Ribe Attractions
Jutland
Ribe, one of the oldest towns in the country, lies on the Ribe Å, not far from the place where the river enters the North Sea in the Bay of Fanø.
History
Ribe developed on an estuary which formed one of the few harbors on the west coast of Jutland. Excavations in the 1970s have established that at one time Ribe lay north of the present river, as shown by the discovery of a Viking settlement of about A.D. 700 near Skt. Nicolaj Gade. In the year 860 Ansgar, Archbishop of Hamburg and Bremen, obtained permission to build a church here; and in 948 Ribe became the episcopal see. From the early 12th C. the town was surrounded by a rampart and outside its gates a castle was built. The kings resided here around 1200.
In the Middle Ages the town traded with England and Germany, exporting cattle and fish. However, the Reformation led to a decline in the population, and it was not until after the re-unification of South Jutland (North Schleswig) with Denmark in 1920 that Ribe began to thrive once more.
Sights
The twisting lanes and streets with their many 16th and 17th C. half-timbered houses (storks' nests) bestow a particular charm. From May 1 to September 15 every year a watchman makes his "evening tour" of the town, singing the watchman's song and telling the story of old Ribe.
Ribe, one of the oldest towns in the country, lies on the Ribe Å, not far from the place where the river enters the North Sea in the Bay of Fanø.
History
Ribe developed on an estuary which formed one of the few harbors on the west coast of Jutland. Excavations in the 1970s have established that at one time Ribe lay north of the present river, as shown by the discovery of a Viking settlement of about A.D. 700 near Skt. Nicolaj Gade. In the year 860 Ansgar, Archbishop of Hamburg and Bremen, obtained permission to build a church here; and in 948 Ribe became the episcopal see. From the early 12th C. the town was surrounded by a rampart and outside its gates a castle was built. The kings resided here around 1200.
In the Middle Ages the town traded with England and Germany, exporting cattle and fish. However, the Reformation led to a decline in the population, and it was not until after the re-unification of South Jutland (North Schleswig) with Denmark in 1920 that Ribe began to thrive once more.
Sights
The twisting lanes and streets with their many 16th and 17th C. half-timbered houses (storks' nests) bestow a particular charm. From May 1 to September 15 every year a watchman makes his "evening tour" of the town, singing the watchman's song and telling the story of old Ribe.
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Cathedral
Dating to around 1200, the Ribe Cathedral is a Romanesque structure, and Denmark's only five-aisled church.
Flood Column
The flat marshland has been subject to flooding by storms for many years. On the Ribe harbor a Flood Column, the Stormflodssøjle, shows the height reached by the water in the floods of 1634, when it rose more than 6m/20ft above the norm; countless houses were destroyed and several thousand people lost their lives. In 1976 the dike was strengthened.
Hans Tausens Hus (closed)
ATTRACTION IS CLOSED.
Opposite the Romanesque Cathedral of Ribe stands Hans Tausens Hus, an old timbered building. The house is a relic of Denmark's oldest existing episcopal see (16th C.). Here Hans Tausen (1494-1561), a disciple of Luther and the first Danish Reformer, spent the last 10 years of his life. Today the house is an archaeological museum, displaying Viking finds including hand-crafted objects and merchants' goods.
Opposite the Romanesque Cathedral of Ribe stands Hans Tausens Hus, an old timbered building. The house is a relic of Denmark's oldest existing episcopal see (16th C.). Here Hans Tausen (1494-1561), a disciple of Luther and the first Danish Reformer, spent the last 10 years of his life. Today the house is an archaeological museum, displaying Viking finds including hand-crafted objects and merchants' goods.
Hojgadegrunden - Theater and Clowning Festival
This annual three-day festival takes place in late May.
Lintrup - Safari Zoo Park
This private zoo-park has more than 100 species of birds and animals including monkeys, birds and large cats.
Hours
April 9 to May 1
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
May 1 to June 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
July 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
September 1 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Museum of Art
Near the excavation site, in Skt. Nicolaj Gade in Ribe, will be found the Museum of Art. It contains sculptures and paintings by Danish artists of the "Golden Age" (first half of the 19th century) as well as later works.
Michael Ancher's picture 'Baptism of a Child" is representative of the Skagen school; there are also works by Funen artists and a selection of paintings of Ribe scenes.
Michael Ancher's picture 'Baptism of a Child" is representative of the Skagen school; there are also works by Funen artists and a selection of paintings of Ribe scenes.
