Henrik Harpestreng was Denmark’s first doctor and lived in Roskilde for the last 5 years of his life until he died in 1244. Harpestreng was trained in Italy and was known for his skill as a doctor and for his great knowledge of herbal medicine. And he was also the royal physician.

In the 1200’s, there were three clerical capitals in the North: Trondheim, Lund and Roskilde. The Crown had more than one residence only but a substantial part of the administration of the kingdom was carried out in Roskilde. The kings and queens were buried here. And there were many churches and monasteries. We do not know the location of Henrik Harpestreng’s original garden.

In the small medicinal garden of Land of legends, you can see many of the plants that Henrik Harpestreng had in his medicinal herb garden in Roskilde.

The Herb Garden is cared for by the Harpestreng Garden Guild, a group of volunteer enthusiasts who have established from scratch and care for the already very lovely garden.