Welcome to the cornucopia of Roskilde and Lejre

Welcome to the cornucopia of Roskilde and Lejre
Roskilde and Lejre have a strong tradition for rhythmical music. When the Beatles first appeared on American television in the 1960's, the Fjordvilla restaurant opened in Roskilde with pop, rock and jazz music. The music venue later became Club Paramount, where the seeds for the Roskilde Festival were sown. Today, the Roskilde Festival is one of the World's biggest music festivals, which annually gives rise to a multicultural El dorado with great influence on the national as well as the international musical stage. During the summer, Roskilde also offers mini festivals in the town's parks, concerts in Roskilde Cathedral, castle concerts and operas, plus underground scenes with over 250 annual events. Here is enough music for everyone, regardless of musical taste.

Culture then and now
Roskilde and Lejre were the Danish stronghold of power, and with that the stronghold of culture during the time of the Vikings and in the beginning of the Middle Ages. This created a cultural awareness by the bourgeoisie and the nobility, which still characterises the city scene in both Lejre and Roskilde with e.g. The Danish Museum of Contemporary Art and numerous art galleries. The cultural awareness also finds expression in the town's gable paintings, in the beautiful work of the glassblower, the special Raku-ceramics at the artists or in the unique gothic renaissance architecture in Roskilde Cathedral, which is listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. The Cathedral is also the burial site for 21 Danish kings and 17 queens.

The inlet and the landscape
The sound of the stern, which broke the waves, the smell of salt water and virgin soil in sight were the drivningen forces for the vikings of Roskilde and Lejre, when they sailed out in the World. Today, you can see and experience their way of life in Sagnlandet Lejre - Land of Legends and on the Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde, where the immense influence of the vikings is on display. You can also experience the spray and the inlet's wide open spaces in kayaks, canoes or sailing ships, or enjoy the rustling of the leaves and twigs on the woodland paths in what will soon become National Park Skjoldungelandet. Or how about a hike in our ancestors' footsteps along prehistoric footpaths at Øm Passage Grave, which is a 1,000 years older than the pyramids.

Remember the children
Children also love Roskilde and Lejre, where they can experience St. Laurentii church ruin underneath the Stændertorv square, or play with toys from when their parents were kids on Roskilde Museum. They can breathe in the atmosphere of a 1900's merchant's house in Lützhøht's Købmandsgård. They can go with the little railway in Hedeland, or try the speed and excitement of Northern Europe's largest go-kart racing track at Roskilde Racing Center.

So we welcome you and are looking forward to seing you in Roskilde and Lejre.