Showing posts with label Roskilde. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Roskilde. Show all posts

June 24, 2020

4 Days in Copenhagen Denmark with Kid

Do you miss traveling? I miss traveling but I guess there will be no travel trips this year. My only wish is that we can go out as a family. My son and I are still stuck at home because kids are not allowed to go out yet and I have an autoimmune disease so even I’m itching to go out, part of me is scared. I don’t want to put my health at risk.

Even I’m an introvert, I don’t like this “new normal” because, for more than 3 months, my world revolves inside our tiny house. To keep me sane, I kept myself busy and productive. I was working last weekend and my client is from Denmark. And because of that, I suddenly missed Denmark so I’m reminiscing about our trip last year.


4 Days in Copenhagen, Denmark with Kid 

Denmark is part of Europe so if you are a Filipino like me, you need to apply for Schengen Visa. We applied for our visas at VFS Norway since we will be staying most of our summer vacation there. We took Qatar Airways from the Philippines to Norway and we stayed in Elverum for few days before we started our Scandinavian Trip.

Read: How to Apply for Schengen Visa for your Europe Trip 
Understanding your Visa: How to Read the Visa Sticker  
Philippines to Norway via Qatar Airways 

There are different ways to travel from Norway to Denmark, we can ride the plane, bus, train or ferry, we chose the latter because it is cheaper and we wanted to experience it. From Elverum, we took a bus to Oslo and we walked from the bus station to ferry port where DFDS Crown Seaways is located. We sailed from Oslo Norway to Copenhagen Denmark for less than 18 hours. We’ve been meaning to try cruise but no budget for that yet so we’re happy that we experienced cruising even for one night. 

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen Denmark from Oslo Norway 

After 18 hours in the sea, we landed in Denmark and our travel adventures begin. We bought a Copenhagen Pass at the convenience store but the 72-hours card is not available so we just purchased the train ticket so we can travel to Copenhagen Central Station where our accommodation is located.

We stayed at Urban House by Meineger which is only 200 meters away from the train station. The location is very strategic so we have no problem in exploring and commuting because it is near restaurants, tourist spots, bus stops, and train stations. Urban House offers different rooms, in our case we availed the family room which is perfect for 4 persons.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger

Urban House by Meineger has a guest kitchen so it is a big saving in our pocket because we can eat breakfast and dinner at the hostel. For lunch and snacks, we were able to try a few restaurants, fastfoods, and kiosks. We missed the Danish hotdogs, Cocio, and waffles.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark 

I prepared an itinerary for our Copenhagen trip but everything changed when we reached Denmark, we tweaked it a bit. Despite the changes, we still enjoyed our trip. In fact, there are so many tourist spots that we wanted to visit but we don’t have time anymore. Anyway, let me share our four days itinerary in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Day 1 in Copenhagen

We arrived in at DFDS Terminal Seaport before 10 in the morning and we reached Urban House by 11AM, we were too early for the 3PM check-in time. We took a rest and decided to store our luggage in the locker area so we can start our tour. Due to limited time, we only visited City Hall Tower, Ripley’s Believe it or Not, and Hans Christian Andersen Fairy Tale House.

Day 2 in Copenhagen

We visited a lot of tourists spot on our second day, a total of 9 tourist spots so we were all tired by the time we reached our hostel. We started our tour in Roskilde where we visited the Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde Town Hall, Roskilde Cathedral, and Roskilde Palace or Royal Mansion. After that, we traveled back to Copenhagen Central Station for our Canal Tours, it is a one-hour tour where you can see different tourist attractions. Then we walked to the longest shopping street in Europe which is called Strøget. We visited the Guinness World of Records Museum, Mystic Exploratorie, and lastly the Tivoli Gardens. Tivoli is the oldest theme park in the world.

Read: Viking Ship Museum
Roskilde Cathedral
Canal Tours in Denmark
Tivoli Gardens

Day 3 in Copenhagen

It snowed on our third day so we started our tour a little bit late because we don’t want to be frozen. We had a walking tour at The Round Tower, The King’s Garden, Rosenborg Castle, Amalienborg, and The Marble Church. My companions were all tired so we ended our tour early.

Read: Rosenborg Castle 

Day 4 in Copenhagen

Our fourth day in Copenhagen and my companions don’t want to go out anymore, they are afraid that we would miss our train ride. But I persuaded them to maximize our trip so we had our last tour at Christianborg Palace, The Ruins, and The Royal Kitchen. We’re glad that we did not miss this tour because we enjoyed our visit there. If time is not limited, there are more places that we could see within Christianborg Palace.

We rushed back to our hostel, picked up our luggage, ate quick lunch at the Food Market, and off we went to the boarding gate. This time we’re going to ride a train to Stockholm, Sweden, it was our first time traveling to another country via train.

