Denmark’s Tulip Festival at Gavnø Slot

The best place to see tulips in Denmark is at the annual Tulip Festival at Gavnø Slot. In fact, the “Tulipanfestival hos Gavnø Slot” is the biggest tulip festival in Denmark, but unlike random tulip fields in Denmark, this attraction hosts something for the whole family!

If you are like me and love flowers, you will want to go to a place where you can seek as many flowers as possible. When I heard that island of Gavnø hosted not only the oldest but largest tulip festival every year, I needed to learn more. Every year between the end of April to the end of May, Gavnø Slot showcases its lovely garden filled with hundreds of thousands of tulips and many other flowers. I knew that I just had to check it out, and I thought that it could be the perfect place to spend an early Mother’s Day! However, I have three guys in my house who don’t really have an opinion about flowers, so in order to keep them happy (and from driving me crazy), I needed to see if there was something Gavnø Slot could offer them. Luckily, I discovered that Gavnø Slot has something for the entire family!

This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you, I may make a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. Thanks for supporting My New Danish Life! This post is also sponsored by Gavnø Slot, who hosted me and my family for a day in May. All images are owned by the creator of My New Danish Life and are not allowed to be used by others without the creator’s written consent.

Arriving at Gavnø Slot

The location of Gavnø Slot is actually on the small island of Gavnø just off the western coast of Zealand (Sjaelland), one of the larger islands in Denmark. Zealand (Sjaelland) is also the home to Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. Since its location is a little more than an hour from Copenhagen, Gavnø Slot is an ideal day trip from Copenhagen.

Though the big islands are connected with long bridges, you never know if you will need to get a ferry to one of the smaller islands. Luckily, the island is so close to Zealand that you don’t even realize that you are reaching it, since the bridge that connects Gavnø to Zealand is smaller than what you would find crossing a river.

The Gavnø Slot is also not hard to find, since you are able to see it from this small bridge. However, what you can’t see from the bridge is quite magical. The rows of 40, beautiful Sakura trees that line the way to the castle parking area. Another great reason to visit Gavnø Slot in the spring is to see the magnificent, pink blossoms when the trees are in bloom.

Denmark’s Largest Tulip Festival at Gavnø Slot

As you enter the castle garden during the tulip festival at Gavnø Slot, you will immediately see a variety of colors. The garden is divided into different sections to highlight rows of beautiful tulips along with other colorful, spring flowers. There is also a man on a horse-drawn carriage giving rides out to those wanting a relaxing way to view the flowers. Since the weather was perfect, we decided to walk around the gardens to see what we could find.

Tulip Types found in Denmark

Since Gavnø Slot was conducting a competition, we were able to vote for our favorite type of tulip. This meant that we needed to make sure we were paying attention during our walk around the grounds.

Niigata and Spryng Break Tulips

First, we saw the beautiful Niigata and Spryng Break flowers surrounding a little pool of water. Many of the tulips came from the Netherlands, so the spelling of their names was quite different from what I was expecting.

Monsella Tulips

Next were some colorful red and yellow tulips called Monsella which were also planted next to some lovely red tulips. The combination of these two types of tulips was such a beautiful site to see.

Double You Tulips

I simply loved how they paired white tulips with pink hyacinths and pink Double You tulips. The colors of the tulips matched perfectly to the beautiful white and pink blossoms in the trees to each side. The smell of the hyacinths was also a nice added bonus to the senses.

Hyacinths at Gavnø Slot

There were other places where hyacinths were added to accentuate the fragrance of the gardens. I enjoyed how well the colors suited each other, especially when adding purple and blue hyacinths with purple tulips in this flowerbed.

Coral Pride Tulips

The plump little Coral Pride tulips were a gentle shade of light pink.  They looked more like traditional tulips, one would think of, except for the added white edges to the tops of the petals.

Cabanna Tulips

One very interesting type of tulip was the Cabanna tulip. The bud of these flowers reminded me of the plant from Little Shop of Horrors which had a man-eating flower. Those these are not that large, nor man-eating, they were quite pretty with their shaggy edges and bright white and pink colors. These are also one of the longest blooming varieties of parrot tulips, which may be an interesting fact for those looking to buy their own.

Colorful Combination of a Tulip Flowerbed

One section that had a great variety of flowers was filled with red, yellow, gold and orange colors. In this patch, you could find short, red Qatar tulips, which didn’t look like typical tulips. They also had large yellow and gold Vendee Globe tulips with their beautiful, spiky-pointed petals. The orange Vendee Globe tulips were also a nice addition to this bed because they blended the reds and yellows together perfectly.

Another type of tulip in this bed was the Bastia tulip. This flower was a darker red with a yellow inside and was quite shorter than the Vendee Globe tulips. Its shaggy edges also gave a bit of contrast to the other tulips. For me, one of the best additions was the daffodils, since they are also one of my favorite, spring flowers.

Wonderful views of the Gavnø Castle (Slot)

During your time at the tulip festival, you can have many different views of the Gavnø Slot. Closest to the entrance of the gardens is the side view of the castle where you can enter to see many different paintings of famous figures throughout history. You can also access the chapel from this side. Here, you can find benches to take a break from the walking or just to enjoy the colors of this side garden which have a variety of tulips and other spring flowers, like these lovely, yellow Imperial Crown flowers. Though these flowers are in the lily family, I think they look like upside down tulips!

You can get a nice, back view of the castle while looking at some lovely, red tulips. The castle is a traditional, light yellow color with white trim. The choice of red tulips at this point of the garden is quite lovely.

