Raadvad

Raadvad, or Rådvad is a former industrial development located on both sides of the Mølleåen river which at this point marks the border between Lyngby-Taarbæk and Rudersdal municipalities in the northern subburbs of Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built around a waterwork in the second half of the 18th century and has given name to a well-known Danish brand of knives and other kitchen equipment . The buildings are now all heritage listed. They include Raadvad Kro from 1861 and a hostel based in a former school from 1894. Other buildings are home to a centre for building conservation and a local nature school.

History

On 30 April 1643, Christian Alckenbrecht obtained a royal license to built the first watermill at the site. Four years later he ran three waterworks at the site: A sharpening mill, a hammer mill and a fulling mill. The installations were destroyed by Swedish soldiers in 1658 but reopened in 1664, now as a gunpowder and sharpening mill. In 1671, the king took over ownership of the premises which a few years earlier had been included in the Royal Deer Garden. The site was from then on exclusively used for the manufacture of gunpowder until 1869 when the activities moved to Frederiksværk.