Aalborg - busy city on the fjord!

It was the Vikings who founded Aalborg, here where the waters of the Lim Fjord are at their narrowest. Over the years, the city has developed into one of the busiest trading centres in Denmark.

Aalborg has about 160,000 inhabitants, making it the fourth largest city in Denmark. Aalborg is a very old city with a history stretching back to the time of the Vikings. Over 1300 years ago the first Vikings settled on the location known as the Lindholm Høje - today one of the city's most popular tourist attractions. Aalborg was an important port for trade with Norway, which continued until 1841, when Norway was relinquished to Sweden.

Herring fishery in the Lim Fjord is known to have had great importance for the growth of the city. At the end of the 19th century, after the railways reached Aalborg and the port was expanded, more industry came to the city and Aalborg grew rapidly.

That Aalborg is an old market town can be seen from the many old buildings. Jens Bang's House, built in 1624 by the merchant Jens Bang, is one of the most beautiful Renaissance buildings in northern Europe. Aalborg Monastery - the former Monastery of the Holy Ghost - and Budolfi Cathedral are worth a visit.

Central Aalborg has many attractive shopping streets with a concentration of shops close to the two largest pedestrian areas, Bispensgade and Algade/Nørregade.
A majority of these shops are speciality shops, especially clothing shops. Many other forms of speciality shops are also to be found in the centre of Aalborg. Watchmakers, jewellers, leather goods shops, shoe shops, bookshops, etc.

Aalborg lies in the centre of Denmark's most attractive tourist area, and, especially during the summer months, the city has a very charming atmosphere. With more than 300 restaurants and cafés to satisfy the wining and dining needs of its guests, Aalborg is  popularly referred to as "Little Paris of the North".

Apart from the many restaurants scattered around the city, special mention must be made of the well-known Jomfru Ane Gade. One long strip of nightclubs, discotheques, music cafés and a wide assortment of bars and pubs which stay open until the early morning hours. Several nights a week live music can be heard at one of the many cafés, bars and nightclubs.

If you prefer to enjoy a few hours of rest and relaxation, you can find it in one of Aalborg's many beautiful parks. The city is doing a great deal to maintain and restore urban areas. The "Green City - Clean City" campaign led to the city being named "Tidiest City in Europe" in 1990.

Aalborg also offers attractions for children, including Aalborg Zoo, one of the largest zoos in Scandinavia, and the cosy Tivoliland amusement park, with an abundance of rides, game booths and restaurants. Besides the many new events on the calendar each year, several events return year after year. Among these are the largest carnival parade in Scandinavia, Aalborg Jazz and Blues Festival, open air concerts, and the Youth Games, a sports event held every fourth year in which thousands of young people from all over the world participate.

Aalborg also has lots of other attractions not to be missed. The Lindholm Høje Museum presents everyday Viking life as it was more than 1000 years ago. Lindholm Høje is a kind of museum in itself, for it was in this place, the first Vikings made their home in Aalborg over 1300 years ago. A number of grave sites set with stones are among the remnants the Vikings left behind to be wondered at by us today.