Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a

seaport A port is a maritime facility comprising one or more wharves or loading areas, where ships load and discharge cargo and passengers. Although usually situated on a sea coast or estuary, ports can also be found far inland, such as ...

on the coast of

Køge Bugt Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland, Denmark. In 2022, the urban area had a ...

(''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( or .; da, København ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a proper population of around 815.000 in the last quarter of 2022; and some 1.370,000 in the urban area; and the wider Copenhagen metropolitan a ...

. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality,

Region Sjælland Region Zealand ( da, Region Sjælland) is the southernmost administrative region of Denmark, established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which abolished the traditional counties ("amter") and set up five larger regi ...

Denmark ) , song = ( en, "King Christian stood by the lofty mast") , song_type = National and royal anthem , image_map = EU-Denmark.svg , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of Denmark , establish ...

. In 2022, the

urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

had a population of 38,304.BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas, area and population density
The Mobile Statbank from

Statistics Denmark Statistics Denmark ( da, Danmarks Statistik) is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Housing and which reports to the Minister of Economic and Internal Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating st ...

The natural harbour and strategic location have given Køge a long history as a

market town A market town is a settlement most common in Europe that obtained by custom or royal charter, in the Middle Ages, a market right, which allowed it to host a regular market; this distinguished it from a village or city. In Britain, small rural ...

. Today, that past is evident in a well-preserved old town centre with many

half-timbered Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and joined timbers with joints secured by large woode ...

houses. Køge is located in the

Copenhagen metropolitan area The Copenhagen metropolitan area or Metropolitan Copenhagen ( da, Hovedstadsområdet, , literally "The Capital Area") is a large commuter belt (the area in which it is practical to commute to work) surrounding Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark ...

and is connected to downtown Copenhagen by the E line of the

S-train The S-Bahn is the name of hybrid urban-suburban rail systems serving a metropolitan region in German-speaking countries. Some of the larger S-Bahn systems provide service similar to rapid transit systems, while smaller ones often resemble c ...

commuter rail system. Køge is also on the Copenhagen-Ringsted Line that was opened in June 2019. The new line positioned Køge as a central hub in Denmark's transport system.

History

Like most Danish cities, the origins of Køge precede

written history Recorded history or written history describes the historical events that have been recorded in a written form or other documented communication which are subsequently evaluated by historians using the historical method. For broader world his ...

. Køge was first recognized as an official

in 1288, as a contrast to the ecclesiastical center at that time –

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 51,916 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

– and was an important merchant town during the late Middle Ages. During the local witchhunt, called Køge Huskors (1608–1615), at least 15 people were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. Køge suffered during the wars between Denmark and Sweden (1643–1720, → Battle of Køge Bay). In 1807, the town and surrounding area was the scene of the Battle of Køge between British and Danish troops. Køge remained a small town until the late 19th century, when industrial development and population growth began. Today, Køge forms the core of the 18th most populous

in Denmark.

Geography

Køge is located at the back of Bay of Køge, demarcated by Copenhagen to the north and the

Stevns Peninsula Stevns Peninsula is a peninsula on Sjælland in Denmark. It is separated from Sjælland by the three streams Stevns Å, Tryggevælde Å and Kildeå. The main town of the peninsula is Store Heddinge, and most of the peninsula is covered by the ...

to the south, where Køge Å (''Køge Creek'') meets the sea. Apart from Køge proper, the town's

consists of the suburbs of Køge Nord ( Ølby Lyng and Ølsemagle Lyng) to the north and Hastrup and Herfølge to the south.

Economy

The port is directly connected with th
Scandinavian Transport Centre
a large business park on the northwestern outskirts of Køge, where – among others – the headquarters and the Danish distribution centre of the multinational, Danish-founded, discount supermarket chain Netto is located.

Culture

Museums

Køge Museum is located at 4 Nørregade in a preserved former merchant's house from the year 1619. Further down the street, in No. 29, lies KØS Museum of art in public spaces. It is the only art museum in Denmark dedicated specifically to sketches and models for art works in the public realm. Among its holdings is the original model for

The Little Mermaid "The Little Mermaid" ( da, Den lille havfrue) is a literary fairy tale written by the Danish author Hans Christian Andersen. The story follows the journey of a young mermaid who is willing to give up her life in the sea as a mermaid to gain a ...

in Copenhagen.

