Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral tickets: which one to buy

Roskilde Cathedral stands in the town of Roskilde, Denmark, about twenty-five minutes by train from Copenhagen, and a ticket is required for visitors. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the burial church of the Danish royal family, holding the tombs of about forty kings and queens. Visitors often combine the cathedral with the Viking Ship Museum, on the Roskilde Fjord, which displays five original Viking ships and offers sailing trips on reconstructed ships in summer.

The cathedral is a short walk from the Roskilde railway station. Guided tours are offered in summer, and the cathedral is active, with services and concerts, and it may close for events. The Roskilde Festival, one of the largest music festivals in Europe, is held on the edge of the town in late June and early July. A combined ticket for the cathedral and the Viking Ship Museum is sometimes available.

Visiting Roskilde Cathedral: what to see

The cathedral was begun in the twelfth century by Bishop Absalon, the founder of Copenhagen, on the site of earlier wooden churches, and it was built mainly in brick in the Romanesque and Gothic styles, becoming one of the first Gothic cathedrals built of brick in Northern Europe. It has been the main burial place of Danish monarchs since the fifteenth century, and chapels were added over the centuries to hold the tombs, in styles ranging from Gothic to Renaissance, baroque, neoclassical and modern. The tombs include that of Queen Margaret I, who united Denmark, Norway and Sweden, and the chapel of Christian IV, with bronze doors and paintings. A modern burial monument for Queen Margrethe II, designed by the artist Bjørn Nørgaard, has been installed.

Inside, the cathedral holds a gilded altarpiece from Antwerp, carved choir stalls and a medieval clock with figures of Saint George and the dragon. The Chapel of the Magi, built in the fifteenth century, holds the tombs of Christian I and his queen. The medieval clock shows Saint George killing the dragon on the hour. The royal pew, in the gallery, was used by the royal family. The cathedral's brick towers have green copper spires. The pillar in the Chapel of the Magi has marks showing the heights of royal visitors, including Tsar Peter the Great. The Frederick V Chapel holds neoclassical tombs. The organ, built in the sixteenth century, is one of the oldest in Denmark. The stained glass windows date from the nineteenth and twentieth centuries.

Roskilde Cathedral opening hours and the best time to go

The cathedral is open daily, with shorter hours on Sundays and during events. Summer is the best season for visiting Roskilde and the Viking Ship Museum, with sailing trips on the fjord. The Roskilde Festival in late June and early July brings huge crowds to the town. Winter is quiet and dark. The cathedral's clock plays on the hour, when Saint George fights the dragon. Allow about an hour for the cathedral, and walk down through the park to the Viking Ship Museum. The Roskilde Museum, in the old town, tells the history of the town and its role as a medieval capital.