Køge, Region Zealand, Denmark

🇩🇰 Køge is a seaport on the coast of Køge Bugt (Bay of Køge) 39 km south-west of Copenhagen. It is the principal town and seat of Køge Municipality, Region Sjælland, Denmark.

The natural harbour and strategic location have given Køge a long history as a market town. Today, that past is evident in a well-preserved old town centre with many half-timbered houses.

Køge is located in the Copenhagen metropolitan area and is connected to downtown Copenhagen by the E line of the S-train commuter rail system. Køge is also on the Copenhagen-Ringsted Line that was opened in June 2019. The new line positioned Køge as a central hub in Denmark's transport system.

History Like most Danish cities, the origins of Køge precede written history. Køge was first recognised as an official market town in 1288, as a Southern contrast to Roskilde, the ecclesiastical centre at that time, and was an important merchant town during the late Middle Ages.

During the local witchhunt, called Køge Huskors (1608–1615), at least 15 people were convicted of witchcraft and burned at the stake. During the wars between Denmark and Sweden in the period of 1643–1720, the town suffered severely at the Battle of Køge Bay. In 1807, the town and surrounding area was the scene of the Battle of Køge between British and Danish troops. Køge remained a small town until the late 19th century, when industrial development and population growth began. Today, Køge forms the core of the 18th most populous urban area in Denmark.

Geography Køge is located at the back of Bay of Køge, demarcated by Copenhagen to the north and the Stevns Peninsula to the south, where Køge Å (Køge Creek) meets the sea.

Apart from Køge proper, the town's urban area consists of the suburbs of Køge Nord (Ølby Lyng and Ølsemagle Lyng) to the north and Hastrup and Herfølge to the south.

Economy The port is directly connected with the Scandinavian Transport Centre, a large business park on the north-western outskirts of Køge, where – among others – the headquarters and the Danish distribution centre of the multinational, Danish-founded, discount supermarket chain Netto is located.

Culture: Museums Køge Museum is located at 4 Nørregade in a preserved former merchant's house from the year 1619. Further down the street, at No. 29, lies KØS Museum of Art in Public Spaces. It is the only art museum in Denmark dedicated specifically to sketches and models for art works in the public realm. Among its holdings is the original model for The Little Mermaid in Copenhagen.

Architecture The historical architecture of the town centre is one of the major attractions of Køge. The oldest dated half-timbered house in Denmark, which is also the oldest dated building of the nordic countries built neither for nobility nor for religious purposes, can be found in Køge. It was built in 1527. Originally a section of a row of hovels, it is now a part of the public library. Pictures can be found in the gallery.

Sankt Nicolai Church is located nearby. The tower of the church contains a lighthouse, which was the first one to be built in Denmark.

Køge Town Hall dates from 1552 and is the oldest town hall in Denmark still in use as such.

Køge Torv, the market square, is, with an area of almost 1 hectare (2.5 acres), the largest town square in Denmark outside Copenhagen and the largest and best-preserved medieval town square in Denmark. There are fair days on the square Wednesday and Saturday.

The Third largest Viking Ring Fortress was found near the village of Lellinge west of Køge.

Kjøge Miniby (Kjøge Mini-Town) is a historically correct model of the town from the year 1865 – built to a scale of 1:10.

Sport The football club HB Køge was created through a merger of professional football between Herfølge Boldklub and Køge Boldklub in 2009. It currently plays in the Danish 1st Division. Their home ground is Køge Sports Park (Capelli Sport Stadium).

Transport: Road The partial Y interchange, where the Danish part of the motorway E20 meet the Danish part of the motorway E47 and E55, is located only few km north-west of Køge.

Transport: Rail Køge station is the principal railway station of the town. Copenhagen S-train has a line which begins here. Regional trains to Roskilde and Næstved and local trains to Stevns. There are also an S-train station in the northern part of Ølby Lyng and a local train station in the southern suburb of Herfølge.

The Køge Nord Station opened on 1 June 2019 and serves as an Intercity, regional and S-train station.

Transport: Port The Port of Køge is one of the oldest ports in Denmark but has been modernised over the last few years. Since 2002, there has been a ferry connection to Rønne on the Baltic island of Bornholm, operated by BornholmerFærgen.