It may be that the name of Jutland immediately leads one to think of ships, Vikings and seas. We would not be misguided; It is more, of course, that in this peninsula that covers a good part of Denmark and north of Germany museums and finds from such an iconic civilization await.
In the same locality that this text occurs, Ribe It is a place with its own name when Vikings are talked about thanks to a living museum where it is even possible to spend a season drinking from horns and sleeping outdoors covered in fur. But this is just one of the many attractions that this small and unknown southwestern corner of Jutland, which is, moreover, the oldest city in Scandinavia.
This is Ribe, the oldest city in Scandinavia.
To understand the creation of Ribe must go back about 1,300 years and imagine the first merchants international by choosing this point next to the Baltic sea surrounded by salt marshes, green fields and farms as the perfect strategic point to create a commercial port and a key settlement to access the rest of the Nordic countries.
Specifically, history marks the ribe foundation between 704 and 710 AD, shortly before the beginning of the so-called viking age (793 – 1066 AD).
In fact, Ribe would soon become a peaceful, rich and powerful viking settlement , as has been shown archaeological remains like a comb or a small bone plate with runic inscriptions.
Next to the port, created in the mighty river that crosses the city, would be born a group of houses and workshops , as well as a hectic market, in some streets that archaeologists assure are still located under the current cobbled floors of the city, picturesque and with a later medieval stamp in which about a hundred structures is it so protected by Heritage.
With a good number of museums, shops and restaurants in which to get lost for a day, is Ribe also a key point of entry to approach visit the marshes neighbour's Wadden Sea Nature Park . Appetizing and full of plans, here is a walk through the first city that was founded in Scandinavia.
Ribe was founded between 704 and 710 AD.
A WALK THROUGH VIKING HISTORY
Yes you get to Ribe by train , a small somewhat dilapidated station welcomes the visitor. Its decadent air has nothing to do with the magic that is breathed in its small old town , which are hardly needed five minutes to get there.
However, before letting yourself be surprised by his streets and wooden houses it is best to enter the building located in front of the station itself. In the Ribe Viking Museum (Odins Pl. 1) awaits a history class with archaeological finds from the Viking Age and later Scandinavian Middle Ages , what they made of Ribe epicenter of power.
Located in the main building of the city power station , dated 1926, the museum allows you to enter among the merchants of the 8th century or delight in its showcases full of coins, jewelry and other items found. There are guided tours and a fun one Playroom for children set that will delight adults. Who's up for a sword fight?
Knives from the Viking Museum of Ribe.
Speaking of Vikings, Ribe has an interesting Viking center, perfect for all ages. Located about three kilometers from the city awaits a living museum in which local workers and volunteers They live like the Vikings did 1,200 years ago.
In a village reconstructed in great detail and completely faithful to reality , since the studies and conclusions of the archaeologists familiar with the area have been strictly followed, the visitor can walk around and experience first-hand that river, first Viking and then Christian, being able to enter houses, walk among live animals and witness live how weapons were made and clothes were dyed, as well as learn Viking cuisine, woodcarving and even archery.
Yes indeed, Ribe Viking Center (Lustrup vej 4) only open during the summer , moment in which any fan should take a look at the possibility of staying here (living like a viking, of course).
Ribe Viking Center.
A HIGH CATHEDRAL
Important stop for pilgrims on their way to Rome, the first cathedral in Denmark would also be created in Ribe . I would do it on the old hermitage that a Christian missionary would erect in front of a city that would end converting to christianity in the XII century.
In fact, the aforementioned Viking center recalls in a replica said small construction that in the thirteenth century would be replaced by the imposing construction of five ships that dominates the main square of the city.
This construction with two twin towers in tuff stone must have been impressive in its time. And it still is the Church of Our Lady of Ribe after the renovations that led to the addition of a brick body and a third tower, the highest and visitable a century later.
It could well be the iconic port of Copenhagen.
And even if I fall in love on the outside, inside awaits the oldest sepulchral monument in Scandinavia , erected by King Valdemar the Conqueror for a son who died, and the 248 steps that lead up to the Tower of the Commoners, which functions as a watchtower, a storm tower and the perfect spot to enjoy the views.
It is Cathedral one of the few copies original prior to the terrible fire that the city suffered in 1580 , where about 200 houses disappeared under fire.
