Scheelsminde

Christmas market in Aalborg

Open 14th November - 23rd December - You can visit the Christmas market's own website with current information.

Take a city break in Aalborg in the run-up to Christmas and enjoy a cheap hotel stay close to the city's cosy Christmas market. Risskov's large selection of hotels in Aalborg and the surrounding area offers ideal opportunities to find the perfect stay for you. Combine a mini break or a weekend stay with Christmas shopping, market, harbour atmosphere, art and cultural experiences in one of the country's most beautiful cities.

What happens at the Christmas Market

Aalborg, one of Denmark's four major cities, is home to a charming and atmospheric Christmas market that attracts more than 200,000 visitors every year. The market is beautifully located on Gammeltorv, in the Theatre District, north of the city's cosy centre. With the big sparkling Ferris wheel and the beautiful Budolfi Church as a backdrop, more than 30 different stalls are set up here in cosy little Christmas huts, offering lots of homemade Christmas things, crafts, art, toys and clothing and much more. And of course you'll find several of the obligatory Christmas stalls with roasted almonds, mulled wine and apple pies - just as you'd expect from a real Danish Christmas market.

In many of the surrounding towns, you'll find even more Christmas markets. Take a cheap car holiday and drive yourself to some of the best and cosiest Christmas markets in North Jutland. For example, visit the Sculpture Park in Blokhus, which transforms into a magical Christmas wonderland with exhibitions, stalls and lots of sand sculptures decorated for Christmas.

In Aalborg, it is tradition that Santa Claus comes to town to officially kick off Christmas. Normally, the myth says that Santa's main means of transport is the magic cane driven by the eight reindeer, but Aalborg is a port city, so by its very nature he arrives by ship. Then there is a welcome speech to Santa Claus, given by the city's mayor, after which the two of them ride together in a cane through the city's streets, ending up at the Christmas market on Gammeltorv. A short distance from the Christmas market is the town's new ice rink, where you can rent a pair of skates for a cheap price and have fun with the whole family. The Christmas market at Gammeltorv is open every day until Christmas Eve.

You can also visit the Wolf-Light Light Factory, which has a permanent Christmas exhibition that can be seen all year round. Whatever the time of year, we also recommend a visit to Aalborg's beautiful waterfront, which certainly doesn't look any worse for Christmas. Here you can walk out onto the Limfjord Bridge and enjoy the view towards the Utzon Centre and the House of Music.

Aalborg Zoo

If you're on a family holiday, a trip to Aalborg Zoo will certainly be of interest. Here, the whole family has plenty of opportunities to play and learn - and to be challenged and entertained. Take a walk on the savannah, where you can see giraffes and zebras, kudu and antelope. Watch the polar bears take a cool dip in the cold water and the red panda munch on fresh bamboo. At Aalborg Zoo you can see exotic animals such as the African elephant, Borneo orangutan and Asian lion. Akash the male lion, roars so he can be heard throughout the garden. Go wild on the nature playground and grill your own food. On weekends you can also see trained animals on the big Zoo Stage.

The arts - Museum of Modern Art

Spend your summer or winter holidays on a self-drive tour of Denmark. Find exciting areas with cheap and child-friendly hotels and go on a real family holiday full of adventures. Aalborg has a lot to offer and one of the city's prides is the Kunsten - Museum of Modern Art. This vibrant art museum houses a truly unique collection of over 400 works of art from both Danish and foreign artists. There are five exhibition halls, with both permanent and changing special exhibitions.

Most of the works on display date from 1900 onwards and include a number of COBRA works and Anna and Kresten Krestensen's large collection of abstract art. Various cultural events are held, including lectures, film screenings, concerts, guided tours and family workshops. There is a lot to offer and something for every taste and age.

The building that houses ´Kunsten´ is also in a class of its own. No less than an architectural masterpiece, it is the result of a collaboration between the Finnish couple Alvar and Elissa Aalto and the Dane Jean-Jacques Baruël.

'The Art' is a great experience, and you don't have to be a big fan of modern art, because there are plenty of other exciting things to do at this innovative and always lively museum. Find a cheap holiday at Risskov and get away on adventures in Aalborg.

Aalborg Historical Museum

The museum is located in the centre of Aalborg, right next to Budolfi Church. The museum tells about the long and exciting history of the city, among other things during the occupation but also about the excavations of the famous gable house, in the middle of the city. The history of Aalborg and the surrounding area from the Iron Age up to the present day is an important part of the exhibition, but probably the best known is the museum's 'Aalborgstube' from 1602, which is also Denmark's best preserved Renaissance room.

There are changing special exhibitions all year round, of course with a focus on history and North Jutland, and it's also an educational experience for the whole family.

Discover Aalborg's 1200 year old history from being a trading centre in the 800s and up through the Viking Age and the Middle Ages to the present day.

Aalborg

Aalborg is a wonderful city that immediately gets all the senses going - and the shopping gene going, as shopping is a must when you visit Aalborg.

In the city centre you will find the popular shopping street, Bispensgade, where you will find Jomfru Ane Gade as a small side street. Jomfru Ane Gade hardly needs any introduction - it is known at home and abroad as Aalborg's old amusement street.

Aalborg offers a wealth of attractions, including Aalborg Zoo, Utzon Centre, Nordkraft, Musikkens Hus and Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum.

In VisitAalborg's InfoCenter you can get a small brochure "Du Gamle Aalborg" with two suggestions for walks that you can take on your own in Aalborg's old town.

Utzon Center

Utzon Center in Aalborg is an experimental culture and knowledge center, designed and named after the famous architect Jørn Utzon, who is known for the Opera House in Sydney. Here you can experience architecture, design and art education as well as changing exhibitions throughout the year. Don't miss the beautiful Spidsgatter boat, designed by Jørn Utzon's father, Aage Utzon.