Cosy hostel in green surroundings

"Unlike most hostels in Denmark, Danhostel Frederiksværk has a great camping ground; part of the business owned by the municipality, but run by private economic principles," says the Chief Executive Margareta Andersson. Although Margareta Andersson has been host at Danhostel Frederiksværk since 1995, her charming accent reveals that she is Swedish.  That is great since many Swedes visit the hostel all year round. Danhostel Frederiksværk is a relatively small hostel with only 18 rooms, 10 cabins, as well as approximately 100 areas for caravans and tents.

"We have also become a popular place for small groups who hold courses, especially during winter. The prices to hold courses here are reasonable, and there are various groups, including teacher and educators who like it because they put a high priority on socializing and they like the good food served at the hostel.  We also run courses for sports groups, such as diving courses. During the year, school groups stay for about 4-5 days. We have five en-suite rooms, each with beds for four people. The remaining 13 rooms have shared bathroom facilities in the hallway," says Margareta Andersson.

4000 Overnight Stays

All overnight stays include breakfast, and lunch and dinner can be ordered as needed.  The hostel has about 4,000 overnight stays per year, while the camping ground has about 8,000. The campsite has 10 cabins with beds for two to six persons and some cabins are en-suite. Danhostel Frederiksværk is open all year round and in addition to Danes and Swedes, there are small groups from other countries.

Margareta Andersson continues, "the hostel is located near land and sea and that is an advantage. A few hundred metres from the hostel is Roskilde Fjord, and a few miles to the northeast is Denmark’s largest lake, Arresø, where there are many opportunities for recreational activities. At the hostel you can rent a canoe, and from the canal right by the campsite, you can row to the fjord and Arresø. In addition, there are tennis courts which are used extensively by our guests."

Lots of area Attractions

Many of Danhostels guests use the site as a starting point for tours of the area, such as Hundested, where there is a harbour with fishing boats, and a ferry to Rørvig on the other side of Ise fjord. During the summer months there is a spectacular sand sculpture exhibition by the harbour.  In addition, Denmark's famous polar explorer Knud Rasmussen's birthplace and museum are located in Hundested. Visit one of the lovely seaside resorts on North Zealand's north coast.  The seaside towns of Liseleje and Tisvildeleje are  only 6 and 12 km respectively from Frederiksværk. For nature lovers, there are numerous walking and biking trails in Tisvilde. A little further away are Hillerød, Fredensborg and Elsinore with three beautiful castles and other attractions.

"Although we are geographically located in the northwestern part of North Zealand, there are many who would rather stay here than in Copenhagen where prices are much higher.  It takes just about an hour by train from Frederiksværk via Hillerød to Copenhagen, and the relative proximity to Copenhagen means that many guests always have a Copenhagen trip on their schedule,“ adds Margareta Andersson.

Frederiksværk is a vibrant city with lots of shops, restaurants and cafes. For history buffs, the Industrial Museum, which is close to Danhostel Frederiksværk is worth a visit. Here you can see and hear about Frederiksværk, one of the first industrial cities in Denmark. Major General J. F. Classen and his partner, Just Fabricius, initiated the construction of a foundry in 1756. Some years later, the two enterprising men started the process of building a gunpowder mill. The mill produced gunpowder for military and civilian use for over 200 years until the 1970s. For many years, the machines were powered by a watermill. A number of older buildings with hydropower production were preserved after the plant closed. They form the core of today's Gunpowder Mill Museum, the world's best kept gunpowder mill with working machines.   In a number of different buildings one can now see the old machines in action and get a glimpse of the history of the manufacturing of gunpowder.