Six World Heritage sites, one region.
Zealand, Møn and the islands south of Copenhagen. Every site is a train or bus ride from København H.
6 sites23 to 109 min from København H
Where to stay
One base beside each site, so the first train is not your problem.
- 1Near Roskilde CathedralDanhostel Roskilde
- 2Near KronborgMarienlyst Strandhotel
- 3Near Stevns KlintRødvig Kro & Badehotel
- 4Near Par force landscapeFredensborg Store Kro
- 5Near TrelleborgHotel Postgaarden
- 6Near Møns KlintMøns Klint Resort
1 of 61995
Roskilde Cathedral
The burial church of the Danish monarchy.
Photo: CucombreLibre, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From København H
23minDirect
- DSB regional (Re) or InterCity (IC) to Roskilde St.
A 10-minute walk from the station, about 700 m.
Open, winter hours
Monday to Saturday 10:00 to 16:00, Sunday 13:00 to 16:00, until April. It often closes for ceremonies, so check the day's hours on roskildedomkirke.dk.
Stay nearby
2 of 62000
Kronborg
Hamlet's Elsinore, guarding the Øresund where it narrows to about 4 km.
Photo: ArildV, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From København H
55minDirect
- Kystbanen (Øresundstog) to Helsingør St.
A 10-minute walk along the harbour, about 750 m.
Open daily to 31 October
10:00 to 17:00 every day until 31 October. In November: Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00, closed Mondays.
Stay nearby
3 of 62014
Stevns Klint
The cliff that records the end of the dinosaurs.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From København H
75min1 change
- DSB regional (Re) to Køge St.
- Lokaltog 210R (Østbanen) to Store Heddinge St.
Store Heddinge station is about 6 km from Højerup and the cliff.
Open all year, free
The cliff and the trail stay open. Keep back from the edge, which is unstable. Stevnsfort runs daily 10:00 to 15:00 in October, weekends only in November.
Stay nearby
4 of 62015
The par force hunting landscape
Gribskov's star-shaped rides, laid out so the king's hunt could follow the hounds.
Photo: Guillaume Baviere, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From København H
38minDirect
- S-tog A to Hillerød St.
For Fredensborg, change at Hillerød to Lokaltog 930R, about 54 minutes in all.
Forest open all year
Gribskov is state forest with paths open in every month. Winter walking is muddy but quiet.
Stay nearby
5 of 62023
Trelleborg
The best preserved Viking ring fortress, built in 980 to 981.
Photo: Logicnet.dk, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From København H
95min1 change
- DSB InterCity (IC) to Slagelse St.
- Bus 909 (museum season) to Trelleborg, Museet
In the museum season the free bus 909 runs hourly from Slagelse station, 10:00 to 17:00.
Museum closes 1 November
Tuesday to Sunday 10:00 to 16:00 until 31 October, then closed to 31 March. The rampart stays open, but bus 909 stops, so take a taxi from Slagelse.
Stay nearby
6 of 62025
Møns Klint
White chalk cliffs up to 128 m high on the Baltic.
Photo: kallerna, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
From København H
109min1 change
- DSB regional (Re) to Vordingborg St.
- Bus 660R to Stege Rutebilstation
From 29 March to 31 October, bus 678 runs on from Stege to GeoCenter Møns Klint in about 40 minutes, a few times a day.
Last bus to the cliff 31 October
The cliff, paths and stairs are open all year. GeoCenter opens 12:00 to 16:00 until 30 October, then closes until 20 March 2027. From November you need a car or a taxi from Stege.
Stay nearby
Six more areas
Each with its own guide, ordered by the fastest weekday journey from København H.
KøgeA half-timbered market town on Køge Bugt26 minDirectDSB regional (Re) to Køge St.
SorøAbsalon's abbey church and the academy by the lake42 minDirectDSB InterCity (IC) to Sorø St.
VordingborgThe Valdemar kings' castle town and the Goose Tower57 minDirectDSB regional (Re) to Vordingborg St.
North CoastBeach towns, fishing harbours and planted forest on the Kattegat72 min1 changeS-tog A to Hillerød St. · Lokaltog 950R (Gribskovbanen) to Gilleleje St.
Lolland-FalsterFlat islands, a long Baltic beach and the tunnel to Germany75 minDirectDSB regional (Re) to Nykøbing F St.
