Roskilde, Denmark

Located a 25-minute train ride east of Copenhagen, Roskilde is famous for its cathedral and is also home to the Viking Ship Museum. You can't miss the cathedral; just make your way toward the iconic spires. We easily walked from the train station.

We met friends who live in Roskilde, the daughter of the family I lived with while studying in Copenhagen in 1985 and her family. These young Danes appreciate their country's history and were excellent tour guides. 

Built during the 12th and 13th centuries in the Brick Gothic style, Roskilde  is a Lutheran Cathedral and has been the official site since the 15th century where Danish royalty is buried. 

Roskilde is a working church with several concerts given each year. We enjoyed wandering in this cavernous cathedral, stopping at the various chapels and soaking in the artwork, architecture, and atmosphere.

While walking around the cathedral, we discovered a small market set up in a square nearby.

The sign reads, "Danish Strawberries." They sure looked delicious.

Although it was a gray day in June 2019, flowers were blooming in full color.

As we walked away from the cathedral, looking back I took the photo below with poppies blooming alongside the path.

As Brian and our friends made their way toward the Viking Ship Museum, I couldn't resist a few photos of classic Danish homes complete with thatched roofs.

The peaked-roof building on the left side of the photo below is a traditional design for a Danish Lutheran church. They are easy to spot all over the country.

After walking an easy distance from the Cathedral, we arrived at the Viking Ship Museum. 

Located at the Roskilde Harbor, working replica boats can be seen moored at the nearby docks. You can even take a sailing trip arranged through the Museum from May through September.

The museum's interior features several exhibits about Viking life and times. The narrative focuses on five Viking ships that were sunk in Roskilde Fjord for defense purposes and excavated centuries later. 

Scale is provided by the solitary person in the photo below. We found the huge size of some of the Viking ships truly astonishing.

We completed our day with the perfect finish--a charcuterie board lunch with our young Danish friends and Roskilde tour guides. Even with the gray, and sometimes rainy weather, we had a marvelous time getting better acquainted with the history of Denmark.