Holbæk () is a town in

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

and the

seat A seat is a place to sit. The term may encompass additional features, such as back, armrest, head restraint but may also refer to concentrations of power in a wider sense (i.e " seat (legal entity)"). See disambiguation. Types of seat The ...

Holbæk municipality Holbæk Municipality () is a '' kommune'' in northwestern Region Sjælland on the island of Zealand in Denmark. The municipality includes the island of Orø, and covers an area of 583 km², and has a total population of 74,490 (2025). Its may ...

with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).BY3: Population 1. January by urban areas, area and population density
The Mobile StatBank from

Statistics Denmark Statistics Denmark () is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Housing, reporting to the Minister of Economic and Internal Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating statistics on the Danish society ...

. It is located in the northwestern part of

Region Sjælland Region Zealand () is an administrative region of Denmark. It is one of the five classified NUTS-2 statistical regions of Denmark. It was established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish Municipal Reform, which abolished the traditional ...

, Denmark. Holbæk is located on

Zealand Zealand ( ) is the largest and most populous islands of Denmark, island in Denmark proper (thus excluding Greenland and Disko Island, which are larger in size) at 7,031 km2 (2715 sq. mi.). Zealand had a population of 2,319,705 on 1 Januar ...

, on the banks of

Holbæk Fjord Holbæk () is a town in Denmark and the seat of Holbæk municipality with a population of 30,903 (1 January 2025).Isefjord Ise Fjord () is a deeply branched arm of the sea into the Danish island Zealand. From its relatively narrow entrance from the Kattegat at Hundested and Rørvig, branches of Ise Fjord stretch 35 km inland and divide the northern part of Zea ...

. Holbæk is a commercial and industrial center for the surrounding area. By rail, Holbæk is served by

Danske Statsbaner DSB, an abbreviation of ''Danske Statsbaner'' (, ''Danish State Railways''), is the largest Denmark, Danish train operating company. It's also the largest train operating company in Scandinavia. While DSB is responsible for passenger train opera ...

's line from

Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,659 (1 January 2025),Vestsjællands Lokalbaner Vestsjællands Lokalbaner A/S (literally ''The Local Railways of West Zealand (Denmark), Zealand'', abbreviated VL) was a Denmark, Danish railway company. It existed from 2003 to 2009. History A merger of Odsherreds Jernbane, Odsherreds Jernbane ...

connects Holbæk by rail to

Nykøbing Sjælland Nykøbing, often referred to as Nykøbing Sjælland or Nykøbing Sj to distinguish it from Nykøbing F and Nykøbing Mors, Nykøbing M, is a seaside town in Denmark, located in Odsherred on the northwestern part of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand. Lo ...

. The city is a major hub for the Movia bus routes. Holbæk has an active commercial seaport that serves as the harbor for the ferry to

Orø Orø is a small List of islands of Denmark, island in Denmark located in the Isefjord within Holbæk Municipality. The island covers and has a population of 995 (). There are four villages on Orø: Bybjerg, the largest village on the island wit ...

(island). Near the harbor there is a substantial

marina A marina (from Spanish , Portuguese and Italian : "related to the sea") is a dock or basin with moorings and supplies for yachts and small boats. A marina differs from a port in that a marina does not handle large passenger ships or cargo ...

History

Holbæk is first mentioned in official documents in

Absalon Absalon (21 March 1201) was a Danish statesman and prelate of the Catholic Church who served as the bishop of Roskilde from 1158 to 1192 and archbishop of Lund from 1178 until his death. He was the foremost politician and church father of De ...

's letter of 8 June 1199, in which he granted the majority of his estates to

Sorø Klosterkirke Sorø Klosterkirke (i.e. ''Sorø Abbey Church'') is a church located in the Denmark, Danish town of Sorø. It was founded by Danish archbishop Absalon and built by Cistercians in the period from 1161 to 1201. It is made of red brick, which was a ...

Sorø Sorø () is a town in Sorø municipality on the island of Zealand (Denmark), Zealand in east Denmark with a population of 8,433 (2025).

. It was called Holbækgaard, a larger farm belonging to a

nobleman Nobility is a social class found in many societies that have an aristocracy. It is normally appointed by and ranked immediately below royalty. Nobility has often been an estate of the realm with many exclusive functions and characteristics. T ...