Read: Traveling from Copenhagen Denmark to Stockholm Sweden via SJ Train


July 16, 2019

Day 2 in Copenhagen

Even though I prepared an itinerary for our Copenhagen trip, we were not able to follow it day by day. But we have no regrets because we were able to visit a lot of tourist spots in Copenhagen. Our second day is the most tiring one, we started our tour in the Viking Ship Museum and we ended our day at Tivoli Gardens.

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen

Day 2 in Copenhagen 

First thing on our list is The Viking Ship Museum, it is located at Roskilde, Denmark so we left Urban House before 9AM to make sure that we will arrive at the Viking Ship Museum before the opening which is 10 in the morning. Good thing that we left early because we just walked from Roskilde Train Station up to The Viking Ship Museum, about 2 km walk.

Read: Where to Stay in Copenhagen: Urban House by Meininger 

1. The Viking Ship Museum 



The Viking Ship Museum was opened in 1969, it is where you can see the five original Viking ships that were excavated in 1962. Aside from the boat collection, you can also watch short videos, read about Viking history, dress like a Viking, and if you visit during summer, you can ride the Nordic boat and participate in some workshops. We missed the boat ride and workshops because we visited in the month of April.

Read: The Viking Ship Museum 

2. Roskilde Town Hall 



On our way to the Viking Ship Museum, we saw this Roskilde Town Hall. It is the old city hall that was designed by architect O. Momme and was built in 1884. After the town hall, you will pass a long pedestrian street where restaurants, cafes, and shops are located.


3. Roskilde Cathedral 



Do not leave Roskilde without visiting Roskilde Cathedral, this cathedral is part of UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995. It is not just a cathedral, it is where the 39 Danish kings and queens were buried. You will pass this cathedral if you are walking to The Viking Ship Museum. If you have kids in tow, don’t worry because there is a treasure hunt activity that they can join.

Read: Roskilde Cathedral

4. Roskilde Palace or Royal Mansion (Yellow Palace)



Beside the Roskilde Cathedral is the four-wing yellow baroque building called Roskilde Palace. It used to be the residence of the royal family whenever they attend royal funerals at Roskilde Cathedral. Now, it is used for exhibitions, concerts, and other cultural events. We just took a picture outside and then we had our lunch at Algade Pizzaria.

Read: Food Trip in Copenhagen Denmark

 After our lunch, we’re supposed to visit National Aquarium Denmark, Den Blå Planet because my son loves aquarium but I changed our itinerary to Canal Tours Copenhagen because I want to see Nyhavn. Feeling ko hindi ko nakapunta sa Denmark kung hindi ko nakita ito.

5. Canal Tours Copenhagen 

From Roskilde train station, we traveled back to Copenhagen Train Station and from there, we just walked until we reached the Ved Stranden. It is where we can ride the Canal Tours using our Copenhagen Card.


It is just a one-hour guided tour and you can already see different tourist spots. It is the best option if you are pressed of time because you can see several popular attractions from afar like Christianborg Palace, Nyhavn, The Copenhagen Opera House. The Little Mermaid, Amalienborg Palace, Church of Our Savior and many more.

Read: Canal Tours Copenhagen 

6. Strøget Shopping Street 

After our Canal Tour, we went to Strøget, it is one of the longest shopping streets in Europe. It is about 1 km long that covers the streets in Kongens Nytorv Square (King's New Square) up to City Hall Square. It covers Frederiksberggade, Gammel Torv / Nytorv (Old Market), Nygade, Vimmelskaftet, Fiolstræde Jorcks Passage, Købmagergade (connects to Nørreport Station via Kultorvet), Amagertorv and Østergade.

Thanks to Alfred Wassard because he was the one who initiated to have a pedestrian zone. It started on Nov. 17, 1962, when he was a mayor. He is the Father of car-free Strøget.  Strøget Shopping Street is a combination of expensive brands and budget-friendly shops.

We did not shop because we wanted to visit Guinness World of Records and Mystic Exploratorie. Aside from the shops, there are also restaurants and cafes where you can satisfy your food cravings. We ate waffle and churros at Gelato Rajissimo.

7. Guinness World of Records Museum 



My son wanted to visit this attraction after reading a flyer. It is included in our Copenhagen Card so we added this to our itinerary. This is the only Guinness World of Records Museum in Europe where you can see world records from all over the world like the fastest, strongest, tallest and many more. There are also some displays, trivia, galleries and interactive games.



8. Mystic Exploratorie 




Beside the Guinness World of Records Museum is Mystic Exploratorie. It is a hands-on experience house putting all your senses to the test. It was a small museum so it is better to buy a combination ticket to save money. If you are brave enough, you can sit on the electric chair.

