What To See And Do In Køge
Køge, a pretty coastal town dating back to the Middle Ages, with its cobblestone streets, colourful half-timbered houses, museums, and churches, is easily reached from Copenhagen, and while it’s not on most tourists’ to-do lists, is well worth a visit.
Køge is a great destination for history and architecture lovers, with landmarks such as Denmark’s oldest half-timbered house from 1527, the site of Denmark’s 1600s witch trials, St. Nicolai Church (built in 1324), and a miniature town of Køge as it was in 1865. And there’s also plenty of nature to explore too.
You can pick up a city walk leaflet from the Tourist Information office, but not all the intriguing and interesting buildings are featured on the list. One of the best ways to visit Køge is to wander the streets and peek down the alleys to see what you find.
Disclosure: This website is owned and operated by My Path To Travel. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. I earn commissions for links to SHEMedia, Booking.com, and other retailers. See My Path To Travel Disclaimer for more information.
Køge Museum
Køge Museum covers the town’s heritage from pre-history to today, featuring, among many other things, clothing, coins, and skeletons from a communal grave and includes special exhibitions. Most of the text is available in English and Danish.
Køge Museum, built in 1610 as a merchant’s house, has had a varied history. In 1823, it became a workhouse for over 80 people, but in 1910, it became a library and museum.
*Buy your ticket online and save 15 kr.
Køge Museum Opening Times, Entry Price, Address and Website
| Køge Museum Opening Times | Times vary throughout the year – check the website |
| Adult Entry Price | 125 kr *110 kr if bought online |
| Address | Nørregade 4, 4600 Køge |
| Website | Køge Museum Website |
Visit Køs Museum Of Art In Public Spaces
KØS Museum of Art In Public Spaces (Kunst i det Offentlige Rum in Danish) is one of the world’s only museums focusing on art in public spaces.
Exhibitions change regularly, but there is a semi-permanent exhibition by Bjørn Nørgaard.
In 1988, as a birthday gift for HM Queen Margrethe II, Bjørn Nørgaard was commissioned to create tapestries to replace those in the Great Hall at Christiansborg Palace.
He created eleven stunning works of art featuring moments and people from 800 AD to 2000. French weavers recreated the art into tapestries, now on display in Christiansborg Palace.
Nørgaard’s incredible art, used to create the tapestries, is on display at Køs.
You could visit weekly and still see something new. The only downside to the exhibition is that the text under each display is only in Danish. But don’t let that put you off; the key under each painting is pretty self-explanatory.
Bjørn Nørgaard (1947 – ) has created many fabulous works of art, including the Men Of The Sea at Esbjerg, the Genetically Modified Mermaid in Copenhagen and the Sepulchral Moment for HM Queen Margrethe II (currently under wraps) at Roskilde Cathedral.
Guided tours in English are available at Køs Museum if booked in advance.
Køs Museum has free entry on the 1st Sunday of the month.
Discover all the free museums in Copenhagen with this guide to 17 Copenhagen Museums With Free Entry in 2024.
Køs Entry Price, Opening Hours, Address and Website
| Køs Entry Price | Adult 90 kr Senior 60 kr Under 18 Free |
| Opening Hours | 11 am – 5 pm Tues – Sun Closed Mon |
| Address | Nørregade 29, 4600 Køge |
| Website | Køs Website |
Det Gamle Hus, The Oldest Half-Timbered House In Denmark
The Old House (Det Gamle Hus) is the oldest half-timbered house in Denmark, dating back to 1527.
Unbelievably, Køge’s tiny Old House was once home to a family of 12, including ten children!
The house was condemned in 1908, but thankfully, the building was saved by the National Museum of Denmark and the Museum of Køge, and it’s now part of Køge Children’s Library.
Address: Kirkestræde 20, 4600 Køge
Køge Square (Køge Torv)
Køge Torv, or Køge Square, with the statue of Frederik VII, is Denmark’s best preserved medieval town square and is the largest square (almost a hectare) in Denmark outside of Copenhagen.
Market days on the square have been a tradition for 700 years. The market is held on Wednesday and Saturday, 8 am – 3 pm.
The statue of Frederik VII in the middle of the square is the work of H W Bissen, who also crafted the statue of Frederik VII on horseback at the front of Christiansborg Palace in Copenhagen.
Køge Rådhus
Køge Rådhus dates back to the 1500s and is the site of Denmark’s most famous witch trials. The trials took place between 1608 – 15, when up to 20 women were burned at the stake. There’s a plaque on the wall of the building opposite the Køge Museum for the women killed.
Visit St Nicolai Church Køge
St. Nicolai Church is one of the oldest buildings in Køge, dating back to 1324.
Until 1805, the church itself was used as a burial ground, which is why you can still see tombstones on the floor today. The closer they are to the altar, the more influential the family. Except for Roskilde Cathedral, St. Nicolai Church has more tombstones than any other church in Denmark.
The tower, which used to serve as a lighthouse, is the oldest remaining part of the church, which was finished with four floors in 1324; however, in 1440, an additional floor was added.
