A 30 minute train from Copenhagen brings you to the quite town of Roskilde. It is easy enough to stay at your accommodation in the city and make the day trip, however we found that if we did the trip again, we would have stayed at the Danhostel in Roskide and taken a day trip to Copenhagen. The hostel, which was more of a hotel, is located about a hundred meters from the Viking Maritime Museum. The museum focuses on recreation archaeology, putting the theories about how the ancient mariners ‘did it’ to the test. for 100 danish Krona extra to the Museum ticket you can go for a sail around the fjord in a replica of one of the viking ships that they had discovered at the bottom of the fjord as a defence.

The 5 ships that were discovered had been purposely sunk, theoretically to block the deep and easy passages into the fjord, causing any ‘visitors’ (including attacking ships) to take a more risky route that would require the navigation of a local who knows the waters. The ships were brought up in the 1960’s as a large archaeological project, and were treated and now on display in the museum. (Free guided tours are available in English.) The manmade island where the viking ships sail from also hosts an open air style museum, with blacksmithing, rope making, and even the shipbuilding as in-situe recreation archaeology. In addition, if you want to get your hands dirty, you can chisel runes into a thors hammer pendant, or mint a coin in ‘ye olde’ way with a hammer and minting stamp.  if you want to join the kids table, they even have a wooden shield and sword.

From Roskilde, taking a train to Lejre, and bus 233 from the station, you can visit ‘Land of Legends’, a open air museum dedicated to Denmarks’ history form the Stone age, through the Viking age, into the Iron and Middle Ages. The encourage getting your hands dirty and joining in the activities. learn to flake stones or make rope with the cave men, you can buy naturally died yarns from the weaver, or pots and mugs thrown by the potter. The park can be seen comfortably in 3-5 hours, longer if you participate in the settlements.