One of Christian IV’s lavish palaces, Valdemars Slot was built for his son Valdemar Christian in 1644. Valdemar never actually lived here – he died on a Polish battlefield at the age of 34 – and the castle itself was badly damaged in the Danish-Swedish wars. It was gifted to the naval hero Niels Juel, who transformed it into the baroque mansion you see today. His descendants still live here, but parts of the building are open to the public. There’s no admission charge to the grounds or sandy beach, just outside the southern gate. FIX
The café here is a toast, ice-cream and apple pie servery. However, for a lavish hang-the-expense meal and atmosphere in spades, the romantic cellar restaurant is the place to go. There are Danish standards such as lunchtime smørrebrød, and French-influenced evening dishes (lobster bisque, foie gras terrine, beef and venison), with a high-quality wine list. The restaurant is open for dinner from 6pm to 10pm, Thursday to Saturday, June to August.