, around which the city eventually developed. Next it appears in

Valdemar the Victorious Valdemar II Valdemarsen (28 June 1170 – 28 March 1241), later remembered as Valdemar the Victorious () and Valdemar the Conqueror, was King of Denmark from 1202 until his death in 1241. In 1207, Valdemar invaded and conquered Lybeck and Hol ...

's book of properties (see Kong Valdemars Jordebog on the Danish Wikipedia) in 1231. Valdmar broke ground for Holbæk Slot (Holbæk Castle) in 1236. Holbæk grew from then on but is not mentioned again until around 1400 when

Margaret I Margaret I may refer to: * Margaret I, Countess of Flanders (died 1194) * Margaret I of Scotland (1283–1290), usually known as the Maid of Norway * Margaret I, Countess of Holland (1311–1356), Countess of Hainaut and Countess of Holland * Ma ...

came for a court proceeding that granted her territories in

Jutland Jutland (; , ''Jyske Halvø'' or ''Cimbriske Halvø''; , ''Kimbrische Halbinsel'' or ''Jütische Halbinsel'') is a peninsula of Northern Europe that forms the continental portion of Denmark and part of northern Germany (Schleswig-Holstein). It ...

. The event may have triggered the creation of the first city seal, which shows the three trees by the water that are the prominent features of the current seal.

Economy

Companies headquartered in Holbæk include Sparekassen Sjælland-Fyn and Pharmacosmos

Culture

Culturally, Holbæk can be noted for Musikhus Elværket, a converted

power station A power station, also referred to as a power plant and sometimes generating station or generating plant, is an industrial facility for the electricity generation, generation of electric power. Power stations are generally connected to an electr ...

that serves as a

concert venue A music venue is any location used for a concert or musical performance. Music venues range in size and location, from a small coffeehouse for folk music shows, an outdoor bandshell or bandstand or a concert hall to an indoor sports stadium. Ty ...

for modern music. Bogart, Book-café and more Books gets new life and people new energy at Bogart . For more than 40 years, Bogart was a traditional antiquarian in Holbæk. In 2021 new owners transformed the place into a book café and intimate stage with a mix of concerts, lectures and open mic.

Media

The local newspaper is Nordvestnyt, which is published Monday to Saturday and is published by

Sjællandske Medier Sjællandske Medier is a regional Denmark, Danish media company with activities on the island of Zealand (outside Copenhagen) and headquarters in Ringsted, Denmark. It publishes the newspapers ''Dagbladet'', ''Frederiksborg amtsavis'' and ''Sjæll ...

. In 2022, the newspaper had 39,000 weekly readers. Holbaekonline.dk is a local news website that brings news, sports, and entertainment from Holbæk and Holbæk Municipality. Holbæk Radio is a local radio station run by volunteers. It started in 2015. In addition to music, the radio station also provides local news, and citizens have the opportunity to create their own segments on the radio. Holbæk Radio can be heard on the FM band 104.7 as well as through online streaming.

Sport

The city is home to the

Holbæk B&I Holbæk Bold- & Idrætsforening is a Danish football club currently playing in Danish 3rd Division. They play at Holbæk Sportsby in Holbæk on Zealand. From 2008 to 2014 their first team played under the name Nordvest FC. History The club ...

football club, who as of 2023 played in the fourth tier in the Danish football league system. They have played at the Holbæk Sportsby (Sports City) football stadium since its construction in 2019. The Holbæk Sportsby (Sports City) was constructed in 2019 and has 23,000 square metres of space indoors over two floors and 47 hectares outdoors. It includes the new Sports City football stadium, athletics stadium, swimming pool, badminton hall, synthetic football pitches, tennis courts and the Padel Klub. The Holbæk Stadium was, which existed from 1948 to 2019, when it was demolished for housing, was the former home of Holbæk B&I. It was also an athletics stadium and hosted

motorcycle speedway Motorcycle speedway, usually referred to simply as speedway, is a motorcycle sport involving four and sometimes up to six riders competing over four clockwise, anti-clockwise laps of an oval circuit. The motorcycles are specialist machines that ...

between 1950 and 1954. It held the final of the

Danish Individual Speedway Championship Individual Speedway Danish Championship is the National competition for Danish speedway riders to determine the champion of Denmark. The winner of the final is awarded a gold medal and declared Danish Individual Champion. The riders finishing se ...

in 1954.