There is so much history inside the church, documented in a welcome sheet you can pick up from the volunteers at the church museum. Aside from Roskilde Cathedral, the unique St. Nicolai Church is one of the most fascinating churches I have visited in Denmark.
Entry to St. Nicolai Church is free.
For more information about Danish churches, take a look at my article 12 Best Churches in Copenhagen Even If You’re Not Religious.
Køge Church Opening Hours
As with all churches, opening hours may change due to unforeseen events.
| Køge Church Opening Hours | Sun – Mon 12 pm – 4 pm Tues – Fri 10 am – 4 pm Closed Saturday |
| Address | Kirkestræde 26, 4600 Køge, Denmark |
| Website | Køge Church Website |
Climb St Nicolai Church Tower In The Summer
From the second to the fourth week in July, between 12 noon and 4 pm, it’s possible to climb St Nicolai Church tower with a church employee.
Køge In Miniature (Køge Miniby)
Koge Mini City is an exact miniature replica of the town as it stood in 1865. Hand-built by volunteers on a 1:10 scale with such attention to detail, the ‘city’ is far from finished. There are an anticipated 250 more buildings to be added in the future.
Køge Miniby is close to the south beach and Hotel Comwell Køge Strand, a 15-minute walk from the train station. Buses travel from the train station to the Køge Miniby. Use the Danish public transport journey planning app, Rejseplanen, to check the timetable.
Køge Miniby Visitors Information
| Opening Hours 27/4 – 30/9 12/10 – 20/10 | 10 am – 4 pm daily |
| Køge Miniby Entry Price | Adults 65 kr Children 5 – 15 yrs 20 kr |
| Address | Strandpromenaden 26, 4600 Køge |
| Website | Køge Miniby Website |
Køge Stream Path (Køge Å Stien)
Køge Å is a pretty stream that runs through the town, but if you’d like more of a hike, the Køge Å Stien or Stream Path covers 22 km (13½ miles) and serves as a cycle and footpath route tracing the stream, forest and agricultural land to Borup.
You can pick up leaflets about the walk at Køge Tourist Information office.
Visit Køges Beaches
Køges beaches are located at Køge Nordstrand (north beach), Søndre Strand (south beach) and Ølstmagle Revle, a bathing and nature area.
When visiting the north beach, check out Køge Marina, which features restaurants and a harbour bath.
While Køges beaches are child friendly, the harbour bath, being 3 metres deep, is only suitable for strong swimmers. There is no charge to swim in the harbour bath.
Take a look at my article Where To Go Outdoor Swimming In Copenhagen for more information about harbour baths and bathing zones.
Køge Tourist Information
Køge Tourist Information is self-service, meaning there are no staff to answer your questions, but there are plenty of brochures, along with a couple of screens, one showing sites around the town, the other focusing on nature in the area.
Køge Tourist Information is open between 8 am and 8 pm, Monday to Friday, but closed at the weekend.
Visit Braunstein Micro Brewery and Distillery
While there are plenty of places to eat and drink in Køge, Braunstein Micro Brewery and Whiskey Distillery stands out. Located on the inner harbour, the selection of craft beers and whisky distilled in the adjacent building is astounding.
The food is good, and the staff are more than willing to chat about what’s on offer and, if they have time, tell you a little about the distillery’s history.
The building houses a cafe which opens from 10 am to 5 pm daily. The tap room (bar) opening hours are shown below. Food is served in both the cafe and the tap room. The pizza is good!
Braunstein Micro Brewery Tap Room Opening Hours
| Opening Days | Opening Hours |
|---|---|
| Tues – Wed | 11 am – 9 pm |
| Thurs | 11 am – 10 pm |
| Fri | 11 am – 11 pm |
| Sat | 10 am – 11 pm |
| Sun | 11 am – 8 pm |
Driving From Copenhagen To Køge
Køge is 50 km (31 miles) by road from Copenhagen and can be reached using the E47 motorway (Køge Bugt Motorvejen).
Plan Your Journey Using Rejseplanen
Rejseplanen is a journey-planning public transport app that makes exploring Copenhagen and the whole of Denmark easy. You can also use Rejseplanen to buy your tickets.
How To Get To Køge By Public Transport
There are two options: a regional train or an S train from Copenhagen Central Station (København H) to Køge.
The S train departs every ten minutes and takes 39 minutes, whereas the regional trains depart every half an hour but take 27 minutes. Both are direct services, so there are no worries about changing trains.
Don’t get confused at Køge Nord; stay on the train until the end of the line and get off at Køge station.
To learn more, take a look at What Is The Copenhagen S Train And How To Use It and ensure your journey runs smoothly.
Taking The Ferry From Køge To Børnholm
A reasonably priced overnight ferry sails daily from Køge to Rønne on the island of Bornholm, leaving at 12.30 am and arriving at 6 am. The return sailing departs Rønne at 5 pm and arrives in Køge at 10.30 pm. The ferry port is 900 m (984 yards) from Køge Station.
Use this link to the Bornholmslinjen Ferry for more information.
I’m Happy To Help If You Have Any Questions
If you have any questions about your visit to Copenhagen and Denmark, please don’t hesitate to contact me. I know how difficult it can be to plan a trip, and I’m happy to help.
