Sorø is one of Zealand’s most picturesque cities, situated on the shores of the Tuel and Sorø lakes. Copenhagen’s first founder, Bishop Absalon, started constructing a monastery here in 1142. The Klosterkirke, one of the earliest brick buildings ever constructed in Denmark, was the biggest edifice of its sort when it was finished in Scandinavia. Bishop Absalon’s bones are located in a tomb behind the main altar of this 70 m (230 ft) long Romanesque-Gothic church. The sarcophagi of Christian II, Valdemar IV, and Oluf III are also housed in the church.
The Museum Vestsjaelland (Museum of West Zealand), which has artifacts dating all the way back to the Stone Age, is one of Sorø ‘s top attractions. The Bursers Apotekerhave (Apothecary Garden), which features plants from the herbarium of Joachim Burser, the royal pharmacist in the 1600s, is located next to the museum.
Most people associate Sorø with its Akademiet, which is located in a scenic area on Lake Sorø. It was established in 1623 by Christian IV in the monastery structures left vacant by the Reformation with the purpose of educating the sons of nobles. A park that surrounds the Akademiet has a memorial to author Ludwig Holberg, who left the academy a sizeable bequest in 1754.
Two linked freshwater lakes at Tystrup-Bavelse, a national wildlife reserve 17 kilometers (11 miles) south of Sorø, draw a variety of species. Numerous ancient burial mounds may be found in the woodlands, notably Kellerøddysen, the biggest megalithic stone structure in Zealand. The sole remaining round church in Zealand is located at Bjernede, close to Sorø. It was erected in 1175 by Sune Ebbesøn, a governor to Valdemar I, and is unique from the circular churches in Bornholm. It is made of stone and brick.