Sitting about 30 minutes by car or a quick train ride from Copenhagen, Roskilde is a charming day trip well worth your time when visiting Denmark. Perfect for a few slow hours of wandering around a historic town or a full day of multiple adventures. This list of our 6 Favorite Things to do in Roskilde, Denmark will help you plan your day to the City of Kings and Vikings.
Visit Roskilde Domkirke (Cathedral)
The burial site of Denmark’s kings and queens, this towering cathedral is beautiful inside and out. Take a walk around the outside or purchase a ticket at 80 DKK (children up to age 17 are free!). Easy to do in a little over an hour, it’s definitely an interesting stop worth doing at least once.
Explore the Vikingeskibsmuseet (The Viking Ship Museum)
Located on the Roskilde Fjord, The Viking Ship Museum houses 5 ships pulled from the waters in the 1960s. You can see the excavated ships, learn about viking history in Scandinavia and explore the craft of building ships that carries on today in the shipyard. If you’ve got kids, the stars of the show are the summertime special activities occurring outside of the museum. Build your own ship, play in a viking camp, dress up as vikings. Again, kids are free up to 17 (go Denmark!).
Find Runde Rie at the Lynghøj Lakes
You know we love a Thomas Dambo troll around here (trolls in Maine, North Carolina & Copenhagen) and Runde Rie takes the prize as my favorite yet. Located at the old quarry lakes or Lynghøjsøerne (Lynghøj Lakes), Runde Rie features a rope swing into the water that my kids could spend hours using.
The water here is a beautiful turquoise color and a visit to the troll can be combined with a long walk around the lakes, as well as a swim at one of the access points to the water. You’ll find the largest access point close a short walk downhill from the parking lot.
There’s a simple cafe on site, offering ice cream and basic fare. It’s easy to reach by car from Roskilde city center with ample parking. From the parking lot, you’ll want to turn right to head down to the troll.
There are also busses that reach the lakes if you’re visiting Roskilde without a car. The Journey Planner app is the best way to get bus schedules anywhere in Denmark. The Rejsebillet app will be essential for public transport, as you’ll use it to check in and check out when getting on and off trains, metro and busses in DK.
Get out on the fjord
Roskilde sits on the beautiful Roskilde Fjord, offering ample things to do in nature. Book a kayak rental through Outdoor Adventures. Walk, run, or bike the extra long Fjordstien (Fjord Path). Take a dip in the fjord at one of the area’s parks, like Vigen Strandpark, sitting just north of Roskilde.
Hike in National Park Skjoldungernes Land
One of Denmark’s five national parks borders Roskilde and makes for a great day walking in nature. National Park Skjoldungernes Land features options for hiking, camping and swimming – a great day in Danish nature.
Try the Skjoldunges Trail or the Alley of the Gods Trail for a fun challenge. Take along snacks and water and make a day of it, as there are many kilometers of trail, or take on a short section and then post up in a coffee shop in Roskilde to recover. Both sound pretty lovely to me!
Wander the town
Don’t forget to plan time to just wander the historic streets of Roskilde. There’s so much old Danish charm here that you don’t want to skip out on. It’s a great city to just stroll through, stopping for coffee or snacks as it suits. Don’t sleep on Lene’s Streetfood, your classic Danish pølsevogn (sausage cart) serving up classic sausages and sandwiches right in front of the cathedral. And when in Denmark, you’ve got to let your eyes draw you into a bakery for a wienerbrød (pastry) when the mood strikes.
How to get to Roskilde
It’s a quick drive to Roskilde from Copenhagen if you have a car. Car rentals in Denmark are easy. We love to use Europcar, but feel free to price shop rental cars on Kayak. You can pick up at the Copenhagen airport or at a few locations in the city center.
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It’s also easy to use public transport to get to Roskilde. The Journey Planner app makes traveling around CPH a breeze, so make sure to get it before arriving. Regional trains leaving from Copenhagen Central Station (Hovedbanegård) will be heading to Roskilde consistently – the journey takes around 40 minutes. Remember the Rejsebillet app for checking in and out of public transport.
Looking for more things to do in and around Copenhagen? We’ve got lots of Danish gems…
