Things To Do in Roskilde

The St. Jørgensbjerg quarter was originally a small fishing village, and a number of old, half-timbered houses, some with thatched roofs, remain. These houses cluster around Skt. Jørgensbjerg Kirke, Kirkegade, which stands on the top of a hill with a panoramic view of Roskilde Fjord. This is one of the oldest and best-preserved stone buildings in Denmark. The nave and choir of the church date from the beginning of the 12th century, but the walled-up north door is even older, possibly dating from 1040. Slender billets, found only in wooden churches, are in the corners of the church and in the center of the nave. A model of a kogge, a medieval merchant vessel, has been engraved in a wall. The church is open only June 22 to August 31, Monday to Friday 10am to noon. To get here from Roskilde, take bus no. 607 toward Boserup.

The same bus will deliver you to Skt. Ibs Kirke ("The Church of St. James"), Skt. Ibs Vej (tel. 46-35-29-66), also in the north of Roskilde. Although no longer in use as a church, this ruin dates from around 1100. Abolished as a church in 1808, it was later a field hospital and a merchant's warehouse. Regrettably, the merchant destroyed the tower, the chancel, the porch, and the church vaults of this medieval relic, though he spared the nave. It is open for visits only April 4 to October 17, from sunup to sundown.

A Boat Tour of the Roskilde Fjord

Roskilde Fjord is one of the longest and largest in Denmark. A sail will take you along the same watery road that Viking ships used to traverse. The shores of this narrow fjord are peppered with tranquil landscapes set against a backdrop of rolling hills. Forests, windswept reeds, low-lying meadows filled with Danish cows, and little villages along the way greet you as you sail along.

You'll get a leisurely waterside view of the southern parts of Roskilde Fjord by participating in one of the frequent warm-weather tours offered aboard the Sagafjord, a steamer from the 1950s whose profile evokes a paddle-wheel steamer on the Mississippi. You can opt for either a lunch or a dinner cruise (2-2 1/2 hr., and 3 1/2 hr., respectively), or a shorter midafternoon cruise (90 min.), depending on your schedule. Regardless of what you select, you'll pay a base rate of DKK95 ($16/£9.50), after which your (optional) food costs are extra. A fixed-price lunch aboard the vessel costs DKK255 ($43/£26), with evening meals ranging from DKK295 to DKK475 ($50-$81/£30-£48). Tours are conducted April to October only. They operate daily in June, July, August, and September, and, depending on the schedule, 3 to 5 days a week in April, May, and October. Cruises depart from a prominently signposted (SAGAFJORD TOURS) pier in Roskilde Harbor. For schedules, information, and reservations, contact Rederiet Sagafjord, St. Valbyvej 154 (tel. 46-75-64-60; www.sagafjord.dk).

The best streets for shopping are the pedestrian thoroughfares Algade and Skomagergade. Of these, we find that Skomagergade has the best shops. From the 12th century, its name, which literally means "shoemaker street," was where the cobblers of Roskilde plied their trade in the Middle Ages.

At either end of the street, a triskelion within a circle has been placed in the pavement. The symbol is three curved lines radiating from the center. It comes from the coins struck in Roskilde from 1018 to 1047. Today this silver coin has been re-created by one of the goldsmiths of Roskilde and is sold as a piece of jewelry at the tourist office.

The best time for shoppers to be in Roskilde is for the market days every Wednesday and Saturday morning (go after 8am). Fresh fruit and vegetables of the season are sold from stalls on Stændertorvet, the main square by the cathedral, along with many stalls hawking fresh fish and Danish cheese. You can purchase the makings of a picnic, along with beautiful pieces of jewelry, and even mugs and pottery. Vendors also peddle a number of well-made children's clothes.

Roskilde also abounds in specialty shops, notably Bydr. Lützhøfts, Købmandsgård, Ringstedgade 6-8 (tel. 46-35-00-61), a cozy old grocer's shop selling herring and other delicacies across the counter. The interior of the shop looks as it did during the 1920s, and goods for sale are typical of that era. The building at Ringstedgade 8 is a butcher's shop, Slagterbutikken O. Lunds, selling goods made according to recipes from about 1920. You can also explore the merchant's yard with 18th- and 19th-century buildings. Sometimes exhibitions are staged here -- for example, depictions of merchants and trade in Roskilde over the past 1,000 years. This shop is open Monday to Friday 11am to 5pm and Saturday 10am to 2pm. Even if you don't purchase anything, this is one of the town's tourist attractions.

The town also has very excellent buys in handicrafts. Head first for Glasgallerjet, Skt. Ibs Vej 12 (tel. 46-35-65-36), a former gasworks near the harbor that now houses the open workshop of a glass blower. Here, the glass blower, who displays marvelous skill, shapes the most beautiful glasses, dishes, vases, and other items. Spectators are able to watch the transformation of a lump of melted glass into a beautiful Danish handicraft on sale at the gallery.

An unusual selection of crafts is found at Jeppe, Skomagergade 33 (tel. 46-36-94-35), which is run collectively by 20 craftspeople from Roskilde and its environs. They make and sell their own crafts. These are definitely nonfactory goods, and exhibitions are always changing.