Architecture

The historical architecture of the town centre is one of the major attractions of Køge. The oldest dated

house in Denmark, which is also the oldest dated non-nobility and non-religious building of the

nordic countries The Nordic countries (also known as the Nordics or ''Norden''; lit. 'the North') are a geographical and cultural region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic. It includes the sovereign states of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sw ...

, can be found in Køge. It was built in 1527. Originally a section of a row of hovels, it is now a part of the public library. Pictures can be found in the gallery. The Third largest Viking Ring Fortress was found near the city of Køge, Denmark. Near the house is Sankt Nicolai Church. The tower of the church contains a lighthouse, which was the first to be built in Denmark. Køge Town Hall dates from 1552 and is the oldest town hall in Denmark still in use as such. ''Køge Torv'', the

market square The market square (or sometimes, the market place) is a square meant for trading, in which a market is held. It is an important feature of many towns and cities around the world.hectare The hectare (; SI symbol: ha) is a non-SI metric unit of area equal to a square with 100- metre sides (1 hm2), or 10,000 m2, and is primarily used in the measurement of land. There are 100 hectares in one square kilometre. An acre i ...

(2.5

acres The acre is a unit of land area used in the imperial and US customary systems. It is traditionally defined as the area of one chain by one furlong (66 by 660 feet), which is exactly equal to 10 square chains, of a square mile, 4,840 square ...

), the largest

town square A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true square, geometric square, used for community gathe ...

in Denmark outside Copenhagen and the largest and best-preserved medieval town square in Denmark. There are fair days on the square Wednesday and Saturday. Kjøge Miniby (Kjøge Mini-Town) is a historically correct model of the town from the year 1865 – built to a scale of 1:10.

Sports

The football club

HB Køge HB Køge () is a professional Danish football club based primarily in the town of Herfølge, and secondly in the town of Køge, both in the Køge Municipality, part of 'Region of Zealand', in the eastern part of Zealand, south of Copenhagen. It ...

was created through a merger of professional football between

Herfølge Boldklub Herfølge Boldklub is a Danish football club founded in 1921. It is based in Herfølge, a southern suburb of Køge in the eastern part of Zealand. In 2009, the club shared its licence, and merged its professional football with Køge BK to form ...

and

Køge Boldklub Køge Boldklub is a Danish football club from Køge, Zealand. History In 1954, the club became the first outside Copenhagen to win the Danish Championship. The club declared bankruptcy in February 2009, but continued as an amateur side in the ...

in 2009. It currently plays in the

Danish 1st Division The 1st Division (''1. Division'') is the second-highest football league in Denmark, also known as NordicBet Liga for sponsorship reasons. From 1945 to 1991 the 1. Division was the name of the highest level of football in Denmark. With the format ...

. Their home ground is Køge Sports Park (Capelli Sport Stadium).

Gallery

File:Køge during winter.jpg, Køge in the winter Image:Koege ToexensSkole.JPG, New entrance to the former Tøxens Skole in Køge (now Sankt Nicolai Skole Nord) Image:OldestbuildinginKoege.jpg, Oldest dated house in Køge, also the oldest dated half-timbered house in Denmark Image:Køge - gammelt bindingsværkshus, Kirkestræde.jpg, Modern photo of the oldest dated half-timbered house in Køge and Denmark Image:Køge - Kirkestræde.jpg, Looking down Kirkestræde (Church Street) in Køge. Køge's church (Sankt Nicolai Kirke is behind the trees) Image:Sankt Nicolai Kirke Koege Denmark.jpg, Køge church (Sankt Nicolai Kirke) Image:Køge - gamle huse i Kirkestræde.jpg, Old houses on Kirkestræde (Church Street) in Køge Image:Køge - statue af Frederik 7. - Torvet.jpg, Statue of King Frederik VII in the centre of Køge's town square Image:Køge museum.JPG, Køge Museum with the yellow painted town hall in the background Image:Kunstmuseet-Koege-Skitsesamling.jpg, KØS - museum of art in public spaces Image:Køge Miniby2.jpg, Part of Kjøge Miniby (Kjøge Mini-Town) the historical Mini-Town File:Water tower in Koge, Denmark.JPG, Water tower in Koge

Transport

Roads

The partial Y interchange, where the Danish part of the motorway E20 meet the Danish part of the motorway E47 and E55, is located only few kilometers northwest of Køge.

Railway stations

Køge station Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland, Denmark. In 2022, the urban area had a ...

is the principal railway station of the town.

