separately, Asminderød and Fredensborg were treated as a separate urban development area with its own urban development plan. This directed the complete construction and development of Fredensborg and Asminderød as a single urban area. In 1963, the Fredensborg houses were built according to a joint project designed by Jørn Utzon.