Bernstorff Palace was built between 1756 and 1759 for Count Johann Hartwig Ernst von Bernstorff, Denmark's foreign minister, and quickly became a favourite summer residence of the Danish royal family. The French Baroque palace — now used for official state functions — is not open to the public, but the surrounding park is one of the most pleasant green spaces in the municipality and well worth a walk.
The park covers around 30 hectares of landscaped grounds with old lime trees, a lake, and open lawns. The layout dates from the 18th century and has been maintained without major alteration. On warm weekends, Gentofte residents treat it as a common park: picnics on the grass, children running across the lawns, elderly residents circling the paths. It is exactly the kind of place that makes Gentofte feel less like a suburb and more like a small town with a long history.
The palace is visible from the park gates on Bernstorffsvej. The S-tog stop at Bernstorffsvej puts you a few minutes' walk from the park entrance.