9. Tivoli Gardens



Finally, our last attraction is the Tivoli Gardens. the second oldest theme park in the world. It is already 175 years old. This theme park served as an inspiration to Walt Disney, that’s why we have Disneyland. Do not compare this to Disneyland because it is small but it has its own charm. It is not open all year round so better visit their website for the schedule.

Read: Glimpse of Tivoli Gardens 

I can’t believe that we visited 9 tourist spots in one day. When I checked my activity in my health app, I walked 17.8 km, took 24,578 steps and climbed 12 floors. I’m glad that we made it and I’m so proud of my son kasi kinaya din niya maglakad ng ganito.

Read: Cruise to Copenhagen Denmark from Oslo Norway 
Day 3 in Copenhagen
Day 4 in Copenhagen

June 27, 2019

Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark

Roskilde is not only known for Viking Ship Museum but it is popular because one of Denmark’s most important building is located here. Roskilde Cathedral is the first gothic cathedral in Scandinavia. For more than 800 years, it is part of Denmark history for being one of the earliest major ecclesiastical building that is made of brick. At that time, the art of brick making had just been introduced in the country.

Read: Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde Denmark 



The cathedral was built in 1170 and the construction lasted for more than 100 years. It reflects the evolution of Northern European church architecture and it is a mixture of new, old and very old. You can see the changing styles in the chapels, porches, towers, and spires. Most importantly, this cathedral is filled with the treasures of Danish kings and queens. There are 39 Danish kings and queens that are buried in the chapels and sarcophagi. Roskilde Cathedral is also part of UNESCO World Heritage List since 1995.


Don’t forget to include this in your itinerary if ever you are going to Roskilde, Denmark. It is walking distance from Roskilde Train Station. In fact, you will pass this cathedral on your way to the Viking Ship Museum. So after visiting the Viking Ship Museum, we went straight to the Roskilde Cathedral. It is FREE with Copenhagen Card.

Trivia: When we reached the Roskilde Cathedral, we thought it was closed so we just took a picture outside the church then we walked again. Good thing that I saw someone went out at the side door so I was able to see the Entrance Door.

The door is called The King's Door, this is used as an entrance only for royal guests and exit after wedding, confirmation, and funeral. The door has a golden appearance but is made of bronze that has been polished and patinated.


Visiting churches is not exciting if you have kids in tow because most of the time they won’t appreciate it but I’m thankful that the cathedral has a treasure hunt game for kids. So my son joined the “Find the Gold in Roskilde Cathedral” game. He needs to find 10 old treasures and find the code word. He got a postcard prize after completing the treasure hunt in certain minutes. I’m not sure if it is 15 minutes but it is like an amazing race inside the church.


I also learned a lot from his treasure hunt game because there are trivia inside the booklet. There are a lot of treasures but let me share some of it. Here are the 10 Golden Treasures that you can find inside the Roskilde Cathedral.

1. St. Andrew’s Chapel - It is not very old- only 8 years old but there are may golden pieces. The picture is made of 56,000 small squares.

2. Christian 9 (IX) - travel 100 years back in the time of Christian IX. He is the great-great-grandfather of the current Queen Margrethe 2. The coffin is called sarcophagus and it has two golden crowns, a sword and a scepter on top. The three women around the sarcophagus show love, grief and memory.


3. Christian 7 (VII) - was buried in a black coffin in a fine room together with the other kings and queens. He lived 250 years ago. On the coffin is an hourglass to show that time is running. The figure holding the coffin is called Sphinx.


4. Knight Hahn’s Suit of Armour - The suit of armor is 340 years old. On it are the flowers that are gilded, which means that they are made of silver and covered with gold. This is the knight Joachim Hahn’s funeral armor; it was only used for his funeral and has never been used in battle.

5. Christian 4 (IV) - was king over 400 years ago and was at war with the Swedes several times. Once a cannonball hit his ship and he lost the sight on one eye. Christian IV built many buildings including The Round Tower in Copenhagen.

6. The Pulpit - Christian IV ordered a pulpit for the Cathedral. The pulpit is 400 years old and it is made of stone, wood, and plaster, and covered with gold. Here the priest preaches or talks about the Bible.


7. Altarpiece- was made in Belgium almost 500 years ago. The pictures tell the stories of Jesus’ life and death.


8. The Old Clock - with Saint George and the dragon is over 500 years old! Every hour Saint George kills the dragon and the dragon wails.


9. The Sword - on the wall in the Chapel of Magi hangs a sword. This belonged to Christian I, who died 650 years ago. It is said that he was a giant king. His height marked with C! on Column of Kings in the middle of the chapel.


10. Margrete I - about 700 years ago, Margrete I was the queen of both Denmark, Sweden, and Norway. Her funeral lasted for 3 days.


