Attractions

Dominating Ribe’s skyline is the impressive Ribe Cathedral, which dates back to at least 948 (the earliest record of the existence of a bishop in Ribe) – making it the oldest in Denmark. The cathedral was largely re…

Embrace your inner Viking (ignore any pillaging tendencies, OK?) at this fun, hands-on, open-air museum. It re-creates a slice of life in Viking-era Ribe using various reconstructions, including a 34m longhouse. The…

An undeniable benefit of being the oldest town in the land is the opportunity to amass an impressive art collection. Ribe’s beautifully restored art museum has been able to acquire some of Denmark’s best works, incl…

For a leisurely stroll that takes in some of Ribe’s handsome half-timbered homes and idyllic cobbled lanes, head along any of the streets radiating out from Torvet (note that the night-watchman walks cover much of t…

Founded by Spanish Blackfriars in 1228, St Catharine’s Church was originally built on reclaimed marshland, but it eventually collapsed. The present structure dates from the 15th century. Of the 13 churches built dur…

To better come to grips with Ribe’s Viking and medieval history, visit the informative displays of the Museum of Ribe’s Vikings. Two rooms provide snapshots of the town in 800 and during medieval times in 1500. Thes…

This is the oldest town hall (1496) in Denmark and was used as a courthouse until 2006 – these days it’s a popular spot for civil weddings. As well as ceremonial artefacts, there’s an exhibit on local law and order …

Johanne Dan is an old sailing ship designed with a flat bottom, which allowed it to navigate through the shallow waters of the Ribe Å; an onboard visit is usually only possible in conjunction with a guided tour (enq…

Along the riverfront is Stormflodssøjlen, a wooden flood column commemorating the numerous floods that have swept over Ribe. The ring at the top indicates the water’s depth during the record flood of 1634 (6m above …

This award-winning building on the main square houses the church office. Through windows you can see the results of excavations in the area; these found evidence of Christianity arriving in Ribe a century earlier th…