Aabenraa Cruises

Located in south west Jutland, Ribe was founded in the early 8th century as a marketplace, making it Denmark’s oldest town. This charming town, which celebrated its 1,300th anniversary in 2010, was an important trading centre during the Viking age, and today its entire Old Town is covered by a preservation order. Ribe is home to many historic buildings, including the cathedral, the oldest in Denmark, which was built between the 12th and 13th centuries. Ribe also boasts a Viking Centre, a heritage centre which features a reconstructed Ribe village and marketplace from the Viking Age.

Traditionally, Night Watchmen patrolled Danish market towns to contain fires and ensure order among the streets. Aabenraa still has them today, and visitors are welcome to join them on a patrol while they recount fascinating tales of the past.

Aabenraa developed from a fishing village into a major fishing port between the 17th and 18th centuries. The city’s heritage is represented in its coat of arms, which bears three mackerels, and the local church named after St Nicholas, the Patron Saint of Seafarers.