The Viking Age in ships, walls and brick

A surprising start to discovering the South Denmark Islands is the five original Viking ships on display at the Viking Ship Museum. At the boatyard, visitors can watch ships being built. During the season, you can also row out onto Roskilde Fjord in replicas of Viking ships.

Trelleborg is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its visitor experience combines a museum with authentic Viking excavations, the ramparts of the ring fortress and the Viking village of Slagløse. The activity programme may vary.

In Roskilde, the cathedral tells another side of the story: it was Scandinavia’s first Gothic brick cathedral and has served as the mausoleum of the Danish royal family since the 16th century. Architecture and dynastic history meet here in a tangible place.

Chalk, fossils and forest trails

Fossils of animals that lived in the sea more than 65 million years ago can be found in the chalk cliffs of Møns Klint. At the beach by Møns Klint, visitors can join guided fossil hunts, which are scheduled seasonally. Fossil hunting is therefore part of both the landscape and a guided experience.

GeoCenter Møns Klint offers more than 20 indoor and outdoor experiences, and the offerings may vary by season. During the peak season and at selected times, there are open guided tours to the fossil beach, into the forest and by mountain bike. Faxe Limestone Quarry also offers good opportunities to find fossils. Stevns Klint extends down to the boundary between the Tertiary and Cretaceous periods.

There are various ways to enjoy the forest: the 45-metre-high Forest Tower is reached via a raised walkway through Gisselfeld Forest, 3.2 kilometres long in total. Camp Adventure’s climbing park has twelve courses that run through and above a beech forest. Knuthenborg Safaripark is Northern Europe’s largest safari park.

Walking and cycling routes

The marked Fjordstien is 230 kilometres long and designated for cycling and walking. A 47-kilometre section runs between Roskilde and Holbæk. National Cycle Route N7 runs for 231 kilometres around Zealand and is suitable for both road bikes and hybrid bikes. So, although the total distances are similar, the routes offer different options: Fjordstien combines cycling and walking routes, while N7 is a cycle route.

If you want to walk around Zealand, you can follow the coastal Sjællandsleden trail. It includes the special routes Camøno, Trampestien and Lagunestien. The western section is marked with red dots and arrows and passes through the municipalities of Slagelse, Sorø, Kalundborg and Holbæk. It crosses public transport routes at several points. As these services may change, check your connection before travelling.

During the season, a free bus connects Slagelse station with Trelleborg; check the timetable in advance. For a different kind of visit, Dyrehøj Vingaard offers guided tours and wine tastings. Availability may vary, so it is worth checking dates and availability in advance.

Discover more destinations: South Jutland, North Jutland, Bornholm, Zealand, Central Jutland, Funen, Rømø, Capital Region.

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