Copenhagen S-train The Copenhagen S-train ( da, S-tog), the S-train of Copenhagen, Denmark is a key part of public transport in the city. It is a hybrid urban-suburban rail serving most of the Copenhagen urban area, and is analogous to S-Bahn systems of Berlin, Vi ...

has a line which begins here. Regional trains to

and

Næstved Næstved () is a town in the municipality of the same name, located in the southern part of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Næstved has several adult education centers, five elementary schools - and has at least one of each type of the fou ...

and local trains to Stevns. There are also an

station in the northern part of Ølby Lyng and a local train station in the southern suburb of Herfølge. The

Køge Nord Station Køge (, older spelling ''Kjøge'') is a seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (''Bay of Køge'') 39 km southwest of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland, Denmark. In 2022, the urban area had ...

opened on 1 June 2019 and serves as an

Intercity InterCity (commonly abbreviated ''IC'' on timetables and tickets) is the classification applied to certain long-distance passenger train services in Europe. Such trains (in contrast to regional, local, or commuter trains) generally call at m ...

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

and

station.

Port of Køge

The Port of Køge is one of the oldest ports in Denmark but has been modernised over the last few years. Since 2002, there has been a ferry connection to

Rønne Rønne ( sv, Rönne) is the largest town on the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It has a population of 13,807 (1 January 2022). It was a municipality in its own right from 1970 until 2002, when Bornholm was a county (Danish: ''Bornh ...

on the Baltic island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

, operated by BornholmerFærgen.

Notable people

Jesper Brochmand Jesper Rasmussen Brochmand (5 August 1585 - 19 April 1652) was a Danish Lutheran clergyman, theologian and professor who served as Bishop of the Diocese of Zealand from 1638 until his death. Brochmand was a key founder of the dogmatic system th ...

(1585 in Køge - 1652) a Danish Lutheran clergyman, theologian and Bishop of the

Diocese of Zealand The Diocese of Zealand (Danish: ''Sjællands Stift'') was a protestant diocese in Denmark that existed from 1537 to 1922. The diocese had been formed in 1537 following the Reformation of Denmark, and was dissolved in 1922 when it was divided into ...

* Hans Holst (before 1619 - after 1640) a Danish woodcarver did work in St Nicholas Church *

Marie Toft Ane Marie Elise Toft, later Grundtvig, née Carlsen (4 April 1813 – 9 July 1854) was a wealthy Danish landowner who owned and efficiently administered the Rønnebæksholm estate near Næstved which she had inherited from her first husband follow ...

(1813 in the Gammel Køgegård manor – 1854) a wealthy Danish landowner who managed

Rønnebæksholm Rønnebæksholm is a former manor house located just outside Næstved in south-eastern Denmark. The estate covers 230.5 hectares of land. It was acquired by Næstved Municipality in 1998 and is now run as a cultural centre, hosting a wide range ...

and wife of philosopher N. F. S. Grundtvig * Carl Christian Amussen (1825–1902) was

Utah Utah ( , ) is a state in the Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. Utah is a landlocked U.S. state bordered to its east by Colorado, to its northeast by Wyoming, to its north by Idaho, to its south by Arizona, and to its ...

's first jeweler, emigrated to New Zealand 1857, then to Utah, 1868 *

Emmy Drachmann ''Emmy Drachmann'' (23 October 1854 – 20 January 1928) was a Danish writer and the wife of Holger Drachmann. Biography Emmy Drachmann (née Culmsee) was born as the youngest of nine children parented by Frederik Leopold Culmsee (1811–95) an ...

(1854–1928) a Danish writer and the wife of

Holger Drachmann Holger Henrik Herholdt Drachmann (9 October 1846 – 14 January 1908) was a Danish poet, dramatist and painter. He was a member of the Skagen artistic colony and became a figure of the Scandinavian Modern Breakthrough Movement. Early yea ...

Harald Bergstedt Harald Bergstedt (Harald Alfred Petersen; 10 August 1877, in Køge – 19 September 1965, in Copenhagen) was a Danish writer, novelist, playwright and a poet. Author of the genre and satire verses (collections: ''Song of the province / Sange fr ...

(1877-1965) a Danish writer, novelist, playwright and poet * Finn Kjærsdam (born 1943) a Danish Land Surveyor, brought up in Køge *

Michael Falch Michael Ehlert Falch (born 16 September 1956 in Køge, Denmark) is a Danish singer, guitarist, author and actor. In rock band Malurt Michael Falch started his career as a lead singer and musician in the Danish rock band Malurt established in ...

