History Roskilde dates from the Viking age. The city has been the favored attraction for tourists from around Denmark as well as around the world. Roskilde is home to a local university which has an education program which draws international students. The city situated on the island of Zealand has a couple of prominent attractions. The first is the Roskilde Cathedral which was till as recently as the 20th century the only cathedral in Zealand. This first Gothic style cathedral built of brick in the 12th and 13th centuries was instrumental in encouraging this style in the whole of northern Europe.
The cathedral is the burial site for Danish monarchs attracting over 100,000 visitors annually. It has now been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site and also hosts concerts throughout the year. The Viking Ship Museum is another major attraction where the well-preserved remains of five Viking ships excavated from the nearby fjord have been kept as centerpieces. The fairgrounds near Roskilde see an annual rock music festival known as the Roskilde Festival which has become one of the biggest rock/pop festivals in Europe since 1971. The unique aspect of this festival is that all profits earned are donated to charity.
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