Roskilde Cathedral is where Denmark keeps its kings. Since the fifteenth century, almost every Danish monarch has been buried here, and the chapels and crypts hold around forty kings and queens, from medieval stone tombs to ornate baroque sarcophagi and modern designs. The cathedral itself, begun in the late twelfth century under Bishop Absalon, the warrior-churchman who also founded Copenhagen, was one of the first big brick Gothic churches in Scandinavia, and it set the style for church building across the region. UNESCO listed it in 1995. Inside, look for the clock with the figure of St George slaying the dragon, which strikes the hour, and the pillar where royal visitors have marked their height.
The town of Roskilde sits at the southern end of a long fjord, and it was an important Viking centre. In the 1960s, archaeologists raised five Viking ships from the fjord, deliberately sunk around the eleventh century to block the channel against raiders. They are now displayed in the Viking Ship Museum on the waterfront, together with reconstructions that you can sometimes see sailing. Today Roskilde is also famous for its huge music festival, held every summer on the edge of town.
As for the riding, Zealand is flat, green and windy, and the roads around Roskilde are good, straight and well marked, but not very exciting. The coastal roads along the fjord and north toward Frederikssund are the most scenic, with views over the water, fields and woods. Traffic can be heavy around Copenhagen, especially at rush hour, and Danish drivers are generally disciplined, but watch for cyclists everywhere; they have their own lanes and right of way. The weather is changeable, with rain and wind possible at any time of year.
Roskilde, with forty-four thousand inhabitants, has everything you need: fuel, supermarkets, cafés and restaurants. Try smørrebrød, open sandwiches on rye bread with toppings such as herring, roast beef or shrimp, or a hot dog from a pølsevogn, the classic Danish sausage wagon. A cinnamon pastry and a strong coffee in one of the cafés near the cathedral will warm you on a cold day.