Copenhagen - Roskilde and Hillerod Travel Guides | Copenhagen | Sub Regions | Copenhagen - Roskilde and Hillerod

There are two towns inland from Copenhagen that are well worth considering as day trips from the capital, Roskilde and Hillerød. Thereare two good reasons for visiting Roskilde – three if the festival is counted – an impressive cathedral and a terrific Viking Ship Museum, and it is only half-an-hour away from Copenhagen. Hillerød, again only a half an hour journey away, has the draw of the fairy tale red-brick palace of Federiksborg Slot.

About 5 trains an hour between Central Station and Roskilde taking half an hour. Bus no 600S from Hillerød.

Sights

Domkirkeplasden, Roskilde, T 46352700, http://www.roskildedomkirke.dk Apr-Sep, Mon-Sat 0900-1645, Sun 1230-1645; Oct-Mar, Tue-Sat 1000-1545, Sun 1230-1545. Adults 15kr, children 10kr. Guided tours in English between 22 Jun and 18 Aug, Mon-Fri, 1100, 1400, Sat 1100, Sun 1400. Adults 35kr, including entrance fee, children 20kr. Train to Roskilde and a 10-min walk.

For more than 1,000 years there has been a church on this site, thepresent cathedral being started by Bishop Absalon, the founder of Copenhagen, in the 1770s. Since then, though, porches and chapels have been added on an almost ad hoc basisand it is difficult to define the cathedral in terms of just onearchitectural style. Roskilde had been the capital of Denmark until the royals moved to Copenhagen in the early 15th century, but its ecclesiastical importance remained undiminished and ithas remained the favourite burial place of Danish kings. Nearly40in all are buried here and their richly decorated sarcophagi arethe main attraction of the church interior. While some are modest enough, others are bombastic and silly, like theRenaissance -style tomb of Christian IV set against a back- drop of paintings inside trompe l’oeil framing, including one of the obese king posing as a militarist, and alongside a naff statue of Christian by Thorvaldsen. The cathedral also has an amusing clock that depicts St George slaying the dragon and making it howl on the hour.

Vindeboder 12, Roskilde, T 46300200, http://www.vinkingeskibsmuseet.dk May-Sep 0900-1700, Oct-Apr 1000-1600. Adults 60kr in summer, 45kr in winter, children 35/28kr. Train to Roskilde and a 20-min walk or bus 216 or 605 from the station.

Roskilde may be inland and some 30 km from Copenhagen but its location at the southern tip of a fjord provides access to the sea; enter the Vikings. Around 1,000 years ago they sunk five of their vessels in the fjord, presumably a defensive measure aimed at blocking an enemy attack by sea. The ships were excavated in 1962 and became the basis of a museum which now houses an engrossing Vikings in Ireland exhibition and the five Viking ships themselves. The exhibition of the ships, two trading vessels, two warships and a smaller cargo vessel is supported by some 200 Viking artefacts found in Dublin, on loan from the National Museum in Ireland, including well-preserved weapons, jewellery, clothing and handicrafts. There is also an interesting Children’s Museum and a good restaurant and shop.

The harbour outside the museum is home to four exact replicas of Viking ships and work has started on a fifth, a 30-m warship builtin Dublin. The work takes place outdoors and visitors are freeto observe the building work in progress (the launch is planned for 2004).

Hillerød, T 48260439, http://www.frederiksborgmuseet.dk Apr-Oct 1000-1700, Nov-Mar 1100-1500. Adults 50kr, children 10kr. Train to Hillerød from Central Station.

Only half an hour by train, a trip to the town of Hillerød and a five-minute bus ride lands you outside Frederiksborg Slot, a red-brick palace topped with copper spires that meets most expectations of what a castle and royal residence should look like. As royal pads go, you’ll see a lot more for your money here than a trip to Buckingham Palace or Windsor and, while a booklet for 40kr explains everything, there are information sheets available in the chapel and some of the other rooms. In fact, there is so much to see that it’s a matter of picking out your favourites, like maybe the ebony altarpiece and its silver ornamentation in the chapel where Denmark’s monarchs were crowned between 1671 and 1840, the late 16th-century oak furniture in the Summer Parlour (room 22), the stupendous ceiling painting bordered by cherubic angels and bare-breasted women in room 30 or the breathtaking, reconstructed ceiling carved from wood in room 38 and the panels showing crafts and workmanship of the period. Every room has items of furniture that will catch your attention, like the bone-inlaid round chair in room 37 or the carved four-poster in room 35 that shows how much we have all grown over the last few centuries. Most of what is on show is not the original castle contents, but the result of JC Jacobsen deciding to fund restoration work and establish Det National- historiske Museum (National History Museum) within the rooms.

The museum shop sells jewellery, books and souvenirs. Hotdrinks and ice creams are available and there is a Mexican restaurant across the road from the castle that opens at 1600. Apicnic could be enjoyed in the surrounding landscaped gardens, with fine views of the ostentatious castle rising out of three islands in the middle of a lake, surrounded by its moat.

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