Lejre Museum is located in Gl. Lejre, about 10 km southwest of Roskilde in the middle of a historically unique landscape, which has been protected by law since 1992.

The historic landscape shows overwhelming evidence of prehistoric settlements of the Iron Age and the Viking Age. The area is also linked to some of the most famous legends about Danish kings in prehistoric times.

The exhibition contains both a collection of prehistoric finds and items from of the more modern history of Lejre. Legends name Lejre as the cradle of the Danish kingdom. Experience the remains of the ancient burial grounds and the royal halls from the late Iron Age and Viking Age, in walking distance from the exhibition. 

The legend of Beowulf

According to the Danish Middle Age chronicles and the Icelandic sagas, Gl. Lejre was where the first Danish royal family, Skjoldungerne, had their royal residence. To mention a few, it was kings like Skjold, Rolf Krake, Frode Fredegod and Harald Hildetand. Although the fairytale like myths and legends - such as the one about the warrior Beowulf who helped Rolf Krake with defeating a dragon – are not considered reliable historical sources, the archaeological excavations reveal that Gl. Lejre in the period 500-1000 AD was an important place.  Visible signs in the landscape are the monumental burial mounds and stone ships, but in the soil on the hills west of the village, traces of mighty halls have also been found, which are among the largest buildings from prehistoric Denmark. This suggests that Gl. Lejre was the royal seat in this period, although the Skjoldunger remain mythical figures.

English website: http://www.roskildemuseum.dk/Default.aspx?ID=515