Store Dyrehave
A royal hunting forest whose geometric road network—designed for par force hunting in the 17th century—survives intact today as a UNESCO-inscribed landscape.
At a glance
Store Dyrehave (Large Animal Park) is a forest of conifers and beech east of Ny Hammersholt, just south of Hillerød. Its star-shaped road system and numbered stone posts remain unchanged since the 1680s, making it an unusually well-preserved example of baroque landscape design.
History
The forest was enclosed with stone walls between 1619 and 1628 as a royal deer park for hunting. In 1680, King Christian V transformed it by introducing a geometrical road system arranged in eight radiating branches—a layout designed specifically for par force hunting, a demanding equestrian pursuit favored by Nordic nobility.
Though par force hunting ceased in 1777, the infrastructure persists. The numbered stone posts that once guided hunters through the forest remain in place, their original function now historical rather than practical.
What you see
The forest’s defining feature is its star-patterned road network, a geometric feat of 17th-century landscape engineering. Eight avenues radiate outward from a central point, creating sight lines through woodland and open space. Stone boundary walls and numbered marker posts punctuate the routes, modest but effective markers of human order imposed on nature.
Cultural significance
Store Dyrehave is one of three forests comprising the Par force hunting landscape in North Zealand, collectively recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The landscape represents an aristocratic ideal—the transformation of forest into a stage for royal sport and the application of baroque principles to the natural world.
Key facts
- Country: Denmark
- Location: North Zealand, south of Hillerød
- Coordinates: 55.91°N, 12.36°E
- Enclosed as royal deer park: 1619–1628
- Road system designed: 1680 (King Christian V)
- UNESCO World Heritage Site: Yes (Par force hunting landscape)
Practical information & getting there
Store Dyrehave is accessible from Hillerød, located in North Zealand near Copenhagen. The forest straddles Københavnsvej (Copenhagen Road). Detailed visiting information and hours are best confirmed locally.
Sources & resources
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