Hvalsø

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Hvalsø is a municipality (Danish, kommune) in Roskilde County on the island of Zealand (Sjælland) in east Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 72 km², and has a total population of 7,856 (2005). Its mayor is Virginia Holst, a member of the Venstre (Liberal Party) political party. She was the first foreign national becoming mayor in a Danish municipality.

The main town and the site of its municipal council is the town of Hvalsø.

Neighboring municipalities are Lejre to the east, Bramsnæs to the north, Tølløse to the west, and Skovbo to the south.

The municipality was created in 1970 as the result of a kommunalreform ("Municipality Reform") that combined a number of existing parishes:

Hvalsø Parish
Kisserup Parish
Såby Parish
Særløse Parish

By January 1, 2007 Hvalsø municipality will cease to exist as the result of Kommunalreformen ("The Municipality Reform" of 2007). It will be merged with existing Bramsnæs and Lejre municipalities to form the new Lejre municipality. This will create a municipality with an area of 240 km² and a total population of 25,971 (2005). The new municipality will belong to the new Region Sjælland ("Zealand Region").

[edit] The town of Hvalsø

The town of Hvalsø is located almost equidistant from the larger towns of Roskilde to the northeast, Ringsted to the south, and Holbæk to the northwest.

The large, state-owned and managed, wooded area, Bidstrup Woods (Bidstrup Skovene), is located south of the town, and offers many recreational possibilities. There is a system of hiking trails, some connecting to neighboring Skjoldenæsholm Forest District (Skjoldenæsholm Skovdistrikt).

As a railway station town in the Hovedstadens Udviklingsråd (HUR) (lit, "Danish Capital Region Development Authority") Hvalsø has good regional train connections to Copenhagen, Roskilde, Holbæk and Kalundborg.

In the new Lejre municipality Hvalsø will be the capital.