Discover 15 hidden attractions, cool sights, and unusual things to do in Roskilde (Denmark). Don't miss out on these must-see attractions: Roskilde Cathedral, Viking Ship Museum, and Museet for Samtidskunst. Also, be sure to include Sankt Laurentii Church Tower in your itinerary.
Below, you can find the list of the most amazing places you should visit in Roskilde (Sjælland).
Table of Contents
Roskilde Cathedral
Also known as: Roskilde Domkirke
Lutheran cathedral with 39 royal graves. Roskilde Cathedral, in the city of Roskilde on the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark, is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark.
The cathedral is the most important church in Denmark, the official royal burial church of the Danish monarchs, and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is due to two criteria: the architecture of the cathedral shows 800 years of European architectural styles, and it is one of the earliest examples in Scandinavia of a Gothic cathedral to be built in brick; it encouraged the spread of the Brick Gothic style throughout Northern Europe. Constructed during the 12th and 13th centuries, the cathedral incorporates both Gothic and Romanesque architectural features in its design. The cathedral has been the main burial site for Danish monarchs since the 15th century. As such, it has been significantly extended and altered over the centuries to accommodate a considerable number of burial chapels and the many added chapels show different architectural styles.
The cathedral is a major tourist attraction, bringing in over 165,000 visitors annually. Since 1995, it has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site due to its unique architecture. A working church, it also hosts concerts throughout the year.[1]
Address: Domkirkepladsen 3, 4000 Roskilde
Viking Ship Museum
Also known as: Vikingeskibsmuseet
Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde is Denmark's national ship museum for ships of the prehistoric and medieval period.
The main focus of the museum is a permanent exhibition of the Skuldelev ships, five original Viking ships excavated nearby in 1962. The Viking Ship Museum also conducts research and educates researchers in the fields of maritime history, marine archaeology and experimental archaeology. Various academic conferences are held here and there is a research library in association with the museum.[2]
Address: Vindeboder 12, 4000 Roskilde
Museet for Samtidskunst
Art museum in Roskilde, Kingdom of Denmark. Roskilde Mansion, also known as Roskilde Palace and as the Yellow Mansion, is a former royal Baroque mansion in central Roskilde, Denmark. Located just east of Roskilde Cathedral, it now houses both an exhibition venue for contemporary art and the office and official residence of the Bishop of Roskilde.[3]
Address: Stændertorvet 3C, 4000 Roskilde
Sankt Laurentii Church Tower
Also known as: Sankt Laurentii Kirkeruin
Tower in Roskilde, Denmark. The Sankt Laurentii Church Mama Tower is all that remains of Sankt Laurentii Church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. The church itself was built of travertine in the Romanesque style in the 13th century but was torn down after the Reformation leaving only the tower from the beginning of the 16th century. The tower now forms part of the former town hall. It contains a museum where archaeological finds from 1998 can be seen.[4]
Address: Staendertorvet 1, 4000 Roskilde
Sankt Jørgensbjerg Kirke
Protestant church in Roskilde, Kingdom of Denmark. Saint Jørgensbjerg Church is a historic church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. With a nave and chancel in travertine limestone dating from c. 1080, it is Denmark's oldest preserved stone building.[5]
Address: Kirkegade 26, Roskilde
Roskilde Museum
Museum in Roskilde, Denmark. Roskilde Museum is a local history museum based in Roskilde, Denmark. The museum, which is run by the municipalities of Roskilde, Frederikssund and Lejre, has eight separate branches. The main branch in Roskilde, on the corner of Sankt Olsgade and Sankt Olsstræde, is based in two listed buildings, the Sugar House and the Liebe House, a former sugar refinery and a former merchant's house respectively.[6]
Address: Sankt Ols Stræde 3, 4000 Roskilde
Greyfriars Cemetery
Cemetery in Roskilde, Denmark. Greyfriars Cemetery is located close to the Railway Station in central Roskilde, Denmark. It has a park-like setting. The cemetery's history as a burial site can be traced back to the middle of the 13th century. The current Greyfriars Chapel dates from the middle of the 19th century and was listed in 2010 together with the wall and entrance gate.[7]
Address: Store Gråbrødrestræde 12, 4000 Roskilde
St Ib's Church
Also known as: Sankt Ibs Kirke
Church in Roskilde, Kingdom of Denmark. St Ib's Church is a Romanesque church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand. It was first mentioned in 1291. The church was once richly decorated with frescos.[8]
Address: Sankt Ibs Vej 1, Roskilde
Gl. Vor Frue Kirke
Also known as: Gammel Vor Frue Kirke
Church in Roskilde, Kingdom of Denmark. The Old Church of Our Lady is an 11th-century brick church in Roskilde on the Danish island of Zealand.[9]
Address: Fruegade 2, 4000 Roskilde
Byparken
Park in Roskilde, Denmark. Byparken is a public park in central Roskilde, Denmark. It was founded in 1915 and was partly financed through a donation of the textile manufacturer O. H. Schmeltz. The park adjoins Provstevænget, a small protected field next to Roskilde Cathedral. Together, the two areas form a large green space between the cathedral and Roskilde Fjord.[10]
Museum of Tools
Museum. The Roskilde Museum of Tools is a branch of Roskilde Museum located on Ringstedgade in Roskilde, Denmark. It contains a collection of tools used by craftsmen such as wheelwrights, carpenters, shoemakers and wood carvers from around 1850 to 1950. Visitors to the museum, housed on the first floor of a former granary known as Lützhøfts Købmandsgård, can also visit the operational private workshops of a wood carver, a silversmith and a weaver. The museum was opened in 1977.[11]
Address: Ringstedgade 6, Roskilde
Folkeparken
Park in Roskilde, Denmark. Folkeparken is the largest public park in central Roskilde, Denmark. The park adjoins two other parks, Berte Margrethe Anlægget and Klostermarken.[12]
Lützhøfts Old Grocer's Shop
Museum
Address: Ringstedgade 6, 4000 Roskilde
St. Lawrence's Church
Also known as: Sankt Laurentii Kirke
Protestant church in Jersey. St. Lawrence's Church is a Roman Catholic church in Roskilde, Denmark.[13]
Roskilde Gymnasium
High school in Roskilde, Kingdom of Denmark. Roskilde Gymnasium is a gymnasium in central Roskilde, Denmark. It is based in the historical premises of Roskilde Cathedral School, facing the square in front of Roskilde Cathedral. The school has 1030 students and 90 teachers and a wide variety of study programs.[14]