Jelling, Denmark 2017 🇩🇰

Travelled: 166 kilometres from Tønder to Jelling in Denmark.

Visited: Ribe and Jelling

Stayed: Farm Stay a few kilometres from Jelling DKK90, services but they all cost more. N55.79088 E09.45879

Another quiet evening in the stellplatz in Tønder. We enjoyed our quiche along with some cheap beer and wine from The Netherlands.

Even better the sun is shining and we decide on a leasurely start to the day. The internet is lightning fast, so we enjoy a coffee, I do the blog and Pam chats to Indiana on Skype. Time to go so I roll the Hymer over the the service point. Half way through it just buckets down with rain… seemingly just another day in Denmark.

Our first stop for today is Ribe, its about 50 klm, but the traffic is slow, there is a round-about every 3-5 klms and then there is the rain. We don’t have a train or plane to catch, so we just trundle on. There is a large free stellplatz in Ribe and the GPS finds it easily. It looks full but there are a couple of spots and we park up.

The rain stops and 15 minutes later we walk in the centrum, umbrella in hand. Ribe is Denmark oldest town. Full of crooked lanes, half-timber houses leaning this way and that as well as Denmark oldest Cathedral.

The first thing we notice on our walk is this beautiful graveyard, the family plots are neatly hedged with lots of fancy shrubs and ornamentals.

Another picture for our neighbour Norm, this small yard full of Hydrangea.

Not sure what’s holding this place up, but I presume we are not in an earthquake prone area.

Ribe Cathedral or Domkirke has existed since 948, largely in its current form since 1150. It really dominates the surrounding town.

Looking forward to the altar piece in Ribe Cathedral.

One of two murals remaining on the central columns of the Cathedral. Apparently dating back to the 16th century.

This amazing baptismal font dates to 1375. The Domkirke is a very interesting wander on a Friday morning.

The centrum is the usual line of cafes, and shops. The Danish seem to love antique shops, every town we visit has at least a few.

There is apparently a jazz festival on this weekend and stalls and seating are being set up in the square.

The canal seems to make the divide between the old town and the new.

We have done Ribe for this visit. The old centrum is getting very busy so we decide to walk back to the Hymer and have lunch. Surprise to find another aussie motorhome in the stellplatz. We go over and introduce ourselves to Vicki and Dean from Melbourne. They are on their second annual motorhoming trip and heading to Norway as well. There is still plenty of day left so we set course for Jelling.

The Danish consider Jelling as the spiritual home of the Vikings and the Danish Monarchy. It was here, more than a thousand years ago that ‘Gorm the Old’ establish himself as the King of Denmark. That lineage continues to this day.

Jelling Museum has only recently opened, full of technology and interactive displays. Being free to enter makes it all the more enjoyable.

Taken from one of the two burial mounds on the site, this panorama should open for you. On the site of the existing church, the first church in Denmark was built. The remains of King Gorm were found in a grave in the floor of the church.

One of the Jelling Rocks. The story is in the next picture or google them if your interested.

Set between the two large burial mounds the Kirke (Church) and it’s adjoining cemetery seem a little out of place to us. But it perhaps represents the old development of Christianity in Denmark. This panorama should open to detail the murials adorning the walls.

We have seen a few model ships hanging from the ceiling of churches in Denmark as well as other countries, come to think of it. We overhear a tour guide stating that ships pointing at the altar are a sign of good luck.

After walking the site, climbing the mounds, looking at the rocks and visiting the church we spend an hour in the museum learning about the Vikings.

We could stay in the carpark near the museum (well it doesn’t say otherwise), but it’s on an unfriendly slope for a good sleep, so we opt for a farm stay about 6 klm up the road.

Well here we are, by ourselves as it seems. The farmer has gone away for the week. So we park, get the Webber out as well a beer 🍻 and a glass of wine 🍷 and enjoy the evening.

Michael and Pam

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