Transportation

Rail

The Northwest Line connects Holbæk with

Kalundborg Kalundborg () is a Danish city with a population of 16,659 (1 January 2025),Roskilde Roskilde ( , ) is a city west of Copenhagen on the Danish island of Zealand. With a population of 53,354 (), the city is a business and educational centre for the region and the 10th largest city in Denmark. It is governed by the administrative ...

and the rest of the Danish rail network, and the

Odsherred Line The Holbæk Line ( Danish: Holbækbanen) is a long standard gauge single track local passenger railway line linking Holbæk with the town of Nykøbing Sjælland in the northwestern part of the island of Zealand some fifty km west of Copenhagen, ...

connects Holbæk with

Holbæk railway station Holbæk railway station ( or ''Holbæk Banegård'') is the main railway station serving the town of Holbæk in northwestern Zealand, Denmark. Holbæk station is located on the main line Northwest Line from Roskilde to Kalundborg and is the sout ...

is the principal railway station of the town, and offers direct

regional train Regional rail is a public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connecting smaller cities a ...

services to

Copenhagen Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...

, and operated by the national

railway company A rail transport company is a company active within the rail industry. It can be: * a manufacturing company, * a rail transport operations, railway undertaking providing services through operating rolling stock, * a railway infrastructure manager ...

DSB and

local train Regional rail is a public rail transport service that operates between towns and cities. These trains operate with more stops than inter-city rail, and unlike commuter rail, operate beyond the limits of urban areas, connecting smaller cities a ...

services to operated by the regional

Lokaltog Lokaltog A/S () is a Denmark, Danish railway company responsible for train operation and related passenger services on nine local railways on the islands of Zealand, Lolland and Falster in Denmark. The company was formed on 1 July 2015 as a merger ...

. The western part of the town is also served by the

railway halt A train station, railroad station, or railway station is a railway facility where trains stop to load or unload passengers, freight, or both. It generally consists of at least one platform, one track, and a station building providing such a ...

Notable people

Public Service & public thinking

* Søren Nielsen May (died 1679 in Holbæk) parish priest and provost in Holbæk *

Albert Borgard Albert Borgard (Danish: ''Albrecht Borgaard'' or ''Borregaard''; 10 November 1659 – 7 February 1751) was a Danish artillery and engineer officer. Early career Albert Borgard was born in Holbæk, Jutland, on 10 November 1659 of unknown parents. ...

(1659–1751) a Danish artillery and engineer officer. * Michael Bille (1680–1756 in Holbæk) a Danish Admiral *

Christen Friis Rottbøll Christen Friis Rottbøll (3 March 1727, at Hørbygård, Denmark – 15 June 1797, in Copenhagen) was a Danish physician and botanist: He was a pupil of Carolus Linnaeus. Early life Rottbøll was born on the Hørbygaard estate at Holbæk, the ...

(1727 at Hørbygård–1797) a Danish physician and botanist * Ole Johansen Winstrup (1782 in Winstrup–1867) a self-taught Danish engineer and inventor * Ludvig Christian Brinck-Seidelin (1787 in Eriksholm–1865) a Danish civil servant, landowner, and politician * Ludwig A. Colding (1815–1888) a Danish civil engineer and physicist * Edvard Jünger (1823–1899) precision mechanic and instrument maker *

Ellen Nielsen Ellen Nielsen ( zh, 艾伦·聂乐信 or more commonly zh, 聂乐信, 17 July 1871-25 July 1960) was a Danish-born teacher and missionary who moved to Manchuria, took Chinese citizenship and worked to establish schools and provide social services ...

(1871–1960) a Danish-born teacher and missionary in

Manchuria Manchuria is a historical region in northeast Asia encompassing the entirety of present-day northeast China and parts of the modern-day Russian Far East south of the Uda (Khabarovsk Krai), Uda River and the Tukuringra-Dzhagdy Ranges. The exact ...

* Mads Tofte (born 1959) a Danish computer scientist, brought up in Holbæk * Claus Bjørn Larsen (born 1963) award-winning Danish press photographer

The Arts

* Paula Trock (1889–1979) a Danish weaver of curtains in distinguished places * Agnete Hoy (1914–2000) British/Danish potter; expertise in glazing and firing * Aage Stentoft (1914–1990) composer, film score composer and theatre director * Dan Sterup-Hansen (1918–1995) painter and illustrator * Niels Bernhart (1946–2008) a Danish pianist, composer and lecturer * Inga Nielsen (1946–2008) soprano opera singer *

Søren Reiff Søren Reiff (born October 22, 1962, in Holbæk, Denmark) is a Danish guitarist, producer, composer and author, and son of painter Tove Reiff and potter Erik Reiff. Career Reiff has since the mid-eighties been guitarist in house bands on Danish ...

