Your visit
Castles, Kings & Power
Welcome to a presentation of physical power in the medieval context – castles, kings and weapons. During the Middle Ages castles played a decisive role in society.
Castles were spread in great numbers all over the country. Today very few castles in Denmark are preserved. The reason for their demise can be largely related to reuse of their building materials, due to the nation’s shortage of natural stone.
The exhibition at the Castle Centre is meant as an eye-opener giving you the chance to dig into different aspects of Medieval castles, kings and weapons. Hopefully it will make you want to visit and gain more understanding about the hundreds of castle mounds on South Zealand and the islands of Møn and Falster.
The Danish Castle Centre
Slotsruinen 1
4760 Vordingborg
Tel.: 0045 55 37 25 54
Opening hours
1. June – 31. August
All days 10am – 5pm
1. September – 31. May
Tuesday-Sunday 10am – 4pm
Monday closed
Admission prices
The Danish Castle Centre DDK 30,-
The Goosetower DDK 30,-
The Danish Castle Centre and the Goosetower DDK 45,-
Children under 18: Free admission
Groups over 15 adults: DDK 25,- per person
Schools
Free admission for schools.
Guided tours of the Castle and the Goosetower can be arranged by appointment.
Guided Tours at The Danish Castle Centre
With great enthusiasm, our Archaeologists tell the story of the castle, the kings and of Vordingborg as a centre of power in the Middel Ages. They know many a fantastic tale of the greatest castle in Denmark, of conquests and crusades led against our neighbours in the South and the East.
Prices
Week-days during common opening hours: DKK 700 for groups up to 25 adults
Weekends and evenings: DKK 1000 for groups up to 25 adults
Contact
All guided tours last approximately one hour. Entry to the Goosetower and the exhibitions is included.
Book an amazing experience on +45 5537 2554 or email Dorthe Danner Lund.
History
Vordingborg Castle
The first Vordingborg Caslte was a wooden fortress surrounded by a board-covered rampart. It was built during the middle of the 12th century by Valdemar the Great, who, among other things, fought and converted the Slavs at Rügen to Christianity. In the beginning of the 13th century, the fortress was restructured completely. Valdemar II the Victorious replaced the wooden fortress with a solid brick castle. It is in this castle that the king met with his statesmen to discuss important matters; and it is from here that the king gave his people the Code of Jutland: the first modern, Danish law.
The ruins you can see in Vordingborg today are the remains of the largest medieval castle in Denmark, built by Valdemar IV Atterdag in the 1360s. With its nine large towers, 12 smaller towers and an almost 1 kilometre long ring wall, it truly was a castle fit for the greatest king of Northern Europe. The Goosetower was part of the defence of Atterdag’s castle. According to legend, Atterdag placed a golden goose on top of the tower to mock the citizens of Lübeck – the wealthiest city of the Baltic coast. The building of Vordingborg had been financed by high war reparations from Lübeck.
After the wars with Sweden in 1658-1650, the castle was demolished. Prince Jørgen, the youngest son for Frederik III, inherited the fief of Vordingborg and built a grand mansion amidst the picturesque ruins. Prince Jørgen’s mansion was torn down in 1750.
The Goosetower – a living relic of Vordingborg Castle
On the southern coast of Zealand, well hidden behind the Oringe peninsula, lies the ruins of Denmark’s mightiest medieval castles, Vordingborg.
In the Middle Ages, Vordingborg Castle was the centre of Danish foreign policy from its foundation by King Valdemar the Great in 1160 until the death of King Valdemar Atterdag in 1375. During these 200 years, Vordingborg Castle grew from a smallish wooden fortress to a mighty castle with nine towers and twelve half-towers, linked together by an almost 800 metres long wall. The last tower, which was built in 1365, namely the Goosetower is the last living relic of the castle today, apart from the ruins on the castle grounds.
In 1673, Prince Jørgen, the son of King Frederik III, built a grand mansion among the ruins of the old castle. Today, only a staff wing of the mansion remains.
As portrayed above, this 300 years old half-timbered house as well as the Goosetower constitute the Danish Castle Centre and its current exhibitions.