Lundbye Landmarks – Kalundborg town walk

In the heart of Kalundborg begins a walk in the footsteps of the Danish Golden Age painter Johan Thomas Lundbye. Lundbye Landmarks is a series of marked places where the painter lived, drew and found his motifs, and the town walk brings together the sites in and close to the town. At each landmark post a QR code opens pictures, quotes from Lundbye's diaries and letters, and audio stories – so you can compare his motif with the view in front of you today.

The birthplace in Skibbrogade

The walk naturally starts at the old four-winged merchant's house in Skibbrogade, where Lundbye was born in 1818. It belonged to his maternal grandfather, and although the family moved to Copenhagen while Johan Thomas was still a child, he returned to Kalundborg again and again throughout his short life. A memorial plaque in the wall by the gate marks the spot, and through the gateway you can glimpse the courtyard where, as an adult, he drew his mother.

The church square, the bust and the Church of Our Lady

A few minutes' walk away lies the church square in the old upper town, Højbyen. Here stands a bust of Lundbye – a copy of the head from sculptor H.W. Bissen's statue "The Brave Foot Soldier", believed to bear the painter's features. The site is also the burial place of his mother's family. Right next to it rises the Church of Our Lady with its five towers. Lundbye painted the church at the age of 19, when the central tower had collapsed, so in his picture the church has only four. The landmark post stands by the garden of Kalundborg Museum, with a view of the motif.

The sculpture at Klostertorvet

At Klostertorvet you meet Lundbye himself – in bronze and larger than life. The sculpture by artist Maja Lisa Engelhardt shows the painter walking, on his way back to town after a trip out on the peninsula. It stands directly on the ground without a plinth, so you can step right up and look him in the eye.

Out to Raklev and Kystvejen

The last landmarks of the town walk lie just outside the centre at Raklev, on the road towards Røsnæs, and are easily reached by bike or car. Here you will find the Vrie Dolmen, the model for one of Lundbye's early masterpieces, and the stone setting known as Hundehovedet by Raklev Church, with the standing stones the painter was especially fond of. At Kystvejen a staircase leads down to the beach on the peninsula's south coast, where the rugged slopes still recall his drawings and watercolours. The landscape has become more built-up and wooded since the 1800s, but the view towards the fjord and Asnæs still gives a good sense of what Lundbye saw.

Practical tips and more to explore

The sites in the centre are close together and quickly reached on foot, while the trip to Raklev and Kystvejen takes a little longer. The route can be explored at any time, and you choose the order and pace yourself. Lundbye Landmarks continues on Røsnæs and Asnæs, and around Kalundborg you will find forests, coastlines and ancient monuments. Discover more nature and sights in the area at destinationsjaelland.dk.

Who is it for?

The walk suits art lovers, history enthusiasts and anyone wanting to see Kalundborg from a new angle. Families can turn it into a treasure hunt for the landmark posts, and for those who know Lundbye's pictures from the museums, standing exactly where they were made offers a very special perspective.