Looking for some nice day trips out of Copenhagen, easily accessed by leisurely drives of an hour or less? Here are three highlights – interesting and brimming with history.
Vikings – the ferocious and fearless raiders who sailed across vast seas in tiny wooden boats over centuries to raid their terrified neighbours. Ever wonder what those boats looked like, and how they were built? We saw this first-hand at the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, a mere 25 minutes from Copenhagen.
The museum displays five resurrected Viking boats, almost complete in every detail. They look so frail, with hardly any space for the fifty plus sailor-warriors who manned them, let alone any creature comforts, that one wonders at what motivated the Vikings to build and sail them. The craftsmanship is amazing. Every part, from the oarlocks to the mast, is carefully designed to blend with one another to form a ship that can withstand rough seas. The museum has a number of artifacts, jewelry pieces and animations which can absorb your interest.
How did they build them, you may wonder? Well, we saw how, in the most interesting part of the exhibits, the workshops outside the museum building!
You will find craftsmen working on the various parts of a Viking ship – woodwork, sails, joinery, pitch for sealing gaps, all the bits and pieces that are needed for shipbuilding. The craftsmen at work will be happy to explain to you why the Vikings chose the particular materials they used, how they were crafted, shaped and put together, how they planned for survival on long voyages, how they found their way around, and so forth. You can even try your hand at some of the jobs, such as wood cutting and willow weaving. A complete replica boat was being built when we visited.
You will come away with a sense of awe about the Vikings – their daring, ingenuity and craftsmanship using primitive materials and tools.
Hamlet’s castle next- well not the actual castle, but one that, apparently, inspired Shakespeare to write the play!
Kronborg castle, perched on the tip of Zealand Island, is a magnificent 16th century renaissance palace with majestic spires, towers, columns, sandstone and copper roofs. You can approach it from the nearby town via the scenic route along the sea, which gives you great views of the castle and the surrounding area. The castle was used for coastal fortification to observe which ships were entering the Baltic Sea.
Inside the castle, you will find banquet halls, royal chambers and interesting displays. You might also catch a short version of the play “Hamlet”.
Frederiksborg Castle, in the city of Hillerod north of Copenhagen, is the largest Renaissance castle in Scandinavia and is situated on three islands surrounded by a lake and a huge symmetrical and beautiful baroque garden. The Museum of National History is located here. It is often called Denmark’s Versailles.
It is actually more of a palace than a castle. The architecture is admirable, and most of the amazing buildings built in the 1600s are still standing.
There is a lot to see. As you would expect, the interior of the castle is grand, and each of the many rooms is tastefully furbished. The gardens are simply magical – you could spend a long time wandering around, taking in the fine layout. You can learn everything about Denmark’s history, from the Middle Ages to the 21st century, in the museum’s exhibitions in the castle’s numerous rooms.
If you love history and beautiful castles, you will return to Copenhagen after spending a whole day visiting these three gems!
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We are off to do a cat sit in Copenhagen soon, so great days out ideas here. Never realised there were so many castles nearby. Fredericksborg Castle looks beautiful, love the Gardens!
I always feel abit ashamed when I read about copenhagen… I live 5 h away from there, just a trainride away, but I have never been… 😀 Planning to though 😀
Some nice ideas to explore further away from the main city. I love the look of Fredericksburg Castle, just the kind of thing I would love to explore.
We went to York for the first time last year and they have a big Viking history and museum there. It was interesting to see how their invasion impacted and shaped the city.
I’ve never been to Copenhagen but its on my list of places to travel. Your photos are so beautiful, the Fredericksburg castle looks amazing
Would love to do these day trips, especially one to both the castles. Would love to walk through the corridors of history and discover what may have inspired Shakespeare.
I haven’t been to Copenhagen yet but looking at your post I want to go because there seems to be so much to do like this day trip. I love reading and learning about boats and the castle looks amazing.
Copenhagen is on my travel list. As a castle aficionado, I’d love to explore the palaces. So great tips 🙂
We were just in Copenhagen this summer on a cruise, so we only had one day in the city. I’d love to go back and explore some of the castles near Copenhagen, and especially the Viking museum you mentioned! It sounds fascinating, and I love that some of the exhibits are hands-on.
I absolutely loved Copenhagen! What a fun city. These day trips look like so much fun. We didn’t choose any of these, but instead visited the Louisiana Art Museum which I definitely recommend.
These are some great locations to explore indeed. Nice to know that they are just 3-hr drive away. Such charming castles here.
We’re hoping to explore Copenhagen and surrounds this year so always on the look out for daytrips and lesser known places to visit.
I really like short trips. Day trips from Copenhagen is perfect for me. Such beautiful architecture in your photographs is something amazing.Thanks for sharing! Good luck!
I visit Copenhagen quite often, but apart from a trip to Malmo, I have not travelled outside of the city. I really like the sound of the Viking Ship Museum as I am a descendent of Danish Vikings. I might even find some relatives.
I absolutely loved our trip to Copenhagen, but the only day trip we took was to the Louisiana Art Museum–which was spectaculare. I really would love to go back someday and see these places as well. I think I would really enjoy the Viking Museum and see how the ships were built.
I have never been to Denmark & would love to visit Copenhagen. When I do, I love the sound of these day trips, especially the Viking boat museum looks fascinating. To hear & see how the boats were built I’m sure would be really interesting, especially to try a few of the skills myself (although I’m fairly confident I won’t be any good!). Thanks for sharing.
We started a cruise one year from Copenhagen so went in several days early. Sadly, much of the time it rained and I dragged with jet lag. But we saw a lot in the city. It is good to know there are some interesting day trips out of Copenhagen if we visit again. We would certainly head out to see the castles. And hubby always wants to visit anything to do with boats.
These are so helpful! I am relocating to Europe from the US soon and can’t wait to explore some of these places like the Frederiksborg Castle!
Oh wow, the Viking ship museum looks fascinating. But I would actually like to see everything you mentioned on this post. Copenhagen is such an interesting city to explore.
I love day trips, especially to small villages and towns that are so intriguing to wander through. Great list of ideas in Copenhagen to add to my planning list.
Viking boats and castles!? This all sounds perfect for anyone that loves history! Copenhagen itself sounds fabulous, but it is always great to have day trips outside the city too! I really love that you can get up close to the Viking boats and learn about Denmark’s past.
That viking ship museum looks like so much fun!