Museums, Manor Houses, Castles or Churches

Guidet tour of the famous runic stones of Jelling – the Christian "birth certificate" of Denmark from the Viking age.

Right next to the church of the small Danish town of Jelling, you will find two runic stones; a small older one and a larger younger one dating back to around 950 AD, during the Viking age. They used to be placed on top of the two burial mounds which are in front of their present position.

Through many generations the runic stones have been seen as elements of Danish national identity as they, for the first time, mentioned Denmark as a nation ruled by kings and the runic inscription on the larger, younger stone also says that the Danes have become Christians during the reign of King Harald Bluetooth and on his command.

That is the reason for the larger runic stone's inscription being called the Christian birth certificate of Denmark showing also that Denmark is one of the oldest kingdoms in the world as it has been in existence ever since.

The runic stones of Jelling are so unique that they are one of only three sites in Denmark having been put on the UNESCO World Heritage List.

If the local museum of the Kings of Jelling is open, I'll end the tour so you can visit to the museum on your own. There you can see what the area looked like in Viking times and see the runic stones in their original colour sceme.

Odense Cathedral is called St. Canute's Church, and has two main attractions. It houses the body of the victim of a regicide in 1086, and it has an absolutely marvelous altarpiece.

Odense Cathedral is named after the Viking king Canute IV Svendsen, who in 1086 had sought refuge in St. Alban's church, near to the present cathedral, but was assassinated anyhow. It is an exciting story and tale of the rebellion against the king, the king's flight through Jutland with a small band of men, his murder, and the solemn transfer of his body to the present cathedral in 1095.

In the crypt I will show you St. Canutes shrine and his famous Byzantine silk blanket with motifs of eagles. The crypt is also the final resting place for the later Danish King Hans (1487-1513) and his spouse Queen Christine.

It was Queen Christine who ordered the church's amazing, golden altarpiece from the best and most skilled carver in Northern Europe at the time, Claus Berg from Lübeck. It shows hundreds of wooden figures, all individually designed and carved by hand. It is considered to be the most outstanding Scandinavian medieval piece of art.

You will also hear about the main features of the construction of the church and about the English monks, who after the canonization of King Canute came to settle at the monastery associated with the church, and you will get acquainted with the lives and fates of some of the persons who have been interred in the church during the centuries.

Egeskov Castle has everything – magic, charm, atmosphere and "hygge".

Egeskov castle is an impressive building with a fascinating history. It was built just under 500 years ago in the middle of a lake on top of oak trunks that were rammed into the lake.

The standard shows us this is the home of a noble family, the counts of Ahlefeldt. The present owner is count Michael who lives at the castle and we are therefore visiting his private home.

Egeskov castle was built to protect the family in times of unrest such as during "the Feud of the Counts" and during the Reformation.

From the outside we can see many defence mechanisms that are built into the walls and inside the castle we can see even more.

You will learn about the barrier mechanisms, the crooked stairs, and how the residents could survive and succesfully resist a long siege as well as show you numerous more details which we can see on the outside as well as inside the castle.

Inside the castle there are some very good stories to tell about the hunting room, such as extraordinary details about trophies and furniture and of course there are nice photos of the family that Count Michael and his wife enjoy sharing with us.

In the Yellow Room a large open fireplace underscores the "hygge" factor and cosiness, and good stories about how previous generations were entertained during banquets and in the evening. The tower holds more surprising details and the same goes for the Great Hall with the black armour which count Michael had made for himself, and which he actually wears occasionally.

Hear the story about the huge tapestry on the wall, learn about the rooms we pass en route to the Hunting Gallery. We'll admire trophies, guest rooms and you are in for a surprise when you hear the story about the young lady Riborg who has a room named after her in memory of her cruel destiny.

You will also see the amazing toy collection up in the attick.

On a guided tour of Egeskov you will hear all the good stories of past and present. Find out whether the castle is haunted or not and find out why there is a figure with magic powers in the attic.

You can round off your visit with a guided tour of the grounds and garden or of the many fascinating exhibitions and museums. Each takes about an hour.

Opening hours 2025 according to Egeskov's website

WINTER SEASON: Open for Play and Exhibitions (Castle and Garden closed)
2 Jan – 6 Feb: 10:00 – 16:00 (Castle and Garden closed)
7 Feb – 16 Feb: 16:30 – 21:00 LUMINUS light event in the garden. CLOSED during the day
17 Feb – 11 Apr: 10:00 – 16:00 (Castle and Garden closed)
27 Oct – 5 Dec: Closed on weekdays
8–9 + 15–16 + 23–24 + 29–30 Nov: Egeskov Christmas Market
6 Dec – 30 Dec: 10:00 – 16:00 (Closed 24–25 Dec)

SUMMER SEASON: All attractions open
12 Apr – 27 Jun: 10:00 – 17:00 (Castle 11:00 – 17:00)
11–15 Jun: Castle and Brasserie Rigborg closed
12–14 Jun: Heartland Festival
23 Jun: 10:00 – 22:00 (Castle 11:00 – 19:00) Midsummer Eve
28 Jun – 10 Aug: 10:00 – 19:00 (Castle 10:00 – 19:00)
9 + 11 + 16 + 23 + 30 Jul & 1 + 6 + 9 Aug: 10:00 – 22:00 (Castle 10:00 – 19:00) Open By Night
11 Aug – 19 Oct: 10:00 – 17:00 (Castle 11:00 – 17:00)
20 Oct – 16 Nov: 10:00 – 17:00 (Castle and castle island closed)

The Old Town Museum in Aarhus is the world's first open-air museum for the culture and history of market towns, and first opened its doors in 1909.

Today the museum is visited by more than 350,000 guests a year, and has been rewarded the maximum 3 stars by the world-famous Guide Michelin.

The museum houses 75 houses from different areas in Denmark, and walking around the Old Town Museum is like jumping into the time machine and experiencing life as it was in a typical Danish city from the 16th to the 20th century, complete with shops, horse drawn carriages and people dressed as they would have at the time of Hans Christian Andersen the famous Danish fairytale writer.

I invite you inside many of the historic buildings, including the building that used to be opposite Hans Christian Andersen's childhood home in Odense, which was where he was first introduced to the wonderful world of books. I shall also show you the 17th-century pharmacy packed with mysterious medicines and the associated Baroque pharmacy gardens with about 100 different herbs.

Are you more interested in recent history and do you remember Bob Dylan, the hippies and your first television? Then you can also experience the year 1974 which is now part of the Old Town Museum. In this part of the museum I can walk you down the avenue of memories, where we stop at the sausage trolley, flatten our noses at window at Poul's Radio or visit the collective.

Whether you are fascinated by old or recent history it is also a good idea to set aside time to enjoy some traditional Danish cakes from The Old Town Bakery as well as a cup of tea or coffee after the tour.