Hillerød | |
|---|---|
City | |
 Frederiksborg Castle | |
 Coat of arms | |
.svg)  Hillerød Hillerød (Capital Region) Show map of Capital Region | |
| Coordinates:55°55′45″N12°18′29″E / 55.92917°N 12.30806°E /55.92917; 12.30806 | |
| Country |  Denmark |
| Region | Capital (Hovedstaden) |
| Municipality | Hillerød |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Kirsten Jensen |
| Area | |
| • Urban | 17.8 km2 (6.9 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 41 m (135 ft) |
| Population (2025)[1] | |
| • Urban | 36,604 |
| • Urban density | 2,060/km2 (5,330/sq mi) |
| • Gender[2] | 17,641 males and 18,963 females |
| • Municipality | 54,855 |
| Demonym | Hillerødaner |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 3400 |
| Area code | (+45) 48 |
| Website | www |
Hillerød (Danish pronunciation:[ˈhiləˌʁœðˀ]) is aDanish town with a population of 36,604 (1 January 2025)[1] located in the centre ofNorth Zealand approximately 30 km to the northwest ofCopenhagen, Denmark.Hillerød is theadministrative centre ofHillerød Municipality and also the administrative seat ofRegion Hovedstaden (Capital Region of Denmark), one of the five regions in Denmark. It is most known for its largeRenaissance castle,Frederiksborg Castle, now home to the Museum of National History. The town is surrounded by the former royal forests ofGribskov to the north andStore Dyrehave to the south.
Hillerød was founded during the early medieval times. The name is first mentioned in 1552 asHylderødz, deriving from the male nameHildi and the suffix-rød, meaning "Hildi's clearing".[3]
In 1550, crown princeFrederick acquired Hillerødsholm in exchange for other properties. His son,Christian IV, tore down most of the old buildings and built a new castle between 1602 and 1625. It was never officially incorporated as amarket town but prospered from ample privileges afforded by successive monarchs, although it experienced a setback whenFrederick IV moved court toFredensborg Palace in the 1720s. Hillerød was from 1772 until 1908 named Frederiksborg after its castle. Its first town council was established in 1778 and its town shield, which features a flowering elder tree, is from 1787.[3]
The arrival of the railway brought new prosperity to the town, when theZealand Railway Company opened the final stage of theNorth Line between Copenhagen andHelsingør on 8 June 1864.[4] It was later followed by theGribskov Line toGræsted (80, extended toGilleleje in 1896,Helsinge in 1897 andTisvildeleje in 1924) and theFrederiksværk-Hundested Line (1897-1916), which further contributed to Hillerød's status as a local commercial centre. The improvements in infrastructure also attracted new industries. These included Nordstens Fabrikker, a manufacturer of agricultural machinery, which opened in 1877. A privately owned slaughterhouse and meatpacking facility, Hillerød Svineslagteri, opened in 1896. It was converted into the cooperative Hillerød Andelssvineslagteri by 300 local farmers in 1913.[5][6]
Foss A/S, a major provider of high-tech analytical solutions for the global food industry, is based in Hillerød.Novo Nordisk andFujiFilm Diosynth Biotechnology are other major employers with expanding sites in Hillerød's industrial park. The pension fundATP is also headquartered in Hillerød.
The two principal shopping streets are Slotsgade and pedestrianized Helsingørsgade. The largest shopping centre isSlotsarkaderne with 50 stores.
Hillerød has been chosen as the site for a new regional hospital: 'Nyt Hospital Nordsjælland' (English:New North Zealand Hospital). To support the hospital, a new urban zone called Favrholm will be created in the south end of the city, and a new S-train station will provide access to the hospital.[7] The project began in 2012 and the hospital should be ready in 2020.[8] When completed, 'Nyt Hospital Nordsjælland' will be the largest hospital in the country.
The characteristics of business life in Hillerød are primarilypharmaceutical industry, knowledge, production and education. The municipality and the state administers a number of educational institutions offering short-term or medium-term education. Among them are the Business Academy North Zealand, Hillerød Technical School, Hillerød Business School, Hillerød Tekniske Gymnasium, Frederiksborg Gymnasium og HF, VUC and Hillerød teacher training college.
The settlement of Nødebo on the southeastern banks of Esrum Sø and enclosed by Gribskov, is home to theforestryboarding school of 'Skovskolen' (English: 'The Forest School) administered by theUniversity of Copenhagen.[9]
Hillerød also houses a Pharmaceutical College.Pharmakon - Danish College of Pharmacy Practice (Danish:Farmakonomskolen Pharmakon) is ahigher tertiaryeducational institution ofpharmaceutical sciences with 602pharmaconomiststudents.
Hillerød is served byHillerød railway station which is the terminus of theHillerød radial ofGreater Copenhagen's S-train network as well as several local railway lines.[10] The town's northern part is also served bySlotspavillonen railway halt and it's southern part byFavrholm railway station.[11]
The best known monument isFrederiksborg Castle, which was long a seat of Danish kings. The castle is open to the public and houses the Frederiksborg Museum/ The Museum of National History. The castle also has a largebaroque garden.
The Town Museum ("Bymuseet") contains a permanent exhibition on the history of Hillerød.
"The Boiler Room" ("Kedelhuset") has changing special exhibits. In 2005, the subject was the ancient and medieval history of NorthernZealand.
The ruins ofÆbelholt Abbey (Æbelholt Klosterruin) are the remains of the largestAugustinian monastery in the northern countries. The site also contains a museum showing its history. The monastery was founded in 1175/76 by the French Augustinian,William of Æbelholt, later Saint William, for the reform of the already extantEskilsø Abbey, which was moved here. He was summoned to the task by the Danisharchbishop and statesmanAbsalon. After theReformation in 1536, the monastery lands were appropriated by the state and the buildings were torn down. Some of the bricks were later used in the construction of Frederiksborg Castle.
Esrum Abbey ("Esrum Kloster") is aCistercian monastery dating from 1151. The only remaining building of this once vast complex now houses a permanent exhibition about the Cistercians. There is a restaurant in the vaults. Next to the monastery is "Esrum Møllegaard", the Nature and Environmental Centre of Ecology.
Another cultural institution is "Hillerød Viden- og Kulturpark" (Hillerød Knowledge and Culture Park); a library with surrounding culture workshops and game spots. This is the gathering spot for the cultural life of Hillerød - with exhibitions, music and theatre.
Hillerød is surrounded by some of the most extensive woodlands in Denmark, withStore Dyrehave to the south and the forests ofGribskov to the north. Gribskov is the fourth largest connected woodland in the country and both of the forests are rich withwild game, primarilydeer.
Just east of Gribskov isEsrum Sø, the second largest lake in Denmark and a few kilometers northeast of Hillerøds city center isFredensborg Palace and its extensivebaroque gardens, on the east coast of Lake Esrum.
Scattered around the vicinity of Hillerød, is a number of smaller settlements and villages like Tulstrup, Ullerød, Gadevang,Nødebo, Sørup and Ny Hammersholt. Ullerød is both an old parish and a new borough at 150 ha and is connected directly to Hillerød.[12]
TheHillerød Stadium is the sports complex where the association football teamHillerød Fodbold play. It was formerly the site of amotorcycle speedway stadium known as Selskov Stadium, which at one time was the primary speedway location in Denmark.[16]
55°56′N12°19′E / 55.933°N 12.317°E /55.933; 12.317
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