The Vordingborg Castle ruins (Vordingborg Slotsruin) are located in the town of Vordingborg, Denmark and are the town's most famous attraction. [1]
The Vordingborg Castle ruins (Vordingborg Slotsruin) are located in the town of Vordingborg, Denmark and are the town's most famous attraction. [1]
The castle was built in 1175 by King Valdemar I of Denmark as a defensive fortress, and as a base from which to launch raids against the German coast. His half-brother built another castle in a remote location, which is now Copenhagen. King Valdemar II similarly used the castle for expansion into the Baltic, and in 1241, it was where he created the reformed legal system, the Code of Jutland . By the time of King Valdemar IV, the castle had nine towers and a defensive wall, 800 metres long.
Large parts of the castle were demolished after the Swedish wars had ended, in order to construct a palace for Prince George, son of King Frederick III. The prince never took up residence, and the palace too was demolished in the 18th century. Three manors were constructed nearby, including Iselingen, which became a meeting place for many leading artists and scientists during the 19th century. [2]
Today Vordingborg Castle is a ruin, although parts of the fourteenth century ring walls remain. The only fully preserved part of the castle, the 26 meter tall Goose Tower (Gåsetårnet), is the symbol of the city. The name comes from the golden goose that perches on top of the tower's spire. Although legend has it that Valdemar Atterdag used the symbol to taunt the Hanseatic League, the truth is the goose was first erected in 1871. The tower was transferred into the national trust on December 24, 1808, and was thus the first, protected historic monument in Denmark. [3]
Next to the castle is a botanical garden and also a museum. A larger museum is planned which will include information on all of Denmark's historical castles. Excavations of the castle ruins continue. Regular archaeological digs take place here. Many of the finds are displayed in the exhibition at the Danish Castle Centre (Danmarks Borgcenter).
In 2004, the National Bank of Denmark issued a 20 DKK commemorative coin for the tower. [4]
Zealand at 7,031 km2 is the largest and most populous island in Denmark proper. Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 January 2020, comprising 40% of the country's population.
Møn is an island in south-eastern Denmark. Until 1 January 2007, it was a municipality in its own right but it is now part of the municipality of Vordingborg, after merging with the former municipalities of Langebæk, Præstø, and Vordingborg. This has created a municipality with an area of 615 km2 (237 sq mi) and a total population of 46,307 (2005). It belongs to the Region Sjælland. Møn is one of Denmark's most popular destinations for tourists with its white chalk cliffs, countryside, sandy beaches and the market town of Stege. In June 2017, UNESCO designated Møn as Denmark's first biosphere reserve, consisting of "a series of islands and islets in the southern Baltic Sea, over approximately 45,118 hectares. Its landscapes include woodlands, grasslands, meadows, wetlands, coastal areas, ponds and steep hills."
Valdemar I Knudsen, also known as Valdemar the Great, was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zenith under his son King Valdemar II.
Valdemar IV Atterdag, Valdemar Christoffersen or Waldemar was King of Denmark from 1340 to 1375. He is mostly known for his reunion of Denmark after the bankruptcy and mortgaging of the country to finance wars under previous rulers.
Toompea is a hill in the central part of Tallinn, the capital city of Estonia. The hill has an area of 7 hectares and is about 20–30 metres higher than the surrounding areas. Toompea is part of the medieval Tallinn Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
Christiansborg Palace is a palace and government building on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It is the seat of the Danish Parliament, the Danish Prime Minister's Office, and the Supreme Court of Denmark. Also, several parts of the palace are used by the Danish monarch, including the Royal Reception Rooms, the Palace Chapel and the Royal Stables.
Frederiksborg Castle is a palatial complex in Hillerød, Denmark. It was built as a royal residence for King Christian IV of Denmark-Norway in the early 17th century, replacing an older castle acquired by Frederick II and becoming the largest Renaissance residence in Scandinavia. On three islets in the Slotssøen, it is adjoined by a large formal garden in the Baroque style.
