Jelling might be the most historically significant place in Denmark, but Ribe is the oldest town in Denmark! It dates back to the Viking Age (so of course I loved it) so there are archaeological digs and historic spots, but it’s also a pretty town with beautiful churches and walking streets! π
History of Ribe, Denmark
Ribe is an important historic town in Denmark, and it’s believed that Ribe dates back to the beginning of the 8th century and was first documented as a town in 854. Because having a central town instead of farms spread out in the countryside was a fairly new concept to Scandinavia during the Viking Age, Ribe is the oldest town in Denmark still in existence. It was a big port and one of the most important trade cities in Scandinavia. Since my professor in Aarhus is an archaeologist, we actually got to see where they’re digging right now and see some of the artifacts they’ve uncovered from the Viking Age!
Doors of the Town Hall, dating back to 1496
Ribe, Denmark is also known for the famous Saint Ansgar (or Anskar). He was the Archbishop of Hamburg-Bremen and one of the first missionaries to Scandinavia. He came to Denmark in 826 and built the church in Ribe in 860. Since there aren’t many documents from that time, it was disputed whether or not people in Ribe actually converted to Christianity until they discovered thousands of Christian burials from that time period (which is right across the street from the church and you can see in the photo above).
The wooden church that Saint Ansgar built didn’t last through the centuries, and the Ribe Cathedral still stands today today dates back to 1110. There was a fire in the town in 1176, but most of the church was undamaged!
Statue of Saint Ansgar
Exploring the oldest town in Denmark
After getting the historic tour of Ribe, I got to walk around the town. There are lots of restaurants and shops, and it’s such a pretty town to explore! Many of the buildings are hundreds of years old, and 110 houses are protected by the Heritage Protection.
If you have time to see more attractions, there is a Viking museum and a Viking center and an art museum. There’s also an abbey that you can tour, which I did get to see briefly.
The Ribe River flows through the center of town
It was a hot summer day, so I stopped for ice cream, of course!
The abbey of Sct. Catharinæ
If you’re looking for a small town in Jutland to explore, I highly recommend Ribe, Denmark! It’s such a pretty, historic town in Denmark to see, packed with so much history π
It does look like such a pretty place to go to. I love history, so being able to see the dig and the artifacts sounds so interesting!
It’s a really cool place to experience history!
I’ve been wanting to visit Denmark for so long! I think I should just stop thinking about it and book a flight this weekend! Thanks for inspiring me!
Yes you should go!! It’s such an amazing country!
What a beautiful place! I love historic towns – makes you feel like you’re traveling back in time! Great photos too π
Thank you! π
I love the design of Denmark so much. The architecture and vibe of Copenhagen totally sucked me in and now I’m dying to see Ribe! Gorgeous photos π
Thank you! Danish architecture is my favorite! π
I was in Denmark last year and we totally missed this town! I am so sad! I love the architecture and color. It is amazing.
I hope you can go back! π It’s one of my favorite places in Denmark!
So pretty! I really want to go back to Denmark. I loved Copenhagen, and would love to see more of the country.
There are so many amazing places to see in Denmark! π I hope you can see some more of the country!
This looks like a fun adventure exploring the oldest city in Denmark!
Thanks! π
They have some of the coolest doors! I love the buildings that have the wood and brick designs.
Me too! I wish there were more like that in the US!
Julia – these images are beautiful and the information so interesting. I will be keeping this town in mind for future travels!
Thank you! π
Your posts always make me want to pack a bag and travel to Denmark! I love all of the historic buildings that you share!
Thank you! π I hope you can go!!
I love how charming all the buildings are! Itβs so cool that you got to see the dig site that your professor was working on! Soo cool!
Yeah it was so cool to see in person! π