Until the summer of 2021, the inner castle garden at Schackenborg could only be glimpsed through the beautiful iron gate at the end of the avenue. Today, the garden is open to everyone, so that its ever-changing beauty can be enjoyed alongside the sense of calm that comes so naturally here.
Every day from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM, you can walk the garden's paths, take in a wealth of flowers, shrubs and ancient trees. Find a bench and let the calm settle over you as time slows just a little. Here, there is space to savour the moment.
The inner castle garden
The heart of the garden. From the very moment Schackenborg Castle was built, gardens were laid out within the moat that still surrounds the castle to this day – in keeping with the fashions of the time. These gardens are what we now know as the inner castle garden.
Like many historic gardens, Schackenborg Castle Garden is in a constant state of change. Over the centuries, the ideals, ideas and inspirations of successive eras have left their mark on the garden's character and appearance.
Here, four very special trees also stand – planted by Prince Joachim, one for each of his children. Today they stand as living symbols of the family's connection to Schackenborg.
The outer castle garden
From baroque symmetry to living landscape.
The outer castle garden is also known as Sønderhaven. It was laid out in the late 17th century by the widowed Countess Sophie Dorothea Schack. The garden began its life as a classic baroque garden with clear axial lines and precise symmetry.
Over time, however, the garden changed character in step with shifting fashions. In the 1750s it was transformed into a French-inspired design with grand lime tree avenues, and around 1800 the area was expanded with conifers. Gradually the garden grew wilder, and today much of Sønderhaven is woodland, with open clearings, winding paths and old trees.
For many years the outer castle garden was reserved for the Schack family, but gradually the people of Møgeltønder were granted access. In 1970, Tønder Municipality took over the administration and upkeep of the garden in exchange for it being permanently opened to the public.
A careful restoration
With respect for history.
Both the inner and outer castle gardens have since undergone an extensive and long-overdue revival. In the years 2007–2009, Prince Joachim carried out a careful but thorough restoration of the garden.
Paths were reinstated, around half of the trees were removed, and several of the garden's original features were brought back into prominence. The result is a garden where history speaks more clearly, and where nature, structure and beauty combine in a whole that continues to evolve – season by season, year by year.
