There is a gem in roskilde that makes every good tourist take the train that takes him from the city of Copenhagen in 30 minutes: your cathedral . Without a doubt, this 12th century brick jewel of palatial interiors is always worth a visit. After all, it is the place that the Danish royal family has chosen to bury its members since the 15th century (a tradition that continues today).
Built around the year 1170 by order of Bishop Absalon and enlarged with ships in times to come, the towers of the cathedral dominate Roskilde and the brick of its construction invites you to be overwhelmed with its dimensions.
Inside, elegance and art merge in the form of pantheons real, including those of Margarita I and Christian IV. Moreover, although it is not exposed to view, the one that will be the tomb of the current monarch is already finished and prepared, although she will remain hidden from the sight of onlookers until her death occurs.
And, once seen this World Heritage Site, what? Back to Copenhagen? Big mistake. Here are some ideas to enjoy a couple of days in Roskilde, what was the first capital of Denmark and, anecdotally, the city with the most springs in the country (hence Roskilde derives from the Danish word for spring, kilde).
AMONG VIKING SHIPS
Denmark's Viking heritage is reflected in the Viking Ship Museum , located on the shores of the neighboring port of Roskilde (Vindeboder 12). It is necessary to walk about 20 minutes from the Cathedral to get there to Roskilde Fjord and Harbour, where a building awaits which, as its name suggests, houses the hulls of five 11th-century Viking ships that were located nearby and revived in the 60s.
If you are lucky and the day invites you to do so, it is possible to join one of the tourist excursions by the fjord leaving from the port, some of them even in one of the viking ship replicas that rest next to the museum.
In addition, here also awaits an area where you can learn from the ship building phases , being able to see in first person how a group works on the replicas in a 100% artisan process. shock to see logs lying on the ground, reduced and molded with the blow of an axe.
Replica built in 1991 of a Viking warship (c. 1040), Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde, Denmark.
LETS THE MUSIC SOUND
Back in the city and jumping to the beginning of summer, there is an unmissable date for music lovers: The festival of Rock And Roll which has been held in Roskilde for five decades . In addition, the Ragnarok museum of pop, rock and youth culture (Rabalderstræde, 16) awaits throughout the year to delight music lovers and lovers of nostalgia. Also of architecture, well the cubic and colorful building It is signed by the Dutch star studio MVRDV and the Danish COBE.
Cross the "red carpet" of this museum language without fear. Inside awaits an experience full of color, concerts and a permanent exhibition charting the development of music and youth culture since the 1950s.
Ragnarock Museum, of pop, rock and youth culture.
BUY IN BULK
Until 1979, Lützhøfts Købmandsgård (Ringstedgade, 8-10) functioned as just another Roskilde grocery store; but since 1982 it became a living museum frozen in time. Entering this store-museum is synonymous with transported to a 1920 store.
addition to power buy products in bulk, that are packed on the spot and tied with a cotton rope –which hangs from a roll from the ceiling, just like it was done in the old days–, it is possible sneak behind the counter, look into the store office and even enter the back room, where grain, feed and tools for bulk weighing await.
Do not forget to enter the patio to enjoy 18th and 19th century architecture from which the restored building dates.
Also, in the complex you can explore the neighbor Craft Museum (Ringstedgade, 6-8), located on the first floor of the old building of a grain store. Here awaits you a unique collection of tools from two hundred years ago used by the carpenter, shoemaker or lumberjack. Jumping to the present, on the ground floor a sculptor and a textile workshop show their workshops and products.
AN OLD FISHING VILLAGE (IN THE CITY)
Initially a fishing village in its own right with a history dating back to the Viking Age, it became part of Roskilde in 1938. However, Sankt Jorgensbjerg it still exudes a personality of its own and is, without a doubt, a beautiful stopover halfway between the historic center and the port of Roskilde.
As if time had not passed, here they wait wooden houses and thatched roofs (renovated in the original style), around one of the oldest churches in Denmark, the church of Sankt Jørgensbjerg, erected in 1070.
In an idyllic location, in a hilly and steep terrain with narrow streets overlooking the Roskilde Fjord, this district forms part of the Skjoldungernes Land National Park and it has enchanted numerous artists with its views and calm, such as Laurits Andersen Ring, whose workshop can still be visited (Brøndgade, 1), in an interesting restored house.
Brøndsgade, Sankt Jørgensbjerg.
THE PERFECT BIKE RIDE
In fact, nature surrounds Roskilde , since the city is located in the region known as Fjordlandet , or the green garden of Copenhagen. Also encompassing the towns of Frederikssund and Lejre, this region is perfect for surrendering to active tourism. Undoubtedly one of the best plans awaits in the aforementioned National Park, at pedal stroke.
Local company Fjordlandet Outdoor offers guided bike tours from Lejre, located just 12 kilometers from Roskilde and just one stop by train, for a reasonable part of the 170 square kilometers it covers. this forest full of deposits, wild vegetation and beautiful paths.
In fact, if there is one thing that makes this area famous, it is for having been home to the legendary Skjoldungerne kings and setting for the famous heroic poem Beowulf, who, according to legend, defeated the monster Grendel here. Viking living history, in the heart of the park and easily accessible, a mandatory stop – regardless of age – is the living museum Lejre Land of Legends (Slangealleen, 2).
This visitor center deserves, in fact, a whole day, since there are several hectares that this museum occupies. divided into villages set in different eras, from the Stone and Iron Ages to the 18th century.
There is no lack of detail in this reconstruction that covers several centuries of local history in a most natural space. As if you were just another Viking, you will have to cross the forest wild to find the place dedicated to sacrifices; the farm with live animals, or even the lake in which it is possible to learn to drive a small boat.
Magical and realistic, this museum also this year has premiered what is surely the king's hall biggest in the world: a 600 square meter life-size reproduction that is a pure reflection of the culmination of Norse architecture and craftsmanship of the Viking Age, the remains of which were found a few kilometers from Roskilde, revealing the royal power that this wild land once held.
An Iron Age village in the land of legends in Lejre, Denmark.
If there is time left, halfway (about 10 minutes by bike) between Lejre Land of Legends and the town of Lejre, awaits Ledreborg Castle, a sumptuous manor house from the 18th century whose interiors can be visited in organized groups.
And attention, after falling in love with its gardens, take a run if you go by bicycle to descend through Ledreborg Alle , the longest avenue in Denmark, with no less than 5,750 meters and which will be part of the Grand Départ 2022 route, to return to Lejre and the train that, in just five minutes, will bring you back to Roskilde after a day full of adventures.
PRACTICAL INFORMATION
Where to sleep. Zleep Hotel Roskilde (Algade, 13), a historic hotel over 300 years old, with a beautiful façade and rococo interiors, which boasts of having hosted such famous names as the writer H.C. Andersen.
to eat Raadhuskælderen (Fondens Bro, 3) is one of the most famous restaurants in Roskilde, when it comes to meat. Located under the old town hall, its menu is a local tour with international overtones where grilled meat and a global wine list pair perfectly.