Køge (formerly spelled Kjøge) is a town in East Zealand with
37,754 inhabitants (2020) in the urban area, which in addition to
Køge itself also includes Ølby Lyng, Ølsemagle Lyng, Søndre Køge,
Boholte, Hastrup, Svansbjerg and Herfølge. Køge thus constitutes
Denmark's 18th largest urban area. The town is located in Køge
Municipality located at the bottom of Køge Bay at the mouth of Køge
Ås in the eastern waters and belongs to Region Zealand. Køge is
today a kind of satellite city to Copenhagen, as it is almost
connected to the urban buildings that run along the Køge Bay
Motorway into Copenhagen.
Køge is an older market town with a
number of old townhouses located in its city center, especially
around Køge Torv, where i.a. Køge Town Hall and King Hans' Farm,
from 1550 and 1634, respectively, are located side by side with
older civic houses. In the square there is also a statue of Frederik
VII created by the artist Herman Wilhelm Bissen in 1869. Between
Kirkestræde and Nørregade is Sankt Nicolai Church, a Gothic church
building built during the years 1250-1300 with a 43 meter high
tower. The church is the city's landmark. Near the church in
Kirkestræde 20 you will find Denmark's oldest dated half-timbered
house, which was built in 1527; the house is today part of Køge
Børnebibliotek.
In addition to its old interior, Køge also
offers a modern environment. The city is located by two major
motorways, E20 and E47 / E55, and has a modern industrial and
traffic port, from where there is a ferry connection to Rønne on
Bornholm. There are S-trains to Copenhagen as well as several other
railway connections to Central, East and South Zealand cities in the
area. Several large companies are headquartered in Køge, including
Netto, Junckers Industrier A / S, Sun Chemical A / S (the former
Kemisk Værk Køge) and CP Kelco - located in the station town of
Lille Skensved seven kilometers northwest of Køge. The latter is
also popularly known as the "Pectin Factory". The city has also
previously been the headquarters of Codan Rubber (Codan Rubber), but
the old factory area, which now goes by the name "The White City"
due to the old whitewashed factory buildings, is today a mixed
business area under development.
From Køge there are 22
kilometers to Store Heddinge, 24 to Roskilde, just over 26 to
Ringsted, about 27 to Faxe, approx. 46 to Næstved, 39 to Copenhagen
and just over 53 kilometers to Vordingborg.