Aalborg

The capital of North Jutland, where the Lindholm Høje Viking burial ground, the Utzon Center and Alvar Aalto's art museum span old and new; head northwest for the dune-buried Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse and North Sea beaches.

Aalborg is Denmark's fourth-largest city and the capital of the North Jutland Region, with about 120,000 residents. It sits on the south bank of the Limfjord, which cuts across the Jutland peninsula, facing Nørresundby on the opposite shore. The city's history goes back to the Viking Age, and it was once known for producing aquavit and cement; in recent years the harbour has been transformed into a long waterfront park, and new buildings such as the Utzon Center and the House of Music have given the old industrial city a fresh look. The climate is temperate maritime: summer (June–August) brings daytime temperatures of about 18–22°C and up to 17 hours of daylight, making it the best time to visit, while winters are grey, cold and windy with short days. The city divides into three areas: the old town centre with Budolfi Cathedral, the Monastery of the Holy Ghost, Jens Bang's Stone House and the famous bar street Jomfru Ane Gade; the harbourfront along the fjord with Aalborghus Castle, the Utzon Center and the House of Music; and the hill to the west with the Aalto-designed Kunsten museum of modern art and the Aalborg Tower. The Lindholm Høje Viking burial ground on the fjord's north shore is the city's most important historic site, 15 minutes away by bus. Aalborg makes a good base for driving day trips: about 70 km northwest are the Rubjerg Knude Lighthouse dune and the North Sea coast, the beaches of Løkken and Blokhus, and the North Sea Oceanarium in Hirtshals; to the south are Rebild National Park and the World Heritage-listed Fyrkat Viking fortress. Skagen, about 100 km further north (with the Grenen headland and the Råbjerg Mile migrating dune), usually warrants its own overnight stay. Getting there: Aalborg Airport is about 6 km from the centre, with flights from Copenhagen (about 45 minutes); trains take about 4.5 hours from Copenhagen and about 1.5 hours from Aarhus. The city is walkable, but renting a car is recommended for sights outside town. Plan on 2–3 days; Denmark is expensive, and cards are accepted almost everywhere.

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Itineraries