Kalundborg

Kalundborg was founded in the twelfth century by Esbern Snare, brother of Bishop Absalon, and the church he built is why the town is worth a stop: Vor Frue Kirke is laid out on a Greek cross with a tower over the centre and a tower on each arm, five in all, in red brick with stepped gables, a plan with no parallel elsewhere in Scandinavia and probably drawn from Byzantine influence. The south tower collapsed in 1827 and was rebuilt. Around the church the old upper town keeps cobbled lanes and low houses, while the modern town below is an industrial port with a large refinery and an unusual reputation in industrial ecology, since its factories exchange waste heat and by-products in a closed loop that has been studied internationally.

What you actually see

• A five-towered church - a Greek-cross plan unique in Scandinavia.
• The old upper town - cobbled lanes around the church.
• Stepped brick gables - the twelfth-century detailing of the church.
• The industrial symbiosis - factories trading waste heat and materials.

When to go

April to October for walking the upper town. Half a day. The church is open daily outside services. Ferries to Jutland and Samso leave from the harbour, which makes the town a natural stopping point.

Honest expectations

The modern town and harbour are industrial and unattractive, and the refinery dominates the approach. Only the upper town rewards walking. Museum hours are limited out of season. There is little else to detain a visitor beyond the church.

Nearby

Samso is reachable by ferry; Roskilde lies east.