Jelling

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

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
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

 * Burial mounds
 * Burial mounds

Go next

 * Vejle is nearby
 * Billund with its Legoland theme park