(born 1962) guitarist, producer, composer and author *

Cutfather Mich Hedin Hansen (born 9 April 1968), known professionally as Cutfather, is a Danish music producer, songwriter, remixer and DJ based in Copenhagen. Cutfather has a studio in Njalsgade, Copenhagen. Career Cutfather is perhaps best known for his ...

(born 1968) stage name of ''Mich Hedin Hansen'', a Danish music producer *

Jim Lyngvild Jim Lyngvild (born 27 December 1978) is a Danish designer, writer, photographer, fashion columnist and television personality. Career Lyngvild grew up in Albertslund and was educated at Fashion Design Akademiet in Copenhagen in 2000–2002. ...

(born 1978) a Danish designer, writer, fashion columnist and TV personality * Mikael Brandrup (born 1984) a Danish visual artist and graphic designer in the USA Mads Mensah Larsen 5-20160110

Sport

Niels Tune-Hansen Niels Tune-Hansen (born 19 January 1953) is a Danish former professional association football, footballer who played at as a defender (association football), defender. He made 15 appearances for the Denmark national football team, Denmark nationa ...

(born 1953) footballer, 220 club caps and 15 for

* Susanne Augustesen (born 1956) a Danish former international footballer *

Christian Poulsen Christian Bjørnshøj Poulsen (; born 28 February 1980) is a Danish former footballer who played as a defensive midfielder. After starting his career with Holbæk, he played for a number of European clubs, winning the Danish Superliga champion ...

(born 1981) footballer, over 452 club caps and 92 for

* Mads Pieler Kolding (born 1988) male badminton player who specializes in doubles * Mads Mensah Larsen (born 1991) handball player * Simone Boye Sørensen (born 1992) a Danish footballer, plays for Bayern Munich *

Frederik Colberg Frederik Colberg (born 31 March 1993) is a Danish badminton player from Holbæk. He won his first international title at the 2010 Iceland International tournament in the mixed doubles event partnered with Mette Poulsen. Colberg was part of the D ...

(born 1993) a Danish badminton player *

Nick Sörensen Nick Sörensen (born October 23, 1994) is a Danish-born Swedish former professional ice hockey right wing who played in the Swedish Hockey League (SHL) and with the Anaheim Ducks in the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Ducks ...

(born 1994) a Danish-born Swedish professional ice hockey player *

John Axelsen John Paul Pultz Pinnerup Axelsen (born 23 January 1998) is a Danish professional golfer who plays on the European Tour. He was a member of the Danish team that won the Eisenhower Trophy in 2018. He has won four times on the Nordic Golf League ...

(born 1998) a Danish amateur golfer

Others

* Stefan G. Rasmussen (born 1947), airline pilot ( Scandinavian Airlines System Flight 751) and politician

International relations

Twin towns – Sister cities

Holbæk is twinned with: *

Celle Celle () is a town and capital of the district of Celle (district), Celle in Lower Saxony, in north-central Germany. The town is situated on the banks of the river Aller (Germany), Aller, a tributary of the Weser, and has a population of about ...

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

Dorchester, Dorset Dorchester ( ) is the county town of Dorset, England. It is situated between Poole and Bridport on the A35 trunk route. A historic market town, Dorchester is on the banks of the River Frome, Dorset, River Frome to the south of the Dorset Dow ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Northwestern Europe, off the coast of European mainland, the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...

. resulted from a shared interest in community plays. Groups of actors from the two towns each took part in the other's community play in the early 1990s and this resulted in the formal twinning in 1992. *

Botevgrad Botevgrad ( ) is a town in western Bulgaria. It is located in Sofia Province and is close to Pravets. Botevgrad lies 47 km from Sofia. History and name The village was called Samundzhievo (Самунджиево) until it was elevated to ...

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

Sources

City History

NetBorger.dk
Statistics
Statistikbanken
Statistics

Notes

External links

*
Official website of Holbæk municipality

{{DEFAULTSORT:Holbaek Municipal seats of Region Zealand Municipal seats of Denmark Cities and towns in Holbæk Municipality