Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral

Roskilde Cathedral is one of Denmark’s most outstanding architectural masterpieces. This red-brick structure with its intricate spires leaves a profound and unforgettable impression. In 1995, it was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. This renowned cathedral is located in the heart of the city and is the main tourist attraction in the Roskilde area, drawing up to 170,000 visitors each year.

For over 1,000 years, there has been a church on this site, making a visit here a long-standing Danish tradition. The current structure was initiated in the 1770s by Archbishop Absalon (the founder of Copenhagen), and since then, numerous porches and chapels in varying architectural styles have been added. Today, the cathedral represents the finest examples of Danish architecture over the past 800 years.

Since the early 15th century, the cathedral has been the preferred burial site of the royal family. Since the Reformation, all kings have ruled from here, and moreover, since the Middle Ages, it has served as a royal mausoleum, housing the remains of 39 kings and queens, many of whom are interred in magnificent and elaborately crafted stone sarcophagi.