Haveselskabets Have is a 14,000 square metre inspiration garden on Frederiksberg Runddel, established in 1882 and now managed by Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen after a historic 2025 handover.
I have walked through Haveselskabets Have in every season Copenhagen can throw at it. Sleet in February, peony chaos in June, that strange yellow autumn light that makes Danes go quiet. It remains, to my mind, the most underrated green space in the city.
Tourists pour into Tivoli and march past Nyhavn. Locals slip through a white gate on Frederiksberg Allé instead. Here is what expats need to know, including the recent handover that just changed everything.
What Is Haveselskabets Have?
Haveselskabets Have is the garden of the Royal Danish Horticultural Society. The full Danish name is Det Kongelige Danske Haveselskabs Have. Most people just call it Haveselskabets Have.
It covers 14,000 square metres on Frederiksberg Runddel, the circular plaza at the top of Frederiksberg Allé. Despite what other sources claim, the size is 1.4 hectares, not two. Numbers matter when you live here.
A Garden Built to Inspire, Not Impress
This is not a botanical garden in the academic sense. Try the Botanical Garden near Nørreport for that. Haveselskabets Have was designed as an “inspirationshave,” meaning a working showroom for Danish gardeners.
The whole point was practical. Members of the Horticultural Society could come, study the beds, and steal ideas for their own plots in Hellerup or Hvidovre. That ethos has survived 142 years and several wars.
The Big News: A 142-Year Era Just Ended
On 30 June 2025, the Royal Danish Horticultural Society handed the garden over to Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties. The Society had run the garden since 1882. That is a long lease to walk away from.
According to the official press release distributed via Ritzau, the transfer happened at the natural expiry of the lease. The Society chose not to renew. They will now focus on supporting gardening members across Denmark rather than running a single Copenhagen showpiece.
Why This Matters for Visitors
The garden remains free. It remains open daily. Public access was the non-negotiable part of the handover, and locals would have rioted otherwise.
However, programming will likely shift. Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen also manages the gardens at Fredensborg, Frederiksborg, and Kongens Have. Expect a more heritage-focused approach and fewer society-driven workshops.
History: From a Lost Garden on Frederiksberg Allé
The Royal Danish Horticultural Society did not start here. According to Wikipedia, the original garden sat further down Frederiksberg Allé. It moved to Frederiksberg Runddel in 1882.
That relocation tied the garden physically to the entrance of Frederiksberg Gardens, the much larger royal park next door. The siting was deliberate. Visitors could move from formal inspiration garden into rolling royal landscape in a single afternoon.
What Survived the Decades
The bones of the original layout remain. The rose garden, the pergola walks, the glasshouse, the small enclosed rooms with benches. These features are why returning visitors still recognise the garden their grandparents knew.
That is rare in Copenhagen. The city has rebuilt itself constantly since 1882. This small patch in Frederiksberg has not.
The Layout: What You Actually See
There are two entrances. The northern gate sits beside the entrance to Frederiksberg Gardens. The southern gate opens onto Pile Allé and the carpark road.
I always enter from the north. You walk under arched plantings and the urban noise drops away within ten paces. It is genuinely strange how quickly the city disappears.
Key Features to Find
- The rose garden: Formal beds, peak bloom in late June and early July.
- The pergola walk: Wisteria in spring, shade in summer, structural beauty in winter.
- The glasshouse: Tropical plants and a refuge when Danish weather turns.
- The small garden rooms: Hedged enclosures with benches for actual solitude.
- The lawn: Where Danes lie face down in the sun the moment it hits 12 degrees.
The Glasshouse Is Underrated
Most visitors miss it. The glasshouse holds a modest tropical collection that punches well above its size. In January, when you have not seen the sun in three weeks, it is medicinal.
I have ducked in during sideways rain more times than I can count. The humidity hits your face and you remember what humidity feels like. Then you walk back out into Copenhagen and accept your fate.
How to Get to Haveselskabets Have
The address is Frederiksberg Runddel, where Frederiksberg Allé meets Pile Allé. The closest metro is Frederiksberg station on the M1 and M3 lines. From there it is about a 7 minute walk down the avenue.
Bus lines 9A and 71 stop at Frederiksberg Runddel directly. For the full lowdown on tickets and zones, see our guide to Copenhagen public transport.
The Local Way: Cycle
If you are doing this properly, you arrive by bike. Frederiksberg Allé has wide cycle paths and bike racks are scattered around the Runddel. Parking your bike at the gate takes about 30 seconds.
Driving is possible but absurd in this part of Copenhagen. Parking near Frederiksberg Runddel is expensive and limited. Save yourself the headache.
When to Visit Haveselskabets Have
The garden is open every day, all year. There is no entrance fee. That has not changed under the new management, and it should not.
Each season offers something different. As a long-term resident, I can tell you which ones actually deliver.
Spring: The Reward for Surviving Winter
March through May is when the garden earns its reputation. Bulbs come up in waves. The light returns and Danes physically change shape.
Late April into early May is the sweet spot. Tulips, daffodils, magnolia, fewer tourists than summer. Bring coffee.
Summer: Peak But Crowded
June, July, August. The roses peak in late June. The lawn fills with picnickers and toddlers.
Weekday mornings stay calm. Weekend afternoons in July look like a music festival without the music. Plan accordingly.
Autumn: My Favourite Season
September and October deliver the best light in the garden. The colours shift from green to copper. The crowds vanish.
This is when the garden feels most like itself. Quiet, considered, slightly melancholic. Very Danish.
Winter: Yes, Even Then
December through February is bleak by Mediterranean standards. By Danish standards, it has its own beauty. The structural plantings hold the design together when the colour drains away.
