Esrum Abbey

Esrum Abbey (Esrum Kloster) is one of the best-preserved Cistercian monastery sites in Denmark and a peaceful window onto the country's medieval past. Founded in 1151, it was the second Cistercian house established in Denmark and grew into one of the richest and most powerful monasteries in Northern Europe, its monks farming, trading and tending the surrounding lands. It stands on the northern shore of Lake Esrum in North Zealand, near Græsted and Hillerød, in a quiet setting that still feels a world away from the city.

The surviving monastery building now houses engaging exhibitions on monastic life, telling the story of the monks' daily routines and, in particular, their pioneering work with herbs and medicine. That theme comes to life outside in the beautifully reconstructed herb garden, laid out in the medieval manner and planted with the healing and culinary herbs the monks would have grown. Together they give a vivid sense of how a great abbey once worked as a centre of knowledge, care and industry.

Admission is 95 DKK for adults and 50 DKK for children aged 4–17. Summer is the loveliest time to come, when the herb garden is in full growth, and weekdays are the quietest. Don't leave without tasting the monastery-style beer brewed locally in the tradition of the abbey, and be sure to combine your visit with a walk along the shore of Lake Esrum. A car is the easiest way to get here — it is about 50 minutes from Copenhagen via Hillerød.