Many cruises utilize the Copenhagen port in any cruise of northern Europe or the Baltics. So, if one finds this a repeat stop and not fond of the Copenhagen crowds, hop on a train, head west about 30 minutes and visit the cute little town of Roskilde. It is a charming, quiet location with two fabulous sights – its twin spired cathedral and the nation’s best Viking Ship Museum. From the train station head to the twin spires and along the way you’ll find a pedestrian street with several bustling cafes. If it is lunch time – as it was for these hungry travelers – stop at any one of these and have some regional fare with great views.

Once ready to move on, head for those twin spires again. The original church built on the same spot was built in the early 1000’s. The current Gothic cathedral was built in the 1200’s and was catholic until the Reformation in 1536 when Christian III forbad the catholic church and it became Lutheran with the King as its head (ala England and Henry VIII)! This cathedral is Denmark’s Westminster Abbey as 40 kings and queens are thought to rest here with 37 known with certainty. They are ensconced in royal marble, alabaster and draperies of every ornate description. Altogether, there are more than 1000 graves in the church, many so worn no identifying marks can be seen. The paintings, frescos and statuary are something to be seen.

And then the elaborate tombs – – –

When totally overwhelmed with the cathedral sights, continue the walk down a lovely treed lane past a park and part of the university grounds to Vikingeskibsmuseet Roskilde, the Viking Ship Museum. This is not one building but several with a workshop, where they are building replicas of the Viking ships, a shipbuilding area for guests, a boatyard with replicas of the rebuilt ships and a building housing the remains of five Viking longships found at the bottom of the fjord. These five longships date from approximately 1000 AD (according to tree ring dating of the wood utilized in the hulls) and are thought to have been sunk intentionally to prevent enemy ships from entering the harbor. While these five were rebuilt in 1957, they are the subjects of current rebuilds with greater accuracy based on involving craftsmen and seamen and includes the reconstruction of full-scale ships and their testing under realistic conditions.

The first step in the reconstruction is to create a 1:10 ratio of a wooden model based on a cardboard model. This wooden model reflects the possible appearance of the original ship when new and forms the starting point for the full-scale reconstruction of the ship.

Several details in the reconstruction are adapted to fit this ship based on various depictions from the Viking Age to the extent they can not be specifically determined from the information derived from the remains of the ship. With all of this information, skilled craftsmen begin the process of recreating just as the Vikings would have completed their construction. This is done in the workshop.

After all this work you wind up with something like this – –

If one has a little extra time back in Copenhagen, early in the morning before the crowds hit, a stroll and a coffee in the pedestrian section can be quite nice.

In the category of odd notations yet again – interesting sights are seen from the ship. Copenhagen is revitalizing the entire port area with apartments, condos and office buildings. It seems that they are really looking to the future with concerns of ecology since many of the buildings have plant/sod roofs! Interesting look – but who else sees them than cruisers on higher decks of the ships?!?

This stop in Copenhagen provided the opportunity to check out something off the beaten path – Roskilde and all it has to offer. It is highly recommended for anyone in the neighborhood looking for an escape from the crowds. Enjoy.

E & G – enjoying every minute;-)