In the Footsteps of Kings – explore The Heart of Jutland on your own
Take a journey in the footsteps of kings.
Meet Denmark’s kings and queens from the Viking Age to the present day.
Experience Viking craftsmanship up close.
See one of the most important gold treasures in Danish history.
Enjoy the royal castle and King Christian VII’s town, Christiansfeld, which today stands just as sharp as when it was first built.
Centuries of royal history have been sliced into bite-sized pieces, perfect for half-day trips.
Explore them in any order that suits you.
Half-Day Trip – The Line of Danish Kings Begins Here
Take a journey back to around the year 950 in Kongernes Jelling. This is where Denmark was born and where the first Danish king’s throne stood. Meet Denmark’s kings and queens and hear the wild story of how the royal line was shaped through patricide, fratricide, rebellion, and diplomacy.
Kongernes Jelling
The Viking king Harald Bluetooth was a master of boasting and erected the monuments in Jelling in a grand and innovative style. He and his father, Gorm the Old, are the first two kings in the Danish royal line. In a large area, they both raised massive runestones. Gorm the Old mentioned Denmark for the first time, and Harald Bluetooth boasted of having made the Danes Christian.
Meet Denmark’s kings and queens at the Kongernes Jelling Experience Centre. Here, the story is told with bold narrative techniques and modern technology that creates a sensory atmosphere. Use your hands and explore history through interaction and play.
Experience how the royal line was formed through bloody battles, intrigue, rebellion, and diplomacy – from Gorm the Old to the current monarch, His Majesty King Frederik X. Dive into the new special exhibition The Crocheted Royal Line, where Danes have crocheted all of Denmark’s kings and queens.
Explore the monument area, home to some of the largest structures from Denmark’s Viking Age. Find the world’s largest runestone and ship setting. See traces of the impressive wooden palisade that once surrounded Jelling, requiring more than 4,000 fully grown oak trees—a wall that cost both effort and lives but gave Harald Bluetooth something truly worthy to boast about.
www.natmus.dk/museer-og-slotte/kongernes-jelling
Stay in Jelling and enjoy a Viking-style lunch at Café Sejd.
www.cafesejd.dk
Half-Day Trip – Power, Gold, and Denmark’s Longest Bridge
Harald Bluetooth secured his legacy by carving his name into the great Jelling Stone and by constructing some of the most impressive buildings in Danish history: the Ravning Bridge, the palisade around Jelling, and ring fortresses across the country. But did you know that Harald Bluetooth’s power was largely based on close alliances with rulers in what we today know as Poland?
Seeking international connections was nothing new for the people around Jelling. This is evident in the impressive gold treasure found near Vindelev, just a few kilometers from Jelling. You can see the treasure in the Utzon Hall at Vejle Art Museum until December 18, 2022. Here, you can also follow Harald Bluetooth on his quest for eastern alliances. What he saw and experienced there became his inspiration and blueprint for the massive construction projects he initiated in Denmark.
www.vejlemuseerne.dk/udstillinger/magt-og-guld
The Vikings Were Skilled Craftsmen
Take a beautiful walk across the Vejle River Valley, right where Harald Bluetooth’s Ravning Bridge stood over 1,000 years ago. A reconstruction of the southern bridge abutment can be found by the old station building from the former Ravning Station, which also houses an exhibition on the history of the Ravning Bridge and the Vandel Railway. Ravning Bridge was the longest bridge in Danish history until the Old Little Belt Bridge opened in 1935—nearly a thousand years later. It’s still uncertain what Harald Bluetooth used the bridge for, and it likely remained in use for only a few years. There are no signs that it was ever repaired.
www.vejlemuseerne.dk/besoeg-os/ravningbroen
If it’s late in the afternoon, end your royal-themed day with a meal fit for a king or queen at Restaurant MeMu in Vejle. Since 2018, MeMu has held a Michelin star and offers a gourmet experience with seasonal, carefully selected ingredients. Remember to book a table!
If you return to Vejle or Kolding around lunchtime, there are also plenty of great meal options. Check Vejle’s Gastro Guide or stroll through Kolding’s charming streets to find your favorite spot.
Half-Day Trip – Experience the Restored Royal Castle
High above the town of Kolding lies Koldinghus. Built as a border fortress in the 13th century, the castle was later expanded by Danish kings. It has hosted significant events and remarkable historical figures. Queen Dowager Dorothea lived here in the mid-1500s. A young King Christian IV built the Great Tower here. And it was here that Spanish troops accidentally set fire to the castle on a fateful winter night in 1808, leaving the proud royal castle in ruins.
Today, Koldinghus has been beautifully restored in an award-winning renovation. The castle is part of the Royal Collection and houses permanent exhibitions and changing special exhibitions that tell the story of the Danish monarchy—from the mythical Flora Danica porcelain to the life and work of today’s royal family.
Hungry after all that culture and history? Head to the Madkælderen restaurant in the castle’s basement, serving delicious lunch daily. On Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, you can enjoy a dinner fit for royalty. Reservations required.
Current exhibitions at Koldinghus:
www.kongernessamling.dk/koldinghus/flora-danica
Half-Day Trip – The Best Preserved Moravian Settlement
Feel the royal presence in Christiansfeld, a town named after King Christian VII. The king sold his farm and land so that the Moravian Church could build a town to boost the area’s economy. Several Danish kings have visited the town, and at the Moravian Hotel you’ll find the names of all those who stayed overnight.
As the best-preserved Moravian settlement in the world, Christiansfeld is so unique that it has been added to UNESCO’s World Heritage List. Founded in 1773 according to Moravian ideals, the town stands out with its architecture and symmetry. Soak in the atmosphere in the town’s streets and visit the Reunion Church, where King Christian X knelt at the altar in 1920 and thanked God for the reunification of Southern Jutland with Denmark. Don’t forget to taste the famous honey cakes—a favorite treat of Queen Ingrid, grandmother of the current king, during her summer visits to Southern Jutland.
www.museumkolding.dk/om-christiansfeld
Enjoy a cozy lunch at Restaurant Kongens Kælder or grab a coffee and try one of Christiansfeld’s famous honey cakes in one of the town’s charming streets.
www.bmhotel.dk/index.php/restaurant