A quaint little town visited by more than 150,000 tourists annually, and not without reason. Jelling boasts some of Europe’s most prominent Viking Age monuments, which in 1994 were included in the UNESCO World Heritage list.
The two mighty burial mounds and two rune stones erected by the kings Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth in the 900s and Jelling Church mark the transition from paganism to Christianity and can also be seen as Denmark’s ‘birth certificate’, since one of the rune stones carries the oldest inscription with mention of Denmark as a nation and the Danes as a people.
Jelling Church was erected around 1100. The Romanesque stone church was constructed on the site of Harald Bluetooth’s wooden church from the 900s. In 2000, King Gorm the Old was reburied in the chamber tomb in the church.
The amazing Kongernes Jelling experience centre lets you explore the world of the Vikings and the exciting history of the Jelling Monuments in immersive, interactive exhibitions. The rooftop terrace offers a magnificent view of the monument area, and through digital binoculars you can see what Jelling looked like 1,000 years ago.
But Jelling has more to offer than Viking Age monuments. It is also a place of outstanding natural beauty, not least south of the village around the lake, Fårup Sø, which is an area with numerous natural springs, extensive woodlands and open meadows and pastures. The lake is a popular destination for cycling and hiking holidays and offers abundant angling. You can rent water bikes and rowing boats. And there is even a Viking ship.
Jelling and its surroundings offer several excellent restaurants and good accommodations.
