Hjorring Tourist Attractions
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JutlandThe old town of Hjørring, the capital of the Vendsyssel district north of the Limfjord, is an industrial center.HistoryThe hill, which still forms the central point of the town, was a place of assembly during the whole of the Middle Ages; it was here that the "Thing" (Council) of Vendsyssel was held. The oldest known privileges of the town date from 1243. When assemblies of the "Thing" ceased at the beginning of the 16th C. a period of decline set in.In the 19th C. the fortunes of Hjorring improved; the economy thrived and industries came to the town, including dyeworks, iron-foundries, etc. In the middle of the 19th C. the roads to Hjorring were improved and in 1871 the town was linked to the regional rail network.Hjørring is noted as a cultural center with notable churches and architecture as well as an art gallery in the old cloth mill.
Half-Timbered Houses
There are still some 18th C. half-timbered houses to be found in the older quarters of Hjørring. These include the Provestgården (Presbytery), the Kobmand Riss' Gård, a listed building, and a magnificent merchant's dwelling, J. P. Jacobsens Gård. The Plejestiftelsen in Overgade is a finely proportioned building erected in 1858 as a poorhouse.
St Catharine's Church
In the Old Town of Hjørring three churches stand close together. St Catharine's Church (ca. 1250), basically a Romanesque edifice of red-brick, is situated on Kirkestræde. The original gable was replaced in the 18th C. by curved North Jutland Baroque helms. Of interest are the 13th C. Gothic crucifix and the carved altar panel in Baroque scrollwork dating from 1650.
Vendsyssel Historical Museum
The Historical Museum of Vendsyssel at Museumsgade 3 in Hjørring is housed in several old buildings, including a presbytery; it is surrounded by a garden with prehistoric tombstones and herbal plants. On view are items from the prehistoric epoch together with ecclesiastical art and decorative crafts.
Museum of Art
Hjørring has an interesting Museum of Art at Brinck Seidelingsgade 10, with paintings, lithographs and a few sculptures. The emphasis is on contemporary Danish art, with particular reference to North Jutland. The visitor will find works by Poul Winther, Agnete Bjerre, Poul Ekelund, Svend Engelund, Arne L. Hansen and many others. Note particularly the collection of work by the embroideress Berit Hjelholt, the ceramic artist Tove Anderberg and the goldsmith Bent Exner.
Surroundings
Hirtshals - The North Sea Aquarium
North of the town of Hjørring on the Skagerrak lies the port of Hirtshals. From the harbor, which was constructed between 1919 and 1930 and extended in 1966, there is a ferry service to Oslo and Kristiansand in Norway. The fish-processing industry is of considerable importance. In Hirtshals there is a North Sea Museum devoted to fishing and marine biology. It also has a picture archive and saltwater pools for seals and dolphins. There are sand dunes to the east of Hirtshals.Visitors can see the fish and underwater life of the North Sea through a 20 ft (6mt) tall by 40 ft (12mt) wide window. The oceanarium holds 4.5 million litres of seawater. It was designed to hold schools of herring, mackerel, garfish, and several species of North Sea sharks.
Lonstrup
Driving west from Hjørring to the coast we reach the fishing village of Lønstrup. In nearby Mårup Church can be seen the anchor of a stranded English frigate, a memento of the many shipwrecks in Jammer Bay. The shifting sands in this area have also caused much damage. The Sandflugtsmuseum in a former at lighthouse at Rubjerg Knude, a steeply sloping bank, gives details of the movement of the sands. The lighthouse has been out of commission since 1968, as the movement of the sand resulted in new dunes being formed between the North Sea and the lighthouse.
Blokhus, Lokken
To the south of Hjørring on Jammer Bay lies the popular resort of Løkken, with a fine wide beach on which it is possible to drive (subject to a strict speed limit) to the resort of Blokhus, about 16 km/10 mi away.Tourists flock to Løkken to enjoy the clear beach and relax in the sun.
Fårup Sommerland
Close to Blokhus and Løkken is the Fårup Aquapark and Sommerland, the largest theme park of its kind in Denmark. There are various rides, water sports and children's activities.
Børglum - Premonstratensian Monastery
It is worth while visiting the Premonstratensian Monastery of Børglum, some 6 km/4mi to the east of Løkken. This dates from the 12th C. and until well into that century it was a Royal Court. Part of the building was converted about 1150 into a diocesan center. In the mid-18th C. the entire complex was restored by the Danish architect Laurids de Thura and converted to a Baroque mansion. Visitors can see the courtyard and the monastic church which was left unaltered and is a good example of Early Gothic. The church has some remarkable Roccoco furnishing.
