Køge – living history
The town of Køge to the south of Copenhagen has some of the oldest and best-preserved edifices in Denmark. Examples include the oldest half-timbered house and largest and best-kept medieval town square, Køge Torv. The town centre in general has many other half-timbered buildings, also well preserved. Yet for all its history, Køge is also a lively fishing port, catches arriving daily in the main port, with market days on Wednesdays and Saturdays. A little further away in the town, the marina provides berths for yachts and sailboats.
The practical and ‘built to last’ approach can be seen in many parts of the town, including the Sankt Nicolai church, which also contains a lighthouse. The town hall is the oldest one in Denmark still in use. The Køge museum can enlighten you on the local witch hunts of 400 years ago, while the art museum close to it has on display the original model for Copenhagen’s Little Mermaid. The miniature town, Køge Miniby, shows how the town looked in 1865, reduced in size by a factor of 10.
