Vordingborg

Vordingborg (Danish pronunciation: [ˌvɒːte̝ŋˈpɒˀ]) is an old ferry town in Vordingborg Municipality in Denmark with around 12.000 (2022) inhabitants. Because of three large estates surrounding the town, a coherent urban development has not been possible, which is the reason why three satellite towns (former villages) have emerged around the town. Within the ring of estates, the town has 12,000 inhabitants, and 17,868 inhabitants when including the three satellite towns of Ørslev, Nyråd, and Stensved, situated 1, 3 and 5 kilometres, respectively, from the town of Vordingborg. Vordingborg Municipality (Kommune) has a population of 45,352.

For other uses, see Vordingborg Municipality and Vordingborg Castle.
Vordingborg
View of the city from the Goose Tower.
View of the city from the Goose Tower.
Coat of arms of Vordingborg
Coat of arms
Vordingborg is located in Denmark
Vordingborg
Vordingborg
Location in Denmark
Coordinates: 55.008°N 11.911°E / 55.008; 11.911
CountryDenmark
RegionZealand (Sjælland)
MunicipalityVordingborg
Government
 • MayorHenrik Holmer
Population
 (2022)[1]
 • Total17,868
 • Urban area
11,943
 • Municipality
45,352
Time zoneUTC+1 (Central Europe Time)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2
Websitewww.vordingborg.dk
The Goose Tower (Gåsetårnet) spire in Vordingborg, Denmark. (2005)

Long term head coach of the Denmark national football team, Morten Olsen, was born in Vordingborg.

History

On 1 January 2007 the old Vordingborg municipality was, as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipal Reform" of 2007), merged with Langebæk, Møn, and Præstø municipalities to form an enlarged Vordingborg municipality.

Geography

Vordingborg is situated 37 km from Nykøbing Falster, roughly 50 km from Gedser, and roughly 100 km from Copenhagen and Odense. The town is situated on the island of Zealand and is linked to the island of Falster with Farø Bridges and Storstrøm Bridge.

Economy

Vordingborg Municipality is home to 9,500 jobs.[2] Companies headquartered in Vordingborg include Vordingborg Køkkener, a kitchen manufacturer.[3] Udbetaling Danmark, a public institution under ARP, has one of its five regional centres in the town.[4]

Transportation

Rail
Vordingborg railway station in 2021.

Vordingborg is served by Vordingborg railway station which is located on the South Line which connects Copenhagen with the islands of Falster and Lolland. It offers direct regional rail services to Copenhagen and Nykøbing Falster.[5] From the station there is also bus connection to the towns of Stege, Præstø, Næstved and Maribo, as well as city bus lines.

Attractions

The ruins of Vordingborg Castle, the old royal castle which was built around 1364, is the town's most famous attraction. The only fully remaining part of the castle, the 26 meter tall Goose Tower (Gåsetårnet), is the symbol of the city. It is the largest of King Valdemar Atterdag's nine main castle towers. The name comes from the golden goose perched on top of the tower's spire. Legend has it that Valdemar Atterdag used the symbol to taunt the Hanseatic League. The current goose was put there in 1871. It is not certain what was on top of the tower before 1871 and maybe it was just a weather vane made of gold.[6] The tower was transferred into the national trust on 24 December 1808 and is thus the first protected historic monument in Denmark.

A historic garden is also located on the site of the ruin.

Vordingborg is the home of the South Zealand Museum (Sydsjællands Museum).

The city holds an annual festival, Vordingborg Fest Week (Vordingborg Festuge) in July.

The Vordingborg Transmitter is one of the tallest towers in Denmark.

The Danish Army operates a barracks facility on the edge of town, known as Vordingborg Kaserne.

Notable people
Meïr Aron Goldschmidt
Astrid Stampe Feddersen, 1910
Morten Olsen, 2012

Sport

Twin towns

Vordingborg is twinned with:

See also

References
  1. BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas, area and population density The Mobile Statbank from Statistics Denmark
  2. "Høj eksport og stabil beskæftigelse" (in Danish). sn.dk. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  3. "Nyt hovedsæde til Vordingborg Køkkenet" (in Danish). Sydsjællands Tidende. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  4. "Mikkelsen Arkitekter får arkitekturpris for Udbetaling Danmark" (in Danish). Mikkelsen Arkitekter. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
  5. "Vordingborg Station" (in Danish). DSB. Retrieved 26 August 2023.
  6. Gåsetårnet
  7. Bain, Robert Nisbet (1911). "Valdemar II." . Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 27 (11th ed.). pp. 841–842.
  8. "Goldschmidt, Meier Aaron" . Encyclopedia Americana. Vol. XIII. 1920.

Media related to Vordingborg at Wikimedia Commons

55.00000°N 11.90000°E / 55.00000; 11.90000

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