Copenhagen to Roskilde and Ledreborg Castle: Day trip

Roskilde Cathedral is Denmark's most important historical monument — a UNESCO-listed Gothic brick church where Danish monarchs have been buried for a thousand years, its interior a sequence of royal tombs spanning medieval stone sarcophagi to elaborate baroque monuments.

What to see

• The royal tombs — 39 royal sarcophagi and burial monuments, including those of Harald Bluetooth (who brought Christianity to Denmark) and Margaret I (who united the Nordic kingdoms)
• The cathedral's architectural evolution — eight centuries of continuous construction visible in the transition from Romanesque to Gothic across the nave and chapels
• The Viking Ship Museum — five original Viking vessels excavated from the Roskilde Fjord in 1962, displayed in a purpose-built waterfront museum; replica-building workshops run throughout the summer

What to eat

• Roskilde's market square has a good selection of Danish lunch cafés serving smørrebrød and traditional Danish pastries

Take note

• Book cathedral tickets in advance at roskildedomkirke.dk/english/tickets

Ledreborg Castle is one of Denmark's finest privately owned baroque palaces — a mansion built in 1740 set in extensive formal gardens, still inhabited by descendants of the original family and one of the best-preserved examples of Danish aristocratic estate culture.

What to see

• The palace interior — guided tours through lavishly decorated rooms of period furniture, family portraits, and decorative arts spanning 280 years of unbroken aristocratic occupation
• The baroque gardens — geometric parterres, ornamental lakes, topiary, and classical sculptures in a formal landscape of considerable quality
• The estate grounds — the parkland beyond the formal gardens rewards a slower walk between the palace and the surrounding woodland

Take note

• Guided tours run in summer months only and should be booked in advance at ledreborg.dk/om-ledreborg/besoeg-ledreborg