📷 Photo by Jonas Eriksson on UnsplashJelling Mounds and Runestones
Jelling, Denmark
Two huge burial mounds, a church and the runestones of Gorm the Old and Harald Bluetooth, often called Denmark’s birth certificate. Free and open all year.
The Jelling Monuments are a UNESCO World Heritage site in Jelling in central Jutland, Denmark. Two nearly identical flat-topped turf mounds each measure about 70 metres in diameter and rise up to 11 metres.
Between the mounds stands the large runestone that Harald Bluetooth had raised for his parents Gorm and Thyra. It records that the Danes were converted to Christianity and carries, on one face, the earliest depiction of Christ in Scandinavia; UNESCO dates the inscription to between 953 and 965. The smaller stone was made by Gorm for his wife Thyra and has stood in its present place since about 1630. The small whitewashed stone church stands on the site of at least three earlier wooden churches, all of which burned down.
The site stands for the transition from Norse paganism to Christianity in 10th-century Denmark. Please check visiting conditions and access times in advance.
- Nearest town
- Jelling, Denmark
- Category
- History & culture
- GPS
- 55.7563, 9.4196
- Editor's pick
- ★
Hours, fees and access change. Confirm with the operator or park before you go.
Good to know
Best time to go
The most pleasant months are usually June–August. Still fine, with some compromises, in May and September. Cold, short days in December–March. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)
Getting there
- Denmark: Tolls on some roads, bridges or tunnels. Tolls on the Great Belt and Øresund bridges. Motorway limit for cars: 130 km/h.
Featured in these trip guides
Nearby
Campsites nearby
- Jelling Familie CampingCampsite1 km from Jelling Mounds and RunestonesTentsCaravansMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
- KollerupgaardMotorhome stopover4 km from Jelling Mounds and Runestones · 3 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterDogs allowedWi-Fi
- Knudshøje NaturlejrpladsCampsite8 km from Jelling Mounds and RunestonesTentsDrinking waterToiletsFree
- Vejle LystbådehavnMotorhome stopover10 km from Jelling Mounds and Runestones · 14 pitchesMotorhomesElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
- Vejle City CampingCampsite10 km from Jelling Mounds and RunestonesTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToiletsWaste disposal
- Randbøl CampingCampsite12 km from Jelling Mounds and RunestonesTentsCaravansElectricityDrinking waterShowersToilets
All campsites in Denmark · Campsite data: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL 1.0 · Updated October 3, 2026
FAQs
Where is Jelling Mounds and Runestones?
Jelling Mounds and Runestones is in Jelling, Denmark, at GPS 55.7563, 9.4196. It is about 19 km from Billund.
Can you camp near Jelling Mounds and Runestones?
Yes. The nearest campsite listed in OpenStreetMap is Jelling Familie Camping, about 1 km away; within 25 km there are 54 campsites and motorhome stopovers.
Which road trips pass Jelling Mounds and Runestones?
Jelling Mounds and Runestones is a stop on these CampingSpirit trip guides: Central Jutland: lakes, runestones and LEGO.
What is there to see near Jelling Mounds and Runestones?
Places worth a stop nearby: LEGO House (19 km), Koldinghus (30 km), Himmelbjerget (42 km) and Moesgaard Museum (62 km).
When is the best time to visit Jelling Mounds and Runestones?
The most pleasant months are usually June–August. Still fine, with some compromises, in May and September. (Estimate from long-term temperature averages, terrain and pass seasons)