Standing on Kirkestræde, you could walk past Det Gamle Hus without a second glance — it looks like many of the other handsome old buildings in Køge. But the lintel above the door quietly establishes its claim: 1527. It was built as rental housing, which makes it even more remarkable. This is not a grand manor or a cathedral; it is a practical building for ordinary people that has outlasted almost everything around it.
The house is now part of Køge Library, so you can go inside. The interior has been adapted but the basic structure remains. Kirkestræde is one of the best streets in Køge anyway — walk the whole length of it and look up at the upper floors of the buildings as you go.