Bagsvaerd Lake on Christmas

12/25/2011
Some little girls dream of Santa bringing them a Barbie Dream House, or even receiving a new princess gown and shoes for Christmas but THIS girl got to explore a real dream house this Christmas day! After we had our traditional Christmas brunch, we put the new dog harness on Maggie and went for a stroll to Bagsvared Lake.

Bagsvaerd Lake is about a half mile from our home. The lake and surrounding land were part of the royal hunting grounds. There are many small islands connected by lovely stone bridges and miles and miles of trails. It is 6 plus miles around the lake on the bike path. The paths weave into hardwood forests and then come back out at the waters edge. We saw mallards, sea gulls and herons in the sky and water. Maggie saw her first ducks in the lake and found them very interesting.

As we strolled, we noticed some brick and stone ruins, sitting upon a green hilltop. A little research, when we arrived home, showed that they were the once grand Aldershvile Castle, built in 1780. What a magical place! To imagine the grand rooms, the steel doors that still stand locked, that lead to underground chambers.

The brick frame and stone work are all that stands now, ruins of this once, summer castle retreat. When it burned in 1909, it was never rebuilt and has stood as a reminder of the royalty that are still a part of Denmark today.