Kastellet Fort is a functioning military site that feels like a park.

Kastellet Fort was built in 1606 and is positioned at the canal’s entrance to the city center of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was originally built as the main fortress in a ring of defenses around Copenhagen. Today, it is still an active military fort but it is mostly an administrative center for the Danish Army and the city’s Home Guard, as well as being a public park.

Entrance into the fort

When approaching the entrance to Kastellet Fort everyone is met by a six meter (18 ft.) high statue titled “Vore Faldne” which translates as “Our Fallen”. It is a memorial to the Danes who gave their lives in the service of the Allies of World War II. The monument depicts an ordinary soldier with his head bowed in silent remembrance of his fallen comrades.

After passing the Vore Faldne Memorial, there is a bridge that allows pedestrians to cross the moat before going through a fortified entryway. Then there is a small dead zone that leads to a guard station which is built into the massive earth berm that encompasses the entire fortress as a secondary barrier just inside the moat. Stationed on the inside of the tunnel through the berm are armed military guards that keep an eye on the people entering the fort.

Moat and berm surrounds the entire fort

The moat and berm that protect the fort are built in the shape of a five sided star that reminds me of a martial arts throwing star. The actual shape is hard to visualize without seeing it from above. Unfortunately, I don’t have an aerial photo so hopefully the photos below help to get an idea of the size of the moat and berm wall that protect the fort.

Commander’s house and barracks

The fort is a functioning military facility but the military presence is only noticed by the guards on duty at the entrance gate. The Commander’s House (yellow building pictured below) was built in 1725 and is currently occupied by the Danish Chief of Defense. The military housing known as rows (red buildings pictured below) are large enough to accommodate 1800 people.

Cannons, cannons, cannons

Historic cannons are positioned in many locations around the fort grounds. They appear to be from different time periods and they look to have different purposes. Of course, they have been plugged and are not functional. Three of the cannons that were interesting to me are shown in the photos below.

Unexpected windmill

A seemingly out of place windmill is located within the fort compound but the windmill was a functioning part of the fort as it was needed to helped the fort be self-sufficient. The first windmill was built in 1716 and it is my understanding that they used it to grind oats.

Nearby attractions

Just outside the fort entrance are a couple of interesting sites that might be worth seeing while visiting Kastellet Fort. Gefion Fountain (undergoing maintenance during my visit) is a beautiful fountain and next to it is a 19^th century Anglican Church which many people were visiting.

There is a walking trail that goes completely around the fort. One section of the trail is actually inside part of the moat with water on both sides of the trail. Another part of the trail goes along the river bank and is incidentally where the little mermaid statue is located. The statue is small but don’t worry about seeing it, just look for the crowd of people facing the river.

The Dust on My Shoes

Kastellet Fort is a really pleasant place to visit. The environment is nice with cobbled walkways and attractively painted buildings. There are many people using the fort grounds is as a public park by walking along the trail on top of the berm and some people were having a picnic in the grass areas. The trail on top of the berm has a nice view of the canal and harbor that is nicer than the view from ground level.

The history of the fort goes back to the 1600s and still has an active presence but it is hardly noticeable. The fort is free to visit and the gates are open to the public from 6 AM to 10 PM but it can be closed without notice because it is still a military area.

Everyone visiting Copenhagen will make plans to see the Little Mermaid but my guess is that they will spend more time visiting Kastellet Fort. My suggestion is to make plans to see Kastellet Fort and then take a side trip to see the Little Mermaid.

There are many nice places to visit that aren’t necessarily famous. Don’t overlook some nice places while rushing to see the famous place!

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