Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
TAXI
From Slagelse, a taxi to the site costs about Dkr190 on weekdays, Dkr220 on weekends.
To book one, call
DanTaxi
(
70 25 25 25)
.
Vordingborg
Pop 11,750
Vordingborg's modern-day quaintness is deceptive. Now best known as Zealand's gateway
to the south islands, the town played a starring role in early Danish history. It was the royal
residence and Baltic power base of Valdemar I (Valdemar the Great), famed for reuniting
the Danish kingdom in 1157 after a period of civil war. And it was here that Valdemar II
(Valdemar the Victorious) signed the Law of Jutland in 1241, a civil code which declared
that legitimate laws must be based on objective and sovereign justice. The code would be-
come the forerunner to Danish national law.
This history is vividly documented at Vordingborg's brand new multimedia museum,
Danmarks Borgcenter, located at the very site of Vordingborg's famous medieval fortress.
It's here that you'll also find the town's iconic medieval Goose Tower, now part of the mu-
seum.
A short drive from town is the Knudshoved Odde peninsula with its grassy lawns and
narrow rocky beaches; ideal for a dip if the temperature's right.
Sights
Danmarks Borgcenter
MUSEUM
(Danish Castle Centre;
www.danmarksborgcenter.dk
; Slotsruinen 1; adult/child Dkr115/free;
10am-5pm daily)
The ruins of King Valdemar the Great's Vordingborg Slot have been given new life with
the opening of the Danish Castle Centre, a high-tech museum exploring the castle's his-
tory, as well as that of medieval Danish power, politics and castle life. Using interactive
iPads, visitors can explore themes such as the tactics used by kings to gain and retain
power, as well as learn about the museum's historical artefacts. Among these is an ex-
traordinary piece of 15th-century chainmail armor, weighing almost 11 kilograms.