DeDijk Tulips

Perhaps my favorite tulip at the Gavnø Slot were the DeDijk tulips. If you are standing and looking at the castle, all you need to do is turn 180 degrees, and you will see rows of lovely pink and white tulips. The depth of this shade of pink made a lovely contrast to all the green sounding the tulip fields.

The Gavnø Slot Gardens / Gavnø Slotspark

The gardens at Gavnø Slot are tranquil and peaceful no matter which flowers adorn the space. A small stream flows throughout one section of the garden where water plants and hostas grow near a quaint, wooden bridge.

During your walk, you will also find an array of trees and a frog pond with tall grasses and wooden benches along the banks to allow for a peaceful pause in nature. Not to mention the countless daffodils, and rhododendrons and also a rose labyrinth.

Experiences for the Entire Family at Gavnø Slot

You might be surprised to discover that they have “oplevelse for hele familien” or “experiences for the entire family” at Gavnø  Slot. I know that this was a major selling point for my boys to be on their best behavior. I was able to see all the flowers I wanted without rush, and my boys were rewarded for not whining with trying out the children’s area afterwards. Win-win.

Children’s Activities at Gavnø Slot

On the far, right-hand side of the Gavnø castle park, you will find an area with tree stomps for the children to walk on. This is much like an obstacle course, which children of all ages enjoy. Above this area is a playground in the trees. After walking up some stairs, you can enter the nets in the trees that act as a trampoline. My husband and sons really enjoyed this attraction. There is no additional cost to enter the treetop trampoline.

If you have toddlers or smaller children, they may really enjoy the section with the animals. Ideally located near the garden entrance and restrooms, the outdoor homes of the castle goats are strategically placed behind a fence. You can take a look through the fence or have the kids enter the area and pet the goats. This is a great little area to entertain children when you need to take a break during your visit to Gavnø Castle. There are plenty of picnic tables in this area and a large, open area for children to relax and unwind.

The Go Fly Ropes Course at Gavnø Slot

Perhaps the best place for a fun, family activity at Gavnø Slot is on the Go Fly ropes course. Though there is an extra charge to participate in this attraction, it is well worth it. After getting suited up with all the gear, my family and I went through all 6 levels of the course. Having tried ropes courses before, I anticipated that his experience would be much like the others. I only managed to try the lower level of the other courses, so I didn’t expect this course to be much different. I have had a fear of heights for a very long time.

However, I went at my own pace with three very supportive guys (mine) and managed to complete all 6 levels with multiple ziplines without fear!!! The ropes course was so much fun with many different challenges. I’m very proud of my family for attacking every challenge like pros! It really enhanced the entire experience.

If you love ziplines, level 4 is for you!! My boys did that level a few times, because they enjoyed it so much. The beauty of doing the ropes course is that you can climb for as long as you want. 6 levels was enough to wear me out, but my boys enjoyed the freedom of being able to go multiple times on their own.

Grav-selv Dag / Dig Day

Though it may be up for debate, but I would think that dig day or “grav-selv dag” could be a fun activity for the family. Okay… maybe not, but I know I would enjoy it! This is the day at the end of May when season ticket holders are allowed to come to the castle garden to dig up the tulip bulbs at Gavnø Slot. The day and time for this event changes every year, so be sure to check the gavnoe.dk website for this year’s information. This makes getting a season pass to Gavnø Slot very beneficial, if you ask me!

Where to Eat at Gavnø Slot

We had the pleasure of eating at the Tulip Café or “Cafe Tulipanen” during our visit to the Tulip Festival at Gavnø Slot in Denmark. They had a great selection of open-faced sandwiches (smørbrød) and other fresh sandwiches. You can also get muffins, chips, soda, and coffee. It was a cool day in the beginning of our visit, so coffee was in high demand! They also had a window next to the café where you could get an ice cream or popsicle. My husband and I were also a bit intrigued by the selection of beers that you could buy, which were a part of the Slotsbryggeriet Gavnø (Gavnø Castle Brewery) and made on the grounds.

You also could bring your own food and have a picnic lunch at one of the many picnic tables throughout the garden. We noticed many families with strollers relaxing with snacks at the picnic tables.

Season Pass to Gavnø Slot and/or Go Fly

If you want to see and take home tulips from Gavnø Slot, I would recommend getting a season pass to the castle. This way, you will be able to visit the park as many times as you would like during the tulip festival. You could also get to attend the “grav-selv dag” to dig up the bulbs of your favorite tulips. Imagine how lovely your garden will look with new flowers the following spring! You can also visit the Gavnø Slot garden during the summer when new flowers are planted for the warmer season.

If your return visits also are spent on the ropes course, you might consider getting a Go Fly season pass. Passes are available at a discounted price for children.

Overall Impressions of the Tulip Festival Gavnø Slot

I really enjoyed my early Mother’s Day at Gavnø Slot! Spring is always a magical time in Denmark, and the flowers at the tulip festival at Gavnø Slot were so beautiful. It was also not too large of a garden, which means we didn’t feel that we were walking too much that day. It is the perfect place to spend an afternoon, and with the addition of the “Klatreparken Gavnø Go Fly”, I can confidently say that we had a great time. I saw children of different sizes tackling the climbing course, so I would recommend it to people with mid-sized children and up. My boys were 11 and 14 when we visited, which to me, seemed like the perfect age. You could easily skip the ropes course and still have a great time, though. I am just glad that we took a chance on such a place for this year’s Mother’s Day. It was definitely one to remember!

Getting in Touch with Gavnø Slot

If you would like to get in touch with Gavnø Slot, here is their information.

Website: https://gavnoe.dk/

Address: Gavnø 2, 4700 Næstved, Denmark 

Telephone: +45 55 700 200

Email: info@gavnoe.dk

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