Sønderborg Castle is located in the town of Sønderborg, Denmark on the island of Als in South Jutland. It houses a museum focusing on the history and culture of the area. The castle is located in the middle of the town, in a park setting overlooking Als Fjord. The museum is open year-round.
Koldinghus is a Danish royal castle in the town of Kolding on the south central part of the Jutland peninsula. The castle was founded in the 13th century and was expanded since with many functions ranging from fortress, royal residency, ruin, museum, and the location of numerous wartime negotiations.
Borgholm Castle in Borgholm, Sweden, is today only a ruin of the fortress that was first built in the second half of the 13th century and rebuilt many times in later centuries. It is linked to Halltorp estate, to the south. The castle was destroyed in a fire on 14 October 1806.
Trakai Island Castle is an island castle located in Trakai, Lithuania, on an island in Lake Galvė. The construction of the stone castle was begun in the 14th century by Kęstutis, and around 1409 major works were completed by his son Vytautas the Great, who died in this castle in 1430. Trakai was one of the main centers of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the castle held great strategic importance. The castle was rebuilt in the 1950s–1960s by Lithuanian initiative, although it had received resistance from Soviet authorities. The Trakai History Museum was established after the reconstruction.
Vordingborg is a market town and old ferry town on the south coast of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three satellite towns have emerged around the town. Within the ring of estates, the town has a population of 12,397, and a population of 18,286 when including the three satellite towns of Ørslev, Nyråd, and Stensved, situated 1, 3 and 5 kilometres, respectively, from the town of Vordingborg. Vordingborg is located in Vordingborg Municipality in Region Zealand. Vordingborg Municipality (Kommune) has a population of 45,751.
Stege is the largest town on the island of Møn in south-eastern Denmark. In January 2024 its population was 3,793. Stege is now part of Vordingborg Municipality and belongs to Region Zealand. Once a prosperous herring fishing port, tourism is now important to the local economy.
Copenhagen Castle was a castle on the islet of Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built in the late 14th century and was located at the site of the current Christiansborg Palace.
Christian IV's Arsenal, is a historic building on Slotsholmen in central Copenhagen, Denmark. It was built by Christian IV of Denmark in 1604 as part of a grand scheme for the construction of a new naval harbour. The arsenal, along with several other buildings, surrounded the harbour basin which was connected to the main harbour by a narrow canal. Later, when ships became too large to enter the harbour, the fleet moved to Bremerholm and the decommissioned naval harbour was later filled in.
Skjalm Hvide, was the Earl of Zealand in Denmark in the end of the Viking Age (793–1066) and up to his death. Skjalm's father was Toke Trylle, whose father was Slag, based on Absalon, a medieval account scanned, translated and published by Google.
Absalon's Castle, was a fortification on the island of Slotsholmen in Copenhagen, located at the site of the later Copenhagen Castle and Christiansborg Palace. According to the chronicler Saxo Grammaticus, the castle was founded by Bishop Absalon in 1167 to protect the emerging city of Copenhagen. The castle survived for 200 years before it was destroyed in 1369 by the Hanseatic League, who first occupied and plundered it, and then demolished it completely.
Nykøbing Castle, now demolished, was located on today's Slotsbryggen in Nykøbing Falster, Denmark. Completed in 1594 in the Renaissance style, it replaced an earlier building from the 12th century. A royal palace, it was the traditional residence of Denmark's queen dowagers including Margrethe Sambiria (1230?–1282) and Queen Sophie (1557–1631). Christopher II died in the castle in 1332.
Nyborg Slot is a restored medieval castle in Nyborg on the Danish island of Funen. The castle figures prominently in Danish history. It was here that King Eric V Klipping signed Denmark's first constitution in 1282. The castle was also the venue for the Danehof, the country's first parliament. The castle is operated as a part of Østfyns Museum which also includes Borgmestergården in Mads Lerches Gård.
The siege of Vordingborg was a siege between the Hanseatic and Danish forces at Vordingborg, Zealand during the Danish–Hanseatic War (1361–1370). The Danes managed to defend Vordingborg for two years until peace was settled at Stralsund.
55°00′26″N11°54′45″E / 55.0072222222°N 11.9125°E
