The fourth-biggest city of Denmark, Aalborg, is historically and culturally rich. There are many great things to do in Aalborg that visitors shouldn’t miss during the trip.
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Great Things to Do in Aalborg
1. Visit Lindholm Hoje
Minutes from Aalborg is an extensive Viking burial site marked by stone circles covering an entire hillside.
The majority of these tombs belong to the Viking, but some are earlier, from the year 500 during the Nordic Iron Age.
What has preserved the site so well is the same thing that caused the Vikings to abandon it: Deforestation brought about sand drifts, burying the hillside for centuries. Lindholm Hoje has a superb museum that will shed light on the history of the Vikings in this area with 3D animations and models showing how they kept livestock and cultivated the fields.
2. Go to Budolfi Cathedral
Budolfi Cathedral is an interesting and eye-catching building combining different architectural styles. The layout of the cathedral was constructed in the 14th century, and the church was built in Gothic style. From those times are the nave and two aisles, along with an armory and turret rooms. In 1779 the baroque spire was built, while the vestry was added in 1900. During the Second World War, the choir extension and another chapel were added.
3. See the view from Aalborg Tower
Aalborg Tower stands 55 meters above ground and offers spectacular views of the city and the wider area of North Jutland. The tower was built in 1933 for the North Jutland Exhibition and, as it was too expensive to tear down, was left standing. Over the years, the once-temporary tower has become one of the city’s symbols. The viewing platform is open throughout the summer months, typically from April to October.
4. Visit the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art
Designed by renowned Finnish architect Alvar Aalto in 1957 and opened in 1972, the Kunsten Museum of Modern Art is a recognized piece of art in itself. Inside this newly renovated icon of Aalborg, you can wander and enjoy works by well-known international artists and get to know Danish artists too.
5. Relax in Skanse Park
6. Spend time at the Aalborg Waterfront
This part of the city has just been revitalized by the prestigious C.F. Møller studio. Up to the 1980s, it was Aalborg’s industrial hub, dominated by shipyards and big factories.
Since those days the shore of the Limfjord has slowly been remodeled as a cultural area, and the New Waterfront was one of the finishing touches.
Bold modern buildings like the Utzon Center, and art and design studio and gallery, are integrated into a quayside where you can come for dinner, take a bike ride next to the water, or just read a book on long benches.
7. Explore Aalborg Zoo
If it’s sunny and you’ve got little ones with you a zoo is always a good bet for a successful day out.
Aalborg Zoo also has great conservation credentials, emphasizing fair trade, research, and breeding programs, which will give some peace of mind to people who have their doubts about animals in captivity.
If you time it right you can see penguins, elephants, big cats, sea lions, and other species at feeding time during the summer months.
There are several ethical restaurants at the attraction, as well as spaces for you to bring your own food to cook on barbecues in the zoo’s parkland.
8. Jørgen Olufsen’s House
Three storeys high and blending half-timbering with sandstone walls, this beautiful merchant’s house is held as Denmark’s finest renaissance merchant’s mansion.
It was built for local mover-and-shaker Jørgen Olufsen in 1616, and he went on to become mayor of the city in 1618.
So many original flourishes have survived, like the hoist that was used to pull sacks up to the grain loft.
You can even see an iron bar and hook inside the main gateway, with which customers could weigh their goods. Also here, etched into the stone, are Olufsen’s initials.