The Christmas market is the highlight, but visit on a sharp January morning when frost outlines every branch. You will get the garden almost to yourself.
Events: Music, Christmas, and Dinner Concerts
The garden has always doubled as a venue. Under the Royal Danish Horticultural Society, the events programme grew steadily. It remains one of the best reasons to visit.
Musik i Haveselskabets Have
The Musik i Haveselskabets Have series runs dinner concerts in the garden during the summer months. You eat, drink, and listen to live music in the historic surroundings. Tickets sell quickly.
The format is unmistakably Danish. Long tables, decent wine, a willingness to sit through three hours of acoustic anything because the setting carries the evening.
The Christmas Market
The annual Julemarked i Haveselskabets Have calls itself “Copenhagen’s most beautiful Christmas market.” I have been to most of them, and the claim holds up. The 2025 edition runs 22 and 23 November.
Entry is free. Vendors sell artisan crafts and Danish seasonal food. It is small enough to walk through in an hour and atmospheric enough to make you stay three.
Why Expats Should Care About This Place
When you move to Copenhagen, you spend the first year ticking off icons. Nyhavn, Tivoli, the Little Mermaid. By year two you start looking for places that locals actually use.
Haveselskabets Have is one of those places. It does not perform for tourists. It exists because Danes care about gardens with a seriousness that surprises newcomers.
Gardening Is a Danish Thing
The Royal Danish Horticultural Society has run open garden programmes across the country for decades. Members open their private gardens to the public on set days. This is the cultural context for the garden you are visiting.
It is not just a park. It is the flagship of a national hobby that runs deep. Understanding that changes how you walk through it.
Comparing It to Other Copenhagen Green Spaces
Copenhagen has dozens of parks. Søndermarken is wilder. Landbohøjskolens Have is more academic. Frederiksberg Gardens is grander.
Haveselskabets Have is the most intimate of the lot. You can walk it fully in 30 minutes or spend three hours and find new corners. That density of detail is rare.
Practical Tips From Years of Visiting
- Pair it with Frederiksberg Gardens. Walk straight from the northern gate into the royal park next door.
- Bring a coffee. There is no café inside. Cafés on Frederiksberg Allé and Pile Allé are excellent.
- Visit early morning in summer. Before 10am, you get the place mostly to yourself.
- Check the gate. The white gate at Frederiksberg Runddel is the iconic entrance. Use it.
- Leave the dog at home. Pets are generally not allowed.
- Pack rain gear. Always. This is Denmark.
My Honest Take After Years in Denmark
I am cautiously optimistic about the handover to Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen. The agency has resources and a track record of preserving historic gardens. The garden needed money for long-term maintenance, and now it has access to it.
What worries me is the soul of the place. The Royal Danish Horticultural Society ran it as a living, working garden. State agencies tend to run things as monuments. Those are very different gardens.
I hope the new managers resist the urge to over-formalise. The charm of Haveselskabets Have lies in its slight wildness, its lived-in quality. If they manicure it to death, Copenhagen loses something specific and irreplaceable.
For now, go. Walk slowly. Notice the small rooms behind the hedges. Sit on a bench in the rose garden in late June and understand why Danes will not shut up about their summers.
Frequently Asked Questions About Haveselskabets Have
Is Haveselskabets Have free to enter?
Yes, entry is free and the garden is open every day of the year. Special events such as concerts and the Christmas market are also typically free, though dinner concerts in the Musik i Haveselskabets Have series require tickets purchased in advance.
How big is Haveselskabets Have?
The garden covers 14,000 square metres, or 1.4 hectares. It sits on Frederiksberg Runddel at the top of Frederiksberg Allé, adjacent to the main entrance of Frederiksberg Gardens.
Who runs Haveselskabets Have now?
As of 30 June 2025, the garden is managed by Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, the Agency for Palaces and Cultural Properties. Before that, the Royal Danish Horticultural Society had managed it since 1882, a continuous run of 142 years.
Where is Haveselskabets Have located?
The garden is on Frederiksberg Runddel in the Frederiksberg district of Copenhagen. The entrance sits next to the main gate of Frederiksberg Gardens. The closest metro station is Frederiksberg on lines M1 and M3.
When is the best time to visit Haveselskabets Have?
Late April through early May for spring bulbs, and late June for peak rose bloom. Autumn light in September and October is also exceptional. Weekday mornings deliver the calmest experience year round.
Can I bring a picnic to Haveselskabets Have?
Yes, picnicking on the lawn is part of the local tradition. There is no café inside the garden, so bring your own food and drink. Take all rubbish with you on the way out.
Are dogs allowed in Haveselskabets Have?
Dogs are generally not permitted in the garden, in order to protect the plantings and wildlife. Service animals may be accommodated with prior arrangement through the management.
Is Haveselskabets Have wheelchair accessible?
Yes, most of the garden is wheelchair accessible. Pathways are wide enough for strollers and mobility aids. Some smaller garden rooms have narrower access, but the main routes accommodate everyone.
What is the difference between Haveselskabets Have and Frederiksberg Gardens?
Frederiksberg Gardens is a large royal landscape park with lakes, canals, and lawns covering many hectares. Haveselskabets Have is a small, detailed inspiration garden designed to showcase plants and design ideas. They sit next to each other and pair beautifully in one visit.
Are there guided tours of Haveselskabets Have?
Guided tours have historically been organised by the Royal Danish Horticultural Society, especially during the warmer months. Under the new management by Slots- og Kulturstyrelsen, the programme is being reviewed. Check VisitCopenhagen for current options.
