Jelling

Jelling is a railway town of 3,700 people (2022) and UNESCO World Heritage site.

Understand

Church and burial mound

History

Jelling is an old and important historical town in the history of Denmark. In the Viking Age it served as the royal seat of the first Monarchs of the Kingdom of Denmark. Jelling is the site of a large stone ship and two large burial mounds, the Jelling stones and Jelling Church which are an UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1994. In the North Mound, built between 958 and 959 CE (possibly for King Gorm of Denmark), an empty burial chamber was found. The South Mound was built around 970 and contains no burial. Beneath the two mounds is a large stone ship from around the end of the 9th century. Between the two mounds stand two rune stones, the Jelling stones. Near the stones, Gorm's son King Harald Bluetooth built a wooden church (965), and beneath it re-interred (965–966) the remains of his father.

Get in

1 Jelling railway station.  

Jelling is on the Copenhagen–Vejle–Struer train line. There are trains once an hour, 20 minutes from Vejle and 3 hours from Copenhagen. The Jelling railway has direct InterCityLyn services from Copenhagen and Struer operated by the railway company DSB, and regional train services from Vejle, Herning and Struer operated by Arriva.

To Jelling it is 56 km from Herning and Silkeborg, 80 km from Aarhus and 10 km from the regional capital Vejle. Jelling is close to the Østjyske Motorvej (E45) and Midtjyske Motorvej (Primary Route 18).

Get around

The city, including the train station, the Jelling stones and the burial mounds, can be walked in few minutes.

See

The Jelling Stone (text side)

• 1 The Jelling stones (Jellingstenene). 2 big runestones from the Viking Age, signifying the official founding of Denmark as a united kingdom and a Christian nation around 960 AD. One of eight UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Denmark.  
• 2 Kongernes Jelling (Royal Jelling), Gormsgade 23 (next to the Jelling stone), ☏ +45 75872350, fax: +45 75872348, irmbr@vejle.dk. Exhibition of history of Jelling, the Jelling stones, and the Jelling mounds Free.  
• 3 Jelling Church (Jelling Kirke). (updated Jul 2024)
• 4 Thyra's Mound (Thyras Høj). (updated Jul 2024)
• 5 Gorm's Mound (Gorms høj). (updated Jul 2024)

Eat

• 1 Jelling Kro, Gormsgade 16, ☏ +45 75871006, jellingkro@mail.dk. W-Su 12:00-20:00. lunch: kr 80, dinner mains kr 150.  

Sleep

• Jelling Kro, Gormsgade 16, ☏ +45 75871006, jellingkro@mail.dk. with shared bathrooms. double: kr 595. 

Go next

• Vejle is nearby
• Billund with its Legoland theme park