The Horsens State Prison — known simply as Fængslet (The Prison) — is an imposing Neo-Gothic fortress built in 1853 and modelled on Pentonville Prison in London. It operated as a maximum-security prison until 2006, holding some of Denmark's most notorious criminals. The complex of towers, cell blocks, and high stone walls occupies a full city block in the town centre and is impossible to miss.
Since its closure, the building has been converted into one of Denmark's most unusual cultural venues. It now hosts major concerts (the circular outdoor yard has held acts including Madonna and Bob Dylan), a Crime Museum (Kriminalmuseet) exploring Denmark's criminal history with original cells, execution equipment, and artefacts from the prison's 150-year operational life, and an escape room series that uses the original cell blocks. The medieval festival takes place in the grounds each August.
story: > One of the prison's most famous inmates was Harry "The Horsens Kid" Ingvar Mikkelsen, a small-time criminal who became a folk hero in 1960s Denmark after a series of escapes that embarrassed the authorities. He wrote a memoir from his cell that became a bestseller, and his story was later made into a film. The Kriminalmuseet has a dedicated section on his life.