Rebuilt in the original style, but already dated from the 17th and 18th centuries Like numerous cartouches, they recall the square and the neighboring central main street of Ribe that continues to emanate that medieval magic where wood is mixed with the typical brick of Danish constructions and colored facades that reminiscent of the iconic port of Copenhagen.
Without a doubt, it is worth taking a walk through the surrounding streets, winding and cobbled, to feel like you've traveled back in time.
The Cathedral is prior to the great fire of 1580.
WITCHES TIME
The medieval past of Ribe is not only perceived in its urban planning, but also in a peculiar museum that collects one of the darkest moments in the history of Humanity: the witch hunts.
witch trials they were frequent in Ribe and a museum dedicated to them invites you to discover such a dark era. Opened last 2020, it is HEX (Sortebrodregade 1), the first museum of its kind in Denmark. Here awaits a tour of the scourge that devastated the country during the 16th and 17th centuries, focusing on the real history of a woman burned in Ribe and whose name recalls a commemorative plaque in the city: Maren Spliid.
Artifacts that people used to protect yourself from alleged witches, as well as witchcraft tools, coexist in an interactive space where to learn about the trials that devastated not only Ribe but the whole of Europe.
Without a doubt, the space leaves the hair standing on end; so to change the aura, there is nothing better than turning towards another somewhat more noble Ribe story.
River streets.
In the same direction awaits the Jacob A. Riis Museum , a place to discover the story of Jacob, a native of Ribe that he went to the Americas in 1870 to end up becoming one of the voices most committed to the poverty and hardships of immigrants in the Lower East Side of New York.
His photographs would end up forming the famous book How the Other Half Lives: Studies Among the Tenements of New York, a treatise seen by history as a key to social reform. .
BETWEEN MARSHES AND MIGRATION A WORLD HERITAGE SITE
The Wadden Sea National Park is a gem little known by the general population, but a well-kept secret among the bird lovers by the phenomenon known as Starling Magic, an experience in which between 100,000 and 400,000 starlings dance together in the sky in spring and in autumn.
It is at sunset when you can enjoy this phenomenon in which black flocks seem to dye the sky black for seconds in a vibrant dance of sinuous forms. There are several perfect points to fall in love with the postcard, as well as organized excursions by his own Vadehavscentret Interpretation Center (Okholmvej 5).
The dance of the starlings.
In fact, if the travel season does not coincide with such a beautiful phenomenon, do not panic; the magnificent interpretation center is open all year round to offer a complete and educational exhibition in which dance to the rhythm of the starlings, besides discovering the rich avifauna that inhabits the wadden sea , a UNESCO World Heritage Site and the largest, flat and wettest national park in Denmark.
From the magnificent architecture designed by Dorte Madrup you can easily access the park and magical points such as Vandhøjde Mandøvejen , where it is common to meet locals and tourists walking through the wetlands , or admire the road that with the tides disappears every day in rasteplads, exit point to cross to the neighbor Mando Island.
In fact, whoever wants to cross should do so in the bus-tractors prepared for it, since they run the risk of being left halfway if the area is unknown. Run into Wadden sea seals It will be worth it, that's for sure.
The Wadden Sea.
How to get . There is no direct train connection, but there is a line from Esbjerg St, station with direct connections to Copenhagen or Odense.
to eat . There are multiple options in Ribe for lunch or dinner; however, one of the most emblematic and highest quality places awaits in Quedens Gard (Overdammen 10), a historic 16th-century café where the brunch and its hamburgers leave neither locals nor visitors indifferent.
Brunch at Ribe.
Furthermore, within the Kammerslusen Nature Park (Bjerrumvej 30) stands as an unavoidable stop to enjoy an iconic dam as well as to fill the stomach. This cute and historic restaurant has more than 100 years in operation next to the dam that bears the same name, and for a couple of years now, it has become a place where you can be surprised by local cuisine with signature touches and haute cuisine . It is recommended to order the craft beer born in Ribe itself.
Where to sleep. Among the latest openings in the city is the hotel Vadehav (Sct. Peders Gade 16), a charming space with only six rooms located on the second floor of a rural hostel on the outskirts of Ribe.
Car rental. In case of touring the natural park, it is recommended to rent a vehicle. CB Auto (75 42 36 11).