Køge

With its motto "Gateway to the Baltic Sea", its 36000 inhabitants and convenient S-train connection to Copenhagen, Køge is a lively eastern Zealand commercial city with a long history and an exciting cultural scene, perfect for a self-paced driving holiday.

The town's history is approximately 1000 years old, and the town made its mark on Danish history when it was granted town privileges in 1288, and its inhabitants were granted four years' tax exemption if they built on the town's undeveloped land. The town grew, and favoured by the herring fishery in the Sound, it became one of the richest trading towns on Zealand during the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance.

The deal left its mark on Køge. The large trading square, the largest outside Copenhagen, was packed with traders from all over northern Europe. Half-timbered houses and merchants' farms loomed between the old town hall, originally from the 16th century, with an added 19th-century classical facade, and the beautiful St Nicolai Church, with its old 15th-century lighthouse. The square, the church and the old half-timbered houses have been preserved - among other things, Køge has the oldest preserved half-timbered house in Denmark. Today, many of the old timber-framed houses on the square and along its side streets house small restaurants and speciality shops.

But Copenhagen's history has also been turbulent. During the Count's Feud, Denmark's last civil war, Count Christopher made Køge his headquarters on Zealand. To supply his lines, his army plundered the surrounding towns, and the Swedish and English wars were particularly fierce. Charles X Gustav stayed in the town during the Peace of Roskilde and again the following year when the Swedes invaded Denmark again. This time the Swedish army left 26 farms deserted and 90 buildings in ruins, and when England invaded Denmark 152 soldiers died in the Battle of Køge.

But in the mid-1800s, something happened. Demand for Danish goods across Europe made Køge a thriving trading town once again. Factories, breweries and foundries sprang up, and Danish-made goods sailed out of the Port of Køge to the whole of Europe, especially Britain.

Today, Køge can look back on an exciting history with dramatic ups and downs. Experience this exciting history in Kjøge Miniby, where the city as it looked in 1865 is scaled down to 1:10. Here, children can walk around and follow as giants and adults can get an exciting, historical insight into town planning. Køge Museum, housed in the old merchant's house dating from 1619, holds both new exhibitions and a unique collection of sketches for public artworks, including The Little Mermaid. Many of the new exhibitions can be experienced with an added interaction dimension using iPads, so you can experience the rush of gunpowder and bullets up through history with added intensity. All in all, it's easy to get swept up in the historic atmosphere of Copenhagen, with its more than 50 listed buildings.

There are also opportunities for a fast-paced active holiday. Along Køge Bay there are endless sandy beaches, and in Køge Svømmeland you can frolic on the hall's 10-metre seesaw, slide and in the quiet children's pool. You can also let loose in Køge Legeland, which has plenty of exciting activities including climbing walls, slides and ball rooms spread over more than 1500m2.

The city also offers an exciting culinary scene with traditional Danish eateries. Restaurant MALT serves sandwiches with beer and schnapps from local microbrewery Braunstein. Arken serves fresh fish and kid-friendly favourites like plaice fillets and fishcakes. And Hugo's Cellar serves a hearty, delicious meal with beer and meat of the finest quality.

... so fill up the trunk and visit the commercial city of Køge with its long history and sensuous attractions.