Kalundborg Attractions
Zealand
Kalundborg, an important industrial town, lies on the fjord of the same name on the west coast of Zealand. From the harbor there are ferry services to Jutland (Juelsminde, Århus) and to the island of Samsø.
History
Near the place originally named "Hærvig" (Army Bay) where the fleet used to assemble before embarking on punitive expeditions, the fortified town of Kalundborg burgeoned in the 12th C. It was surrounded on all sides by walls and had a strongly defended castle, the towers of which included the "Folen", Denmark's largest medieval tower. In 1285 the fortress was sacked by pirates.
In the 13th C. Kalundborg carried on extensive maritime trade. The oldest town privileges date from 1485. After Valdemar Atterdag had taken Kalundborg about 1340 he razed the old castle to the ground and replaced it with a larger one in the east of the town. It was here that the "Danehof" (later the parliament) met between the 14th and 17th centuries, and the king often stayed in Kalundborg. By the end of the Middle Ages the town's halcyon days were over. From 1658 to 1660 Swedish troops occupied the town, and the castle was taken by them and blown up.
Since 1684 ships have been sailing twice a week between Kalundborg and Århus; after 1874 a rail link was formed with Copenhagen and trade was established with Norway and England. At the end of the 19th C. various industries were set up in Kalundborg.
Kalundborg is noted for its five-spired church and the Lerchenborg home, considered the best example of Rococo architecture in Denmark. The home is found on the outskirts of Kalundborg.
Kalundborg, an important industrial town, lies on the fjord of the same name on the west coast of Zealand. From the harbor there are ferry services to Jutland (Juelsminde, Århus) and to the island of Samsø.
History
Near the place originally named "Hærvig" (Army Bay) where the fleet used to assemble before embarking on punitive expeditions, the fortified town of Kalundborg burgeoned in the 12th C. It was surrounded on all sides by walls and had a strongly defended castle, the towers of which included the "Folen", Denmark's largest medieval tower. In 1285 the fortress was sacked by pirates.
In the 13th C. Kalundborg carried on extensive maritime trade. The oldest town privileges date from 1485. After Valdemar Atterdag had taken Kalundborg about 1340 he razed the old castle to the ground and replaced it with a larger one in the east of the town. It was here that the "Danehof" (later the parliament) met between the 14th and 17th centuries, and the king often stayed in Kalundborg. By the end of the Middle Ages the town's halcyon days were over. From 1658 to 1660 Swedish troops occupied the town, and the castle was taken by them and blown up.
Since 1684 ships have been sailing twice a week between Kalundborg and Århus; after 1874 a rail link was formed with Copenhagen and trade was established with Norway and England. At the end of the 19th C. various industries were set up in Kalundborg.
Kalundborg is noted for its five-spired church and the Lerchenborg home, considered the best example of Rococo architecture in Denmark. The home is found on the outskirts of Kalundborg.
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Church of Our Lady
The Church of Our Lady is a landmark building in Kalundborg, and easily recognizable by its five towers.
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Lerchenborg Palace
The Baroque style Lerchenborg Palace was built in the mid 18th C. Today the Knights' Hall is occasionally used for concerts.
Folen
In Skolegadein in Kalunborg stands the Folen, a tower which survived when the Swedes sacked Kalundborg castle in 1659.
Gisselore, Denmark
On the Gisseløre Peninsula 1 km/0.5mi west of Kalundborg towers the Kalundborg radio transmitter, the mast of which is 143m/470ft high.
Kalundborg and District Museum
The old half-timbered mansion in Lindegård, to the west of the church, houses the Kalundborg and District Museum (Kalundborg og Omegns Museum). The Knights' Hall in the north wing has some beautiful stucco work on the walls and ceiling. The museum displays traditional costumes of many kinds, implements for craftwork and peasants' rooms. In addition, temporary exhibitions are mounted and carnival festivities and cultural events are held here.
Hours
January 1 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 |
May 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
September 1 to November 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 |
December 20 to December 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Sigrid Undset Birthplace
Near the Town Hall of Kalundborg stands the house in which the Norwegian authoress Sigrid Undset was born in 1882. Having fled from the Nazis and gone to the USA, she returned to Europe in 1945 and died in Lillehammer in 1949. She received the Nobel Prize in 1928.
Ulstrup Mølle
West of Kalundborg, on the spit of land called Rosnæs, can be seen a restored mill, the Ulstrup Mølle. It is a Dutch "gallery mill", which means that the cap of the windmill can, if necessary, be turned manually from the gallery which surrounds it so that the sails face the wind. The mill was in use until the 1950s and is the emblem of the village of Ulstrup.
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