Off to Roskilde and the Viking Museum

10 May 2022.

Tuesday began overcast with the promise of rain late in the day. The plan for the day was to take the regional train from the central station to Roskilde, about 20 miles west of Copenhagen. We hoped to visit both the Roskilde Cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum. 

After a light breakfast we left the apartment, headed for the metro and got off at the next stop, the train station. We had numerous options for commuter trains to Roskilde and after a wait of about 20 minutes we were on board and heading west through the industrial parts of the city. 

After walking out of the lovely Roskilde train station we walked across the street, past a wonderful little cemetery and onto a pedestrianized part of town. A few short blocks and we found our first objective: the Cathedral.

L'allée into the cemetery

memorial to those who died 1940-1945

No sooner had we walked inside than we realized we were in a very special place. Over the years of our travels we have been in a great many churches, large and small, fancy and plain, Catholic and Protestant. But never have we been in a space that felt so warm, comfortable and awe-inspiring.

While this cathedral has had an operating church on this site for more than a thousand years, it is in fact an indoor burial ground of the most unique kind: nearly all the Danish royalty is buried here (those who have died at any rate). The large number of the ledger stones and their enormous size speak to its ancient use as a resting place for the great and near-great of centuries past. These are wonderfully juxtaposed by crypts and side chapels holding the sarcophagi of more recent burials (within the last three or four centuries).

(Note: there are actual graves directly beneath the ledger stones.)

the King's doors

ceiling artwork

the crypt beneath Frederik V's chapel

ledger stones running the length of both side aisles

Frederik V's chapel

Frederik V's tomb

more ledger stones run nearly the entire length of both side aisles

the chancel

Margrethe I

view from the upper gallery

entrance to the royal children's crypt

the royal children's crypt

chapel of Christian IV with his family

Saint Birgitta's chapel is intended to be the final resting place of the present queen and prince consort. A model of the glass sarcophagus is on display next to the actual sarcophagus, which is still covered.

a small model of Margarethe II's glass sarcophagus

the future resting place of Margrethe II (covered)

Christian IX and his wife Louise

 For more about this UNESCO World Heritage Site visit the official site or go here. (Wikipedia)

the outside tomb of Frederik IX (remember his statue from the previous day's outing to the Little Mermaid?)

Leaving the cathedral grounds we followed the signs to the Viking Ship Museum. It was a short downhill walk of about 15 minutes along green lawns and football fields to the water. 

The museum's focus centers on the five viking ships (of varying styles and purposes) that were excavated here back in the 1960s. While we enjoyed the exhibition we thought it a bit underwhelming, particularly after coming from the cathedral. But it was worth the stop to be sure.

For more about the Viking Ship Museum go here (official site).

one of the museum's reproductions

the museum proper

the excavated ships

the museum's main working longship (a reproduction)

examples of ship reproductions ready to sail

off to plunder and pillage!

Leaving the museum we walked a few dozen meters to the bus stop and in just a couple of minutes the no. 203 bus arrived which dropped us off right at the train station. No walking uphill!

We arrived just in time since a train was just about to depart for Copenhagen central station. About 40 minutes later were back in the city.

Once back at the station we thought to do a little reconnaissance on how we could get from the metro to the inside of the station when we leave for Stockholm tomorrow. After some confusion on our part and the failure of the Danes to be clear on their part we did figure it out.

Skip this part if you want: We discovered that to get from M3 or M4 metro stop you had to walk all the way down to tracks 1-2 and take the elevator/stairs up to get inside the central station. Note there are no signs to aid you in this quest. Otherwise exiting the metro stops takes you above ground and outside with, again, no sign pointing the way into the station. Very odd we thought and certainly not helpful.

With our Copenhagen Cards having expired we spent the rest of the day relaxing, working on blog notes, images and preparing for our departure Wednesday.

Next up Stockholm and old friends!