Ribe

See the cathedral city of Ribe and experience how the Vikings lived.

With its title as Denmark's oldest city and the designation of the Wadden Sea as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, Ribe has great appeal among Danes and around the world. It is therefore no wonder that many people choose to go on a self-drive holiday to the cathedral city every year.

The city's attractions don't stop there, because Ribe is a charming experience in itself. The old town oozes medievalism, with the old monasteries and Ribe Cathedral telling their own story. What's more, the Vikings of the past have left their mark on the city.

The history of the town was given a new chapter when remains of the old Viking village were found. The Viking Age has so many unique stories that Ribe has built two museums on Viking history, so the whole family can get up close and see how they lived.

One museum, the "Ribes Vikinger Museum", is located next to the Post Office just above where the original Viking town was. The museum tells the stories of the Vikings and their marketplace by the Ribe river around the year 700, as well as the history of the town later in the Middle Ages up to the 18th century. Outside the town is the Ribe Viking Centre, where the marketplace has been rebuilt from the findings.

The city is also much more than medieval and Viking history. Ribe has a wide range of activities and events all year round and offers many cultural activities, while you can experience great exhibitions at Ribe Art Museum.

Every year, Ribe's old town is transformed into a backdrop for both traditional and contemporary jazz, with quality at the forefront. The festival has a local, national and international flavour, with jazz for all ages and taste.

Every summer in July, Ribe's old town is transformed into the backdrop for the Ribe Jazz Festival, while the Ribe Wine Festival takes place every year in the first weekend of September as a large wine market in Ribe's cosy and medieval pedestrian street.

In autumn, you may also be lucky enough to witness the phenomenon of the "black sun", when starlings flock in their thousands to the sky in the evening, to be replaced later by geese that fly in in large flocks. The stork is also a recurring attraction in the city year after year, making the area a veritable roof-top for bird lovers.

The nature in and around Ribe is ever-changing and therefore a unique experience for guests who want to experience life in the Wadden Sea.

For the full experience, visit the Wadden Sea National Park, where the holiday can be knitted together so that the children also get to experience nature up close.

The Wadden Sea Centre organises Sea Explorer tours, where a guide takes you out to find animals and plants, while it is also possible to take part in a desert safari, where you drive out to Mandø in a tractor bus and spot the local seal banks.

Here you can get up close to the seals and get an insight into the upper part of the food chain in the Wadden Sea. You will see the dynamics of the Wadden Sea and the enormous diversity of animals and life that makes it a paradise for nature lovers.

With a hotel stay near Denmark's oldest city, you can have a cheap and cosy mini break with Risskov. So pack your car and get going.