OdsherredIce-age hills, a drained fjord and the beaches of Sejerø Bugt108 min1 changeDSB regional (Re) to Holbæk St. · Lokaltog 510R (Odsherredsbanen) to Nykøbing Sj. St.
Open this season
Low season runs from November to March. The seasonal places close; the castles and cathedrals carry on.
Coming up
- GeoCenter Møns Klint closes until 20 March 2027, and bus 678 from Stege to the cliff stops.
- Trelleborg's museum closes until 31 March. The ring rampart stays open.
- Kronborg moves to Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00 to 16:00, closed Mondays.
- Harbour works in Helsingør cancel some Hornbæk-line departures until this date.
- Lokaltog runs a reduced timetable on the Hornbæk and Gribskov lines until this date.
Open all winter
- Roskilde Cathedral, on shorter October to April hours.
- The Viking Ship Museum, every day 10:00 to 16:00 from 19 October.
- Frederiksborg Castle in Hillerød, 10:00 to 17:00 every day of the year.
- Stevns Klint, Gribskov and the Møns Klint paths and stairs: open ground, free.
- Many summer restaurants on the coast close for the winter. Each venue page gives its own season.
Stays by area
17 hotels, inns and campsites, ordered by train time from København H. Ratings are Google's.
Roskilde23 min
- Danhostel RoskildeBook
Wake up next door to the Viking Ship Museum
Køge26 min
- Comwell Køge StrandBook
Sea-view terrace on the Køge Bugt beach
Hillerød and Fredensborg38 min
- Fredensborg Store KroBook
A 1723 royal inn at the gates of Fredensborg Palace
- Hotel HillerødBook
Breakfast included and free parking near Frederiksborg
Sorø42 min
- Sorø Sø CampingDetails
Lakeside cabins open all year, a walk from Sorø Abbey Church
Helsingør55 min
- Marienlyst StrandhotelBook
Heated outdoor pools facing the Øresund and Kronborg
Vordingborg57 min
- Hotel Kong ValdemarBook
On the square, a short walk from the Goose Tower
- Hotel FrederiksmindeBook
A Michelin-starred dinner and a room above Præstø Fjord
North Coast72 min
- Hotel HornbækhusBook
A shared dinner table every night at 7 pm
- Gilleleje BadehotelBook
Sea views to Kullen from a guesthouse built in 1895
- Helenekilde BadehotelBook
Front-row Kattegat views above Tisvildeleje beach
Stevns75 min
- Rødvig Kro & BadehotelBook
Sea-view rooms above Rødvig harbour, near Stevns Klint
Lolland-Falster75 min
- Milling Hotel SøparkBook
Balcony rooms over Søndersø, near Knuthenborg
- Hotel NørrevangBook
500 m from Marielyst beach, with a sauna and wilderness bath
Trelleborg95 min
- Hotel PostgaardenBook
Sea-view rooms on Skælskør harbour
Odsherred108 min
- Dragsholm SlotBook
Sleep in an 800-year-old castle with a Michelin-starred kitchen
Møn109 min
- Møns Klint ResortDetails
Camp, glamp or take a lake-view apartment 1 km from the cliffs
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Day trips
Timed plans by train, with the last sensible train back.
- Frederiksborg and FredensborgTwo royal palaces in North Zealand by S-tog and Lokaltog: Christian IV's Frederiksborg in Hillerød, then Fredensborg's free palace gardens 9 minutes away.
- HelsingborgCross the Sound to Sweden for the day: Kystbanen to Helsingør, the 20-minute Øresundslinjen ferry, Kärnan's medieval tower and the ID you need to carry.
- Helsingør and LouisianaKronborg in the morning, Louisiana's sculpture park on the Øresund in the afternoon: one Kystbanen line, 2026 prices, and the winter Mondays to avoid.
- Møns KlintDenmark's 128 m chalk cliffs by train and two buses via Vordingborg and Stege: the timed connections, GeoCenter prices and what changes after 31 October.
- Roskilde23 minutes from København H by train: the royal tombs in Roskilde Domkirke, five Viking ships by the fjord, and how the day changes in winter.
- Stevns Klint and KøgeUNESCO cliff, Cold War fort and half-timbered Køge in one day: regional train to Køge, Lokaltog to Rødvig, the weekday bus 252 and what to do when it does not run.
