Kings & Vikings
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Port
Copenhagen, Denmark
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Activity Level
Moderate Activity
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Excursion Type
Information Not Currently Available
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Wheelchair Accessible
No
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Starting At (prices in USD)
$220
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Minimum Age
Information Not Currently Available
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Duration
Approximately 4½ Hours
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Meals Included
Meals not included
Viking warriors once walked the land around Roskilde. Travel to this ancient town to see the thousand-year-old remains of Viking ships at the utterly fascinating Viking Ship Museum. Five Viking longboats excavated from the bottom of the Roskilde Fjord are on display here.
Outside, you'll find Museum Island — an archaeology workshop. During the summer, a working Viking boatyard operates, where master artisans make replicas of Viking-age wooden boats and longboats, using the same materials and techniques as their Viking ancestors.
Roskilde Cathedral is Scandinavia's earliest brick Gothic cathedral. This magnificent church with its tall spires is considered one of Denmark's most important architectural monuments.
Danish king Harald Bluetooth ordered the construction of the original cathedral, but today's cathedral dates only from the 12th century. Many architectural details, such as porches and side chapels, were added in subsequent centuries. Danish monarchs are buried in Roskilde Cathedral, all in very ornate yet incredibly different tombs and in multiple chapels. According to legend, Bluetooth is buried somewhere here. Richly decorated bronze statues, huge frescoes and paintings, wooden choir stalls carved with reliefs, and scenes from Creation to The Last Judgment all ornament this stunning church.
Please note: Terrain at the Viking Ship Museum is uneven. Inside church visit(s) may not be possible if religious services are being held.