Jelling Mounds, Runic Stones and Church

Denmark's national origin story is carved in stone at Jelling. Two great burial mounds and a runic stone speak of the old pagan world, while a second stone — raised by King Harald Bluetooth — and the adjacent church announce the Danes' conversion to Christianity around the middle of the 10th century. Often called the country's birth certificate, the little ensemble carries outsized meaning, and UNESCO inscribed the mounds, runic stones and church on the World Heritage List in 1994.