Guides
Region-wide planning, checked against primary sources.
- Best Time to Visit East Denmark: Weather, Daylight and Closures by MonthWhen to visit Zealand and its islands: DMI climate normals, daylight, sea temperature, festivals and when beaches, buses and visitor centres open or close.
- Castles and Manor Houses in South Zealand, Møn and Lolland-Falster You Can VisitWhich castles and manor houses in South Zealand, Stevns, Møn and Lolland-Falster you can actually visit: parks, house tours, 2026 seasons, prices and the ones that stay shut.
- Day Trips from Copenhagen: 6 by Train, With Real Journey TimesSix day trips from Copenhagen into East Denmark by train and bus: castles, Viking ships, two chalk cliffs and Sweden, with journey times and winter closures.
- East Denmark in Winter: What Stays Open, Christmas Markets and Dark SkiesWinter 2026-27 on Zealand and Møn: which castles and museums stay open, what closes, Christmas market dates, daylight hours, dark skies and getting around.
- How to Get Around Zealand Without a Car: Trains, Buses and TicketsGetting around Zealand by train and bus: which lines reach castles, cliffs and beaches, journey times, the Rejsekort app and tickets, and bikes on trains.
- Møns Klint Guide: Stairs, GeoCenter, Safety and Dark SkiesMøns Klint guide: which stairs to the beach are open since the 2023 storm, GeoCenter prices and winter closure, buses from Stege, safety and dark skies.
- North Zealand Beaches: Hornbæk, Gilleleje, Tisvildeleje and MoreThe best beaches near Copenhagen in North Zealand: Hornbæk, Gilleleje, Dronningmølle, Tisvildeleje and Liseleje, with trains, Blue Flags, dogs and swimming.
- Stevns Klint: Visiting the UNESCO Cliff Where the Dinosaurs' Era EndsPlan a visit to Stevns Klint: where to see the fish clay, Højerup Old Church, Stevnsfort tours, the 21 km cliff path, 2026 prices and getting there by train.
- Where to Eat in East Denmark: Restaurants on Zealand, Møn and Lolland-FalsterWhere to eat outside Copenhagen: three MICHELIN-starred dining rooms, harbour fish, smørrebrød at the castles and bars in Roskilde, Køge and Helsingør, area by area.
- Where to Stay in East Denmark: The Best Bases on Zealand and MønWhere to stay outside Copenhagen: Helsingør, the North Zealand coast, Roskilde, Stege on Møn, Stevns and Odsherred compared by train, season and type of stay.
- Zealand's Small Islands: Sejerø, Nekselø, Agersø, Omø and Orø by FerryHow to reach Sejerø, Nekselø, Agersø, Omø and Orø: ferry ports, crossing times, booking and fares, Nekselø's walking trail, Agersø's mill, where to camp and when to go.
Questions about East Denmark
This guide covers Zealand and its islands outside Copenhagen: the Øresund coast with Helsingør, North Zealand, Roskilde, Odsherred, mid and south Zealand, Stevns, Møn and Lolland-Falster. Bornholm and the rest of Denmark are not included.
No. Helsingør is about 55 minutes from København H on a direct train, Roskilde about 23 minutes and Nykøbing Falster about 75. Places like Møns Klint and Stevns Klint need a train and a bus, and some of those buses run only in season, so a car helps there.
Six World Heritage sites: Roskilde Cathedral (1995), Kronborg in Helsingør (2000), Stevns Klint (2014), the par force hunting landscape in North Zealand (2015), Trelleborg as part of the Viking-Age Ring Fortresses (2023) and Møns Klint (2025). Odsherred is also a UNESCO Global Geopark and Møn a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve.
About 1 hour 50 minutes from København H to Stege by train to Vordingborg and bus 660R. From late March to 31 October bus 678 continues from Stege to the cliff; outside that season the nearest bus stops at Magleby, about 5.5 km away.
May to September for long days, beaches and every bus and museum running. The shoulder months are quiet and cheaper. In winter the main castles and museums stay open, but several seasonal sites and summer restaurants close.
Yes. The ferry from Helsingør to Helsingborg takes about 20 minutes and leaves from beside Helsingør station. Bring a passport or national ID card for the crossing.