Hours
February 1 to June 14
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
June 15 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
September 1 to December 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Old Town Hall
The Old Town Hall of Ribe (1496), to the southeast of the Cathedral, was originally a private residence. Anders Bording (1619-77), who published the first Danish newspaper, was born here. The building served as the Town Hall from 1709 until the administration was moved in 1966, although there are still collections of council items to be seen in the former Council Chamber. The former debtors' prison is now a museum of weapons etc.
Hours
May 1 to May 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
June 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 |
| Close | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
September 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | 13:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 | 15:00 |
Quedens Gård Museum (closed)
ATTRACTION IS CLOSED.
From Ribe's Torvet the street called Overdammen leads to Quedens Gård (ca. 1580), a merchant's house with four wings. The Classical dwelling was built 200 years later. Today Quedens Gård is a museum - with interiors of 1580, a 19th century citizen's home as well as documents on commerce, handicrafts and industry. The museum also mounts a special exhibition on Ribe in the Middle Ages.
From Ribe's Torvet the street called Overdammen leads to Quedens Gård (ca. 1580), a merchant's house with four wings. The Classical dwelling was built 200 years later. Today Quedens Gård is a museum - with interiors of 1580, a 19th century citizen's home as well as documents on commerce, handicrafts and industry. The museum also mounts a special exhibition on Ribe in the Middle Ages.
Ribehus Castle
On a hill to the northwest of Ribe can be seen the excavated remains of Riberhus Castle (Riberhus Slotsbanke); built in the 12th C. it was for several centuries a residence of the Danish kings. All that remains are the ruins of a fortress, the moat and a statue of Queen Dagmar, the consort of Valdemar the Victorious (1170-1241).
Rødding - Orion Planetarium
Multi-media displays about astronomy and space travel.
All values are in Denmark Kroner
Hours
May 1 to June 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | ||
| Open | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | ||
| Close | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 |
July 1 to August 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 |
| Open | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 |
| Close | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 |
August 16 to September 15
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | Closed | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | 16:30 | ||
| Open | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | 19:00 | ||
| Close | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 | 22:00 |
September 16 to April 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | Closed | 11:00 |
| Close | 16:30 | ||||||
| Open | 19:00 | ||||||
| Close | 22:00 |
| Family | kr 160.00 |
| Adult | kr 65.00 |
| Senior | kr 55.00 |
| Child 13 & under | kr 30.00 |
Disabled
Partial facilities for persons with disabilities.
Facilities
Restaurant or food service
Skibbroen Harbor
Skibbroen, along the river Ribe Å, is Ribe's harbor, which today is used only for leisure purposes.
Nearby lies the "Johanne Dan", a ship designed to sail through the shallows. Every Wednesday in summer a market is held at Skibbroen.
Nearby lies the "Johanne Dan", a ship designed to sail through the shallows. Every Wednesday in summer a market is held at Skibbroen.
Viking Center
The Ribe Viking Center is 2 km south of town. Several buildings are reconstructed based on archaeological evidence found in the area. There is a marketplace from 720 AD, a manor farm built to resemble that seen around 980 AD and a section of Ribe itself around 825 AD. Visitors can see blacksmiths working in the forge, bakers in the kitchen and others performing tasks typical of the era.
Hours
May 1 to June 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 |
July 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 | 11:00 |
| Close | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 | 17:00 |
September 1 to September 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 | 15:30 |
October 16 to October 29
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | Closed | Closed |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
Guides
Guided tour available as optional extra.
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Restaurant or food service
Vikinger Museum
The Ribes Vikinger Museum delves into the viking history of Denmark's oldest town. There are dioramas and models which recreate Ribe in the 1500's, a section of a full size Viking ship and parts of the marketplace. Thousands of artifacts from the area are on display.
All values are in Denmark Kroner
Hours
April 1 to June 30
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
July 1 to August 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 18:00 | 18:00 | 21:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 | 18:00 |
September 1 to October 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
November 1 to March 31
| Mon | Tue | Wed | Thu | Fri | Sat | Sun | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Open | Closed | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 | 10:00 |
| Close | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 | 16:00 |
| Family | kr 120.00 |
| Adult | kr 50.00 |
| Group discounts | kr 40.00 |
| Child 15 & under | kr 20.00 |
Facilities
Gift shop
Restaurant or food service
Restaurant or food service
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