Mille & Soeren - Picture Gallery -Visit Vejle Juli 2010

Champagne service on friends' fabulous roof terrace.
(View to the new "Vejlebro" - in the distance.)

The present church is a travertine church from approx. year 1100
There have previously been three wooden churches - all burnt - on the spot.
King Harald Bluetooth buildt the first church on the spot
probablyas grave memorial to his father Gorm the Old.

Gorm the Old was a Danish king who reigned from Jelling in the mid-900s.
He has hardly been king over Denmark, rather than Jutland and South Jutland.
He is the first king in the royal line.
(See King's row below).

That's because he is the first king mentioned in contemporary Danish sources,
More specifically, the two runic stones in Jelling.

The text on the small Jelling stone reads:

"kurmr kunukr karthi kubl thusi aft thurui kunu sina tanmarkar but"
or the slightly more contemporary Danish:
King Gorm made this monument made in memory after Thyra his wife, Denmark's booth.

Gorm is also referred to the large Jelling stone that says:

"Haraltr kunukr bath kaurua kubl thausi aft kurm fathur sin auk aft thaurui muthur sina
sa haraltr ias sar uan tanmaurk ala auk nuruiak auk tani karthi kristna"
Or
King Harald ordered this monument made in memory after Gorm his father and Thyra his mother,
the Harald who conquered all of Denmark and Norway and made the Danes Christians.

Nævnt 936 d. 958	Gorm den Gamle
d. senest 987	Harald I Blåtand
d. 1014	Svend I Tveskæg
1014 - 1018	Harald II
1018 - 1035	Knud II den Store
1035 - 1042	Knud III Hardeknud
1042 - 1047	Magnus den Gode
1047 - 1074	Svend II Estridsen
1074 - 1080	Harald III Hen
1080 - 1086	Knud IV den Hellige
1086 - 1095	Oluf I Hunger
1095 - 1103	Erik I Ejegod
1104 - 1134	Niels
1134 - 1137	Erik II Emune
1137 - 1146	Erik III Lam
1146 - 1157	Svend III Knud V, Valdemar I
1157 - 1182	Valdemar I den Store
1182 - 1202	Knud VI

The Danish King's row.

1202 - 1241	Valdemar II Sejr
1241 - 1250	Erik IV Plovpenning
1250 - 1252	Abel
1252 - 1259	Christoffer I
1259 - 1286	Erik V Klipping
1286 - 1319	Erik VI Menved
1319 - 1332	Christoffer II
1332 - 1340	Interregnum
1340 - 1375	Valdemar IV Atterdag
1375 - 1387	Oluf II
1387 - 1412	Margrete I
1412 - 1439	Erik VII af Pommern
1440 - 1448	Christoffer III af Bayern
1448 - 1481	Christian I
1482 - 1513	Hans
1513 - 1523	Christian II
1523 - 1533	Frederik I
1533 - 1534	Interregnum

1534 - 1559	Christian III
1559 - 1588	Frederik II
1588 - 1648	Christian IV
1648 - 1670	Frederik III
1670 - 1699	Christian V
1699 - 1730	Frederik IV
1730 - 1746	Christian VI
1746 - 1766	Frederik V
1766 - 1808	Christian VII
1808 - 1839	Frederik VI
1839 - 1848	Christian VIII
1848 - 1863	Frederik VII
1863 - 1906	Christian IX
1906 - 1912	Frederik VIII
1912 - 1947	Christian X
1947 - 1972	Frederik IX
1972 -	Margrethe II

In order to get to Troldborg Ring you need to travel to the edge of Devil's Valley,
one of the most dramatic of the natural gorges along the Vejle river.
The ring fortress incorporates the steep slopes to the south and east as part of
the natural defences that helps make it all but impenetrable.
Attacking enemies were given false hope in the form of a terrace at the base of the rampart.
The terrace fooled would-be invaders into thinking they were
closer to their goal than they actually were.
But once they made it that far, they became easy targets for Toldborg's defenders.
The circular Iron Age fortress was built between 100 and 200 AD,
and is the only one of its kind in Denmark.
Apparently, it had no permanent residents and was only used by people
retreating from an attacking force.

Most people associate the landmark Ravning with the big bridge from Viking times across the Vejle river valley.
But the bridge was part of a larger a traffic system, for example. also consisted of numerous sunken roads,
can still be seen in the steep slopes down to the valley.

Bridge by Ravning secured transport
over the swampy valley throughout the year.
Here messengers was able to come quickly to the king
in Jelling or other important bastions of power.

In the 10th century, serious border problems had arisen at
Denmark’s southern border. The conflict was between
Western Europe’s mightiest ruler, the Christian, German
Emperor and Harald Bluetooth. Under pressure, King
Harald Bluetooth made Christianity the state religion of Denmark.
In 979–81 Harald Bluetooth commissioned the construction
of five ring fortresses: Fyrkat and Aggersborg in North
Jutland, Nonnebakken on Funen, Trelleborg on Zealand
and probably also Borgeby in Scania in present-day Sweden.
In the same period, he had a magnificent bridge built at
Ravning Enge. The bridge testifies to the King’s vision of a
national road system. The forts and roads may be interpreted
as part of the vision to unify Denmark.
Denmark went from being a Nordic, pagan society to a
European, Christian civilisation. Large landed and royal
estates arose across the whole of Denmark. The first towns
were established. The foundation for the historic Kingdom
of Denmark had been laid.

Bindeballe Købmandsgård is an old grocer’s shop founded in 1897, the year of the opening of the Vejle-Vandel railway.
Denmark’s largest merchant museum, Bindeballe Købmandsgård features collections of traditional merchandise
from bygone times and old store signs and interiors.
More than 5000 different items are on display, the oldest more than a century old.

The Bindeballe Købmandsgård is also a living general store where you can by classic local specialities,
such as Bindeballe Bjesk (aquavit) and bitter.

The old grocer’s shop has more than 100,000 annual visitors.

Please notify the museum of the arrival of groups of more than 10 people.

Your own packed lunch may be enjoyed in the outdoor, roofed pavilion at the charge of DKK 10.00 per person.

During winter, the pavilion is heated.

Bindeballe Købmandsgård is open on all national holidays between 10:00 and 18:00.
Closed on 24, 25, 26, and 31 December and on 1 January.