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The Vordingborg Castle ruins (''Vordingborg Slotsruin'') are located in the town of
Today Vordingborg Castle is a ruin, although parts of the fourteenth-century curtain walls remain. The only fully preserved part of the castle, the 26 meter tall Goose Tower (''Gåsetårnet''), is the symbol of the city. The name comes from the golden goose that perches on top of the tower's spire. Although legend has it that Valdemar Atterdag used the symbol to taunt the
File:Goose Tower Spire.jpg, Goose Tower Spire
File:Vordingborg castle ruins.jpg, Castle Ruins
Museums websiteThe Association of Castles and Museums around the Baltic Sea
{{Castles in Denmark Buildings and structures completed in 1175 12th-century fortifications Buildings and structures demolished in the 18th century 12th-century establishments in Denmark 18th-century disestablishments in Denmark Castles in Denmark Buildings and structures in Vordingborg Municipality Towers in Denmark Ruins in Denmark Former castles in Denmark Castles in Region Zealand Museums in Region Zealand Prince George of Denmark
Vordingborg, Denmark
Vordingborg () is a market town and old ferry town on the south coast of the island of Zealand in Denmark. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three sat ...
and are the town's most famous attraction.
History
The castle was built in 1175 by KingValdemar I of Denmark
Valdemar I Knudsen (14 January 1131 – 12 May 1182), also known as Valdemar the Great (), was King of Denmark from 1154 until his death in 1182. The reign of King Valdemar I saw the rise of Denmark, which reached its medieval zenith under his s ...
as a defensive fortress, and as a base from which to launch raids against the German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany, the country of the Germans and German things
**Germania (Roman era)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...
coast. His half-brother built another castle in a remote location, which is now Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
. King Valdemar II similarly used the castle for expansion into the Baltic, and in 1241, it was where he created the reformed legal system, the '' Code of Jutland''. By the time of King Valdemar IV, the castle had nine towers and a defensive wall, 800 metres long.
Large parts of the castle were demolished after the Swedish wars had ended, in order to construct a palace for Prince George, son of King Frederick III. The prince never took up residence, and the palace too was demolished in the 18th century. Three manors were constructed nearby, including Iselingen, which became a meeting place for many leading artists and scientists during the 19th century.
Current usage
Today Vordingborg Castle is a ruin, although parts of the fourteenth-century curtain walls remain. The only fully preserved part of the castle, the 26 meter tall Goose Tower (''Gåsetårnet''), is the symbol of the city. The name comes from the golden goose that perches on top of the tower's spire. Although legend has it that Valdemar Atterdag used the symbol to taunt the Hanseatic League
The Hanseatic League was a Middle Ages, medieval commercial and defensive network of merchant guilds and market towns in Central Europe, Central and Northern Europe, Northern Europe. Growing from a few Northern Germany, North German towns in the ...
, the truth is the goose was first erected in 1871. The tower was transferred into the national trust on December 24, 1808, and was thus the first, protected historic monument in Denmark.
Next to the castle is a botanical garden and also a museum. A larger museum is planned which will include information on all of Denmark's historic castles. Excavations of the castle ruins continue. Regular archaeological digs take place here. Many of the finds are displayed in an exhibition at the Danish Castle Centre (''Danmarks Borgcenter'').
In 2004, the National Bank of Denmark
Danmarks Nationalbank (in Danish often simply ''Nationalbanken'') is the central bank of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is a non-eurozone member of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). Since its establishment in 1818, the objective of the Nati ...
issued a 20 DKK commemorative coin
A commemorative coin is a coin issued to commemorate some particular event or issue with a distinct design with reference to the occasion on which they were issued. Some coins of this category serve as collector's items only, while most commemora ...
for the tower.
See also
*List of castles and palaces in Denmark
This is a consolidated list of castles and palaces in Denmark. The Danish word ''slot '', like the word ''schloss'' in the related Germanic language— modern German— can mean either castle, a Country house or palace, in accordance with commo ...
* Tourism in Denmark
Tourism in Denmark is a growing industry and a major economic contributor. Tourists spent a total of DKK 128 billion and the tourism industry employed 161,999 people in full time positions in 2017.
In 2018, tourists from Denmark's neighbori ...
References
External links
Museums website
{{Castles in Denmark Buildings and structures completed in 1175 12th-century fortifications Buildings and structures demolished in the 18th century 12th-century establishments in Denmark 18th-century disestablishments in Denmark Castles in Denmark Buildings and structures in Vordingborg Municipality Towers in Denmark Ruins in Denmark Former castles in Denmark Castles in Region Zealand Museums in Region Zealand Prince George of Denmark