Posted by Sorø is a small town located in the center of Zealand right along the main railroad between Copenhagen and Jutland and close to the main highway as well – hence there is an easy access to the town from Copenhagen in about an hour or so.
The history of the town dates back to the middle of the 12th century. The city was founded in the middle of the area belonging to the powerful Hvide family which was a very powerful noble family in Denmark second only to the royal family when it came to wealth and influence during this period.
The Hvide family donated the area around Sorø to a monastery which grew into one of the important and richest monastery in Scandinavia during the 13th century. Several kings were buried in the church at the monastery and Skjalm Hvide the first head of the Hvide family was moved to this church as well.
The monastery lost its importance over the years and after the reformation Denmark converted to the new Lutheran version of Christianity. The town found a new purpose as a main center of learning. The city had a major academy which was used by the rich noble and merchant families of Denmark for the following centuries. King Christian IV decided to send his sons to the city of Sorø to get the best tutoring at the school in Sorø.
Later the city was the place of birth of J.B.S Estrup who later in life became the longest serving Danish prime minister ever. Next to his birth house was another house which were inhabited by Frederikke Dannemand who was the mistress of King Frederik VI – they had four kids together who lived in the house as well.
Today the city is still a little center of learning with the old school now converted to a high school. The city of Sorø is also a local administrative center as the head of the Sorø municipality and the Region of Zealand. Except for this there doesn’t seem to be much industry in the area and many people commute to Copenhagen for work.
The city is a nice place to go and visit. It is fairly small and easy to walk around. The city has a collection of old buildings in the center where you can go and enjoy the old square and the surrounding streets next to the square.
The main attraction of the city is the nice lake and the large academy in the town. The academy is located down at the lake in a park area which is pretty to walk around with many ducks enjoying the lake. Next to the academy building is two older buildings which were built as residence for a couple of professors at the school – one of them were B.S. Ingemann a famous Danish poet.
There are a couple of museums in the town as well – so it is a good opportunity for a little day trip from Copenhagen if you got a bit of extra time on your hand.
FrejaTravels 