It is a half-timbered (bindingsværk) castle built by King Christian III from 1539 to around 1555 initially as a fortification.
[2] It was owned by Margrethe I and was the death place of King Hans in 1513 who died in a horse riding accident.
[2] King Frederik I had originally intended to destroy the initial building around 1530 and moving to a different site to convert Aalborg's Franciscan monastery into a castle.
However he left the decision to his son Christian III, who later decided to demolish the original in 1539 and contracted the royal architect Morten Bussert to build a new fortified castle north of the old site, near the Limfjord.
[1] Between 1954 and 1964 the old granaries underwent full renovation by the Royal Inspector of Listed Buildings, Leopold Teschl, who converted them into council offices.