Jelling Church

Jelling, Denmark

The current Jelling church was built of limestone around the year 1100. Archaeologists have found traces of three earlier wooden churches on the site. The first wooden church built on the site of the present edifice was the largest of its kind anywhere in Scandinavia. Archaeological evidence suggests that it was built in the later 10th century, during the period around 960 when Harald Bluetooth introduced Christianity into Denmark, as he proclaims on the larger of the two runic stones.

The part of the church burned down in 1679 and it was restored with a new porch. The pulpit dates from the 1650s. Mural paintings were in bad shape until Julius Magnus Petersen replaced them with copies in 1875. Jelling church is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site with Jelling mounds and runestones.

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Address

Thyrasvej 3, Jelling, Denmark
See all sites in Jelling

Details

Founded: c. 1100
Category: Religious sites in Denmark
Historical period: The First Kingdom (Denmark)

More Information

whc.unesco.org

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

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User Reviews

Keizer Soze (9 months ago)
Local church, graveyard and symbolic place with a beautiful history, that starts in the Middleages. Two enormous, ancient stones engraved by the first Dutch kings. Very nice attracion with a splendid sight on surrounding houses, and a former historic village. Around the place there are fortifications partly reconstructed for tourists to imagine the size of the historic location.
Flemming Lorenzen (18 months ago)
Nice....
Krister (2 years ago)
The graet vikingking Gorm the old is probably the on laying under the floor here.
Dani Rojo Gama (3 years ago)
Located next to the stone that represents the adoption of Christianity as the main religion of the Vikings
Bödvar Tomasson (7 years ago)
The rune-stones are a must see for all interested in viking history, marking the birth certificate of Denmark and of great historic value for all the Scandinavian countries.
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