(born 1956) a Danish singer, guitarist, author and actor IMDb Database
retrieved 19 June 2020 *

Doggie (artist) Doggie (born April 19, 1966, in Køge) is a Danish artist An artist is a person engaged in an activity related to creating art, practicing the arts, or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse ...

(born 1966) a Danish hip-hop artist in Copenhagen and Istanbul * Ulla Miilmann (born 1972) is the principal flautist of the

DNSO Sadiq Abubakar III International Airport or Sultan Saddik Abubakar Airport is an airport serving Sokoto, the capital of the Sokoto State in Nigeria. It is named after Siddiq Abubakar III, the Sultan of Sokoto from 1938 to 1988. Airlines and d ...

, brought up in Vemmedrup * Michael Qureshi (born 1976) a Danish journalist, used fake sources

Sport

Ove Frederiksen Ove Frederiksen (22 August 1884 – 24 May 1966) was a Danish tennis player. He competed in two events at the 1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ...

(1884–1966) a tennis player, competed at the

1912 Summer Olympics The 1912 Summer Olympics ( sv, Olympiska sommarspelen 1912), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad ( sv, Den V olympiadens spel) and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, b ...

* Hans Pedersen (1887 in Højelse near Køge – 1943) a Danish gymnast who competed in the

1912 Events January * January 1 – The Republic of China is established. * January 5 – The Prague Conference (6th All-Russian Conference of the Russian Social Democratic Labour Party) opens. * January 6 ** German geophysicist Alfred ...

and

1920 Summer Olympics The 1920 Summer Olympics (french: Jeux olympiques d'été de 1920; nl, Olympische Zomerspelen van 1920; german: Olympische Sommerspiele 1920), officially known as the Games of the VII Olympiad (french: Jeux de la VIIe olympiade; nl, Spelen van ...

* Henry Larsen (1916–2002) rower, team bronze medallist

1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Summer Olympics (officially the Games of the XIV Olympiad and also known as London 1948) were an international multi-sport event held from 29 July to 14 August 1948 in London, England, United Kingdom. Following a twelve-year hiatus ...

* Børge Raahauge Nielsen (1920–2010) rower, team bronze medallist

Casper Ankergren Casper Ankergren (; born 9 November 1979) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He is now the Head of Goalkeeping at Danish Superliga side Brøndby IF. He played three matches for the Denmark national under-21 ...

(born 1979) a former football goalkeeper, 319 club caps *

Klaus Nielsen Klaus Nielsen (born 8 January 1980 in Køge) is a Danish professional mountain biker. He has won four Danish national championship titles in both men's cross-country and marathon races, and also represented his nation Denmark, as a 28-year-old ...

(born 1980) a pro. mountain biker, competed at the

2008 Summer Olympics The 2008 Summer Olympics (), officially the Games of the XXIX Olympiad () and also known as Beijing 2008 (), were an international multisport event held from 8 to 24 August 2008, in Beijing, China. A total of 10,942 athletes from 204 Nat ...

* Søren Larsen (born 1981) retired footballer, 229 club caps and 20 for

Nicklas Pedersen Nicklas Pedersen (born 10 October 1987) is a Danish former professional footballer who played as a forward. He is currently U17 manager at HB Køge. Club career Pedersen started his senior career with Herfølge BK in the Danish 1st Divisio ...

(born 1987) a Danish former footballer with 250 club caps and 13 for

, now U17 manager at

Lena Grebak Lena Grebak (born 18 September 1991) is a Danish badminton player. In 2015, she won the bronze medal at the European Games in the women's doubles event partnered with Maria Helsbøl. In 2016, she also won the bronze medal at the European Champio ...

(born 1991) a Danish female badminton player *

Emil Holst Emil Holst (born 9 January 1991) is a Danish badminton player. He competed at the 2015 European Games and won a silver medal in the men's singles. Achievements European Games ''Men's singles'' European Junior Championships ''Boys' singl ...

(born 1991) a Danish badminton player *

Sebastian Lander Sebastian Lander (born 11 March 1991) is a Danish professional road bicycle racer and track cyclist, who last rode for UCI Continental team . In 2012, Lander won the Danish National Road Race Championships. Lander raced at the UCI Continental l ...

(born 1991) a road bicycle racer, won the Danish national road race championship in 2012

References

External links

Historic maps of Køge
{{DEFAULTSORT:Koge Municipal seats of Region Zealand Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in Region Zealand Port cities and towns of the Baltic Sea Køge Municipality