Standing at the stern of the Sea Stallion, I am in awe. At around 90 feet in length, this sleek warship once carried close to 80 men as it sailed the waters of the Baltic and North Seas. Of course, this one is a reconstruction, but done to the exact specifications and with the same tools as its original, known as Skuldelev 2. That mighty ship was built in Dublin in 1042, and this one has sailed from here, Roskilde in Denmark, all the way to the Irish capital. I walk the length of the vessel, carefully stepping over beams that oarsmen would sit on, wondering what it would be like to take to the seas in search of trade or plunder.
Sea Stallion is one of more than a dozen reconstructions of Viking-era ships at Roskilde’s Viking Ship Museum. During the summer months, visitors can actually join a group in sailing one on the Roskilde Fjord, but sadly I missed the season. Six of the ships are exact replicas of the museum’s five originals, Skuldelev 1-3, 5, and 6. (Skuldelev 4 was actually part of Skuldelev 2, the huge vessel this one is the mirror of.) These 11th century ships were scuttled in one of the fjord’s three channels for defensive purposes in roughly 1070, then forgotten about and preserved in the water and sediment until being uncovered in the 20th century.
Roskilde is a small city of around 50,000 just twenty or so minutes by train from Copenhagen’s central station. The town itself is cute, with a lovely market square fronting an old city hall. But that small town charm belies the city’s historic importance. Founded by King Harald Bluetooth in roughly 980, Roskilde served as the Danish capital from the 11th century until 1443. With its protected harbor on the shallow fjord, it was both a late Viking-age base and “modern” middle age city. For visitors, one sight for each of these eras serves as the draw, making the town an easily workable day trip from Copenhagen.
The Viking Ship Museum celebrates the art of shipbuilding from the Viking Age, which lasted from roughly 750-1100 CE. The five ships discovered in the fjord and excavated in 1962 (a short video in the museum talks about the process of excavating, preserving, and putting the ships back together) are all different, ranging from small trading boats to the huge Sea Stallion. Using wood-tracing techniques, scientists were able to trace the ships to their rough build year and location. By the time they were scuttled, all five had lived full lives, and wear and tear in the preserved wood has also led scientists to be able to more accurately get a handle on how the ships of the age were sailed, built, and repaired.
Outside the museum building itself is where the fun truly takes place. Visitors can look at replicas of these and other period ships (and dozens more from other Scandinavian eras), learn about the materials used to build them, and even watch as new construction occurs. (Shipbuilders here at the museum are constantly working on new vessels, done using replica period tools in the original way, and spending a few minutes or an hour watching is a treat, especially as each of the workers seems happy to talk to me about what they are working on.) And of course, in summer months and with good weather, one can go sailing, though I doubt you’ll get to pillage the houses along the water.
The Danish Vikings were largely converted to Christianity in the late 10th century (King Harald apparently took credit for this, although there were Christian rulers around Denmark prior, just no truly centralized monarchy until Harald’s father Gorm), so by the time Roskilde was founded, it was done so around a church. After burning down, that church was replaced by a brick cathedral, which was consecrated in 1225. A UNESCO World Heritage Site, Roskilde Cathedral is the second must-see attraction in the city.
The architecture of the cathedral is fairly unique in Denmark, a true gothic church (though in brick rather than stone), featuring two towers and a central spire. But it is what is inside that is the most important part. 39 Danish monarchs are entombed here, in various crypts, sarcophagi, and chapels that vary with the ages. It is said that Harald Bluetooth himself is interred under the church, but that isn’t proven. But from the Danish Queen Margaret I in 1412, pretty much every monarch is laid to rest here. (Click here to read more about the Danish monarchy and the palaces of Copenhagen.)
The tombs range from the ornate Renaissance-era sarcophagi of Christian 3 and Frederick 2 (Danish monarchs alternate between these two names – or Margaret/Margrethe for the two ruling queens – with Christians running one ahead, so Frederick 2 was followed by Christian 4, then Frederick 3, and so on… at least as far as I can tell) to the simple stone tomb of Christian 10 and the still-covered future sepulcher for Margrethe 2, the just-abdicated-this-year monarch. Each tomb also has signage with a bit about the monarch and his/her reign.
Add to this a beautiful organ, some stunning paintings, ornate gates, and a royal box that is not in use any longer, and there is something to see everywhere one looks.
Once the capital moved to Copenhagen, Roskilde still maintained some importance due to the cathedral, but it became more of a backwater until the advent of rail, where it was rebirthed as a bit of a train hub. Today, it thrives on tourism, both for its historic features and for hosting northern Europe’s largest music festivals.
While lacking in the lavish palaces one would generally associate with a former European capital, the history of Roskilde is one worth exploring anyway. (There is one baroque palace done in yellow adjacent to the cathedral, now housing an art museum, but this only dates to the 18th century and was used by the area’s bishops.) Whether Viking-era ships fascinate you, or the history of the Danish monarchy, you’ll scratch that itch here in Roskilde. It is an easy day trip from Copenhagen, one well worth taking.
Note: thank you to Visit Fjordlandet for hosting my visit, and providing admission to both the Viking Ship Museum and Roskilde Cathedral.
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