Before Copenhagen was Copenhagen, Roskilde was the capital of Denmark. For nearly three hundred years from the 10th century, the cathedral on its hill above the Roskilde Fjord was where Danish kings were crowned and buried, and the harbour below was where the most powerful fleet in the North Sea launched its ships. Five of those ships - scuttled deliberately in the fjord around 1070 AD - were discovered in 1957 and excavated between 1962 and 1969. They are now in the Viking Ship Museum on the harbour floor.
Getting There
DSB regional train from Copenhagen Central to Roskilde: 20 minutes, several times per hour. Fare approximately DKK 80/€11, covered by a Copenhagen travel card. Roskilde station is a 15-minute flat walk from the cathedral and harbour, downhill through the town centre.
May is the correct time for this trip: the Copenhagen Marathon falls in mid-May, and Roskilde in late May has the long Scandinavian evenings that make the fjord particularly good in the afternoon light. The Roskilde Festival (one of the largest music festivals in Europe) runs in late June/early July - well after the marathon window.
The Viking Ship Museum
The Vikingeskibsmuseet sits on the flat Roskilde Fjord harbour level. The five ships - ranging from a 30-metre longship to a small ferry - are displayed in their excavated state: fragmentary timber structures supported by steel frames, showing 11th-century Nordic shipbuilding methods with physical specificity that models cannot convey. The largest, Skuldelev 2, was built in Ireland around 1042 - oak dendrochronology identified a Dublin origin, a tangible connection between Viking Age Ireland and Denmark. Entry approximately DKK 155/€21.
The boat yard adjacent to the museum: a working yard where craftspeople build full-scale replica Viking ships using traditional methods and period tools. In May the yard is operational and the replicas are often in the fjord on trial voyages. The museum operates seasonal fjord sailings on replica vessels - the experience of sailing a Viking ship replica on the Roskilde Fjord is specific and difficult to replicate elsewhere. Check vikingeskibsmuseet.dk for May sailing dates.
Roskilde Cathedral
The Roskilde Domkirke (UNESCO World Heritage Site, entry approximately DKK 80/€11) crowns the hill above the town - one of the finest Gothic brick cathedrals in northern Europe, begun in the 1170s. The burial place of 39 Danish monarchs; the interior chapels contain individual royal tombs from five centuries, each in a different architectural style as the building evolved around its accumulated dead.
The approach from the harbour to the cathedral involves the town's main slope - a 10-minute uphill walk. Better on Day Two rather than Day One, once the legs have settled.
May in Roskilde
The fjord in May: swans on the harbour, sailing boats in the channel, the cathedral spires reflected in still water at 21:00. The town is quiet in May before the summer festival season.
Where to Stay
Roskilde Vandrehjem (hostel) on the harbour adjacent to the Viking Ship Museum: basic but exceptionally positioned. Comwell Roskilde on Sondre Ringvej: conventional hotel option, flat from the station. Hotel Prindsen in the town centre (operating since 1695): the atmospheric choice.
Where to Eat
Cafe Satchmo on Algade: local favourite for lunch, smørrebrød with rye bread from local bakeries. Restaurant Mumm on Algade: evening option for Danish cooking above pub level. The harbour area has seasonal fish restaurants open from May; smoked salmon (røget laks) from local smokehouses is the correct order.
Practical Notes
- Return trains from Roskilde to Copenhagen: every 10-20 minutes, 20 minutes journey.
- From Copenhagen Central, Metro Line M2 runs directly to Copenhagen Airport in 15 minutes.
- Roskilde has a flat cycling path network and bike hire at the museum - the route along the fjord south toward Lejre is one of the better May cycling routes in the Copenhagen hinterland.