Note: Closed during the church ceremony

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen Denmark 

Roskilde Cathedral 
Domkirkepladsen 3 
4000 Roskilde

June 20, 2019

The Viking Ship Museum in Denmark

Vikings are part of Northern Europe history, it became a symbol of the Scandinavian countries. There are Viking Ship Museums in Denmark, Sweden, and Norway so when we are planning for our Scandinavian Trip, I don’t know if I will visit all the Viking Museums or I will just choose one. Since Denmark is our first leg of our trip, I included this on my itinerary.


Viking Ship Museum is located outside Copenhagen so you need to ride the train and bus in order to reach the museum. For our second day in Copenhagen, we woke up early and left the hotel before 9AM. From Copenhagen Central Station we took a train to Roskilde Station, travel time is more or less 30 minutes. From Roskilde Station, you can ride Bus 203 or walk. Since we did not see any bus, we decided to walk than waste our time waiting for the bus. It was a long 2 kilometers walk with a kid in tow, we reached the Viking Ship Museum before it opened.



On your way to the Viking Ship Hall, you will already see the Boatyard, Museum Harbour and Labyrinth or Trojaborg. So while waiting for the Museum, my son tried this Trojaborg. According to the signboard, “In Scandinavia, Trojaborg is often associated with the superstitions of sailors and fishermen. It could help to contain ominous winds or act as a trap for the fairy folk, who persecuted people and brought bad luck. Today, it is used as a form of meditation which gives focus and inner peace.”



Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde was built in 1969, it focuses on the Viking’s Maritime craftmanship, boat collection, and of course, it showcases the five original Viking ships that were excavated in 1962. These Skundelev ships were deliberately sunk in Roskilde Fjord, it served as a protective barrier from their enemy. The five ships range from cargo to warships and they are witnessed to war, trade and sea voyagers during 1070.


Viking Ship Museum is FREE if you have the Copenhagen Card. Just show your pass and the staff will give you a bracelet. We watched the 14 minutes introduction film at their cinema, just ask the staff for the schedule if you prefer a specific language. Available languages are Danish, English, French, Italian, Chinese, Russian, Spanish and German.

The Viking Ships 


Then we started exploring the Museum Exhibits, we saw the different type of Skuldelev Ships. Imagine these ships were sunk and now you can still see some parts that have survived throughout these years.

Skuldelev 1 - Ottar - The Ocean-Going Trader

It is the large ocean-going cargo ship from Sognefjord in Western Norway. It sailed over the North Sea, Baltic Sea and North Atlantic.

Skuldelev 2 - Havhingsten fra Glendalough - The Great Longship 

It is a war machine that is built to carry 65-70 warriors manning the oars at high speed. The ship moves even without the wind.

Skuldelev 3 - Roar Edge - The Coastal Trader 



A small, elegant, and sturdy trading ship that was built for transporting goods in Danish Coastal waters and Baltic Sea.

Skuldelev 5 - Helge Ask - The Small Longship 



It is one of the smallest longships in war fleet and ideal for sailing in Danish coastal water and Baltic Sea.

Skuldelev 6 - Kraka Fyr and Skjoldungen - The Fishing Vessel 

It is a fishing boat and transport boat that was built in the Sognefjord in Western Norway.

Climb Aboard and Dress Like a Viking 



At the end of the exhibitions, there is Climb Aboard where you can see, hear, feel and sense how Vikings sail across the open sea. There are two ships complete with equipment and trading goods which guest can explore. To complete the experience, you can also wear a costume and take a picture with the Viking Ships. It is just hard to take photos because there are also other guests.

Special Exhibitions and Museum Shop 


There is also a special exhibition which showcases the history of Skuldelev Ships, how they preserve and reconstruct it. Before going out, you can also buy souvenirs at their souvenir shops, you can buy books, jewelry, decoration, and textile.


The Viking Ship Hall is not that big, you only need at least an hour to explore it. I chose the Viking Ship Museum in Denmark because I thought that we could ride the Nordic boat and sail out on Roskilde Fjord but unfortunately, it is only open from May 1 to September 30. During high season and holidays, they also offer some activities and workshops such as woodcutting and willow weaving.


Anyway, we’re still happy to see the Viking Ship Museum. From here, you can also visit The Roskilde Cathedral which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Watch the video here 

Read: Day 1 in Copenhagen Denmark
Roskilde Cathedral

Viking Ship Museum Admission Fee 

DKK150 Adult
FREE Child (0-17 yrs old)
FREE - Copenhagen Card

Opening Hours

01.01 - 30.04 10AM to 4PM
01.05 - 21:10 - 10AM to 5PM
22.10 - 30.12 - 10AM to 4PM
Closed on December 24, 25 and 31.
Winter and Easter Holidays 10AM to 5PM
Boat Trips -01.05 - 30.09

Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde Denmark
Vindeboder 12, 4000, Roskilde
Train: Roskilde
Bus: 203 (From Roskilde Station)
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