Roskilde, Denmark

Between Copenhagen and the West Zealand coast, there's very little to see and explore other than the ancient former Danish capital of ROSKILDE, less than half an hour by train from the capital. There's been a community here since prehistoric times, and later the Roskilde fjord provided a route to the open sea that was used by the Vikings. But it was the arrival of Bishop Absalon in the twelfth century that made the place the base of the Danish church – and, as a consequence, the national capital for a while. Roskilde's importance waned after the Reformation, and it came to function mainly as a market for the neighbouring rural communities – much as it does today, as well as serving as dormitory territory for Copenhagen commuters. In high season, especially, it can be crammed with day-trippers seeking the dual blasts from the past supplied by its royal tombs and Viking boats, while the first week of each July sees a massive influx of visitors when it hosts the Roskilde Festival – northern Europe's biggest open-air rock event. Yet at any other time the ancient centre makes Roskilde one of Denmark's most appealing towns, and the surrounding countryside quiet and unspoilt.