If you visit Denmark and love history, a visit to Ribe should definitely not be missed on your trip. It is a charming, somewhat sleepy town in the north of Denmark. Ribe was founded in 710 AD and this place has played an important and long-lasting role in the history of Denmark. Delve into this long-standing history and visit the museum and open-air museum of Ribe.
History of Ribe
Source: PublicDomainPictures, PixabayRibe was founded in 710 AD. It was a trading place where the Frisians and Vikings met to trade. At that time, Ribe was on the coast and the traders stayed there in tents. Later, traders settled there permanently and houses were built. Ribe also became important from an ecclesiastical perspective. This was thanks to the apostle of the North: monk Ansgarius (860). In religious terms, Ribe became increasingly important over the centuries, so that a cathedral was built in Ribe in the twelfth century. This beautiful cathedral still stands to this day and can be visited. An abbey was also established in Ribe. During the heyday of Ribe, the king built a castle here (1205), Slotsbanken Castle. King Valdemar brought his beloved bride, the Czech princess Dagmar (also Drahomira) to this castle. They lived here until Queen Dagmar died in childbirth in 1212. She had previously given the king a son, Waldemar (1209). Only a few crumbling walls of the castle can now be found. Ribe remained a trading town until the sixteenth century. Then the river silted up and in 1580 a major fire occurred that reduced almost the entire city to ashes. The city was rebuilt, but due to wars, the plague, the reformation and the lack of the river, Ribe’s importance decreased. As a result, no more houses were built in Ribe from the mid-seventeenth century. There was simply no interest in more homes. Thanks to this fact, the town has retained its ancient character.
Holiday park Ribe Byferie
This park is located on the edge of the town of Ribe. It has a village appearance. The houses are all divided into an upstairs and downstairs apartment. The disadvantage of this is that there is little privacy outside. The cottages are clean and well maintained. The disadvantage is the steep stairs to the top floor where the sleeping attic has been created for the children. The stairs are very steep and therefore dangerous for small children. From the park it is about a ten-minute walk to the center of Ribe.
Museet Ribes Vikinger
This is the name of the Viking Museum in the middle of Ribe. (Odin’s plads 1). This museum features a life-size reconstruction of the old medieval market square of Ribe. The museum is surprisingly nice. There are found objects from the Viking Age and the Middle Ages. An exhibition about the life of Queen Dagmar is regularly given. A historical figure who is highly romanticized in Denmark. Children can do a treasure hunt and downstairs there is a dress-up corner where they can dress up as a prince, princess and knight.
Ribe Vikingecenter
This open-air museum shows the town of Ribe in the year 700. So many tents where merchandise was traded. Just like in the Archeon in the Netherlands, people here try to portray life at that time as faithfully as possible. This is done by hobbyists, volunteers and underprivileged young people. As a child you can bake sandwiches, make dowels and sword fight here. The open-air museum is not really buzzing. Little effort is made to make it interesting.
The Weis Stue inn
This is the oldest inn in Ribe and it was built around 1600. There has always been an inn on this site, but it was destroyed during the great fire of 1580. The current inn is charming, cozy and has good food. The interior is special and dates from 1704. It is just not really cheap. The address is Torvet 2 and Ribe’s night watchman starts his rounds here. He leaves here around 10:00 PM and the round takes about 45 minutes.