Hello,
My family will be based in Copenhagen for a week and I am wondering if it is worth an overnight trip to Ribe, both to see the town and also to visit the Viking museum there. I can't tell from what I have read if it's a must-see or if the Viking museum is really more aimed at children. We will be ages 20 to 80 on this trip. Thanks!
Hi,
For some people it will be worth it - for others, it won't.
Ribe is the oldest town in Denmark, thus having a lot of history. But, it's home to just over 8000 people, so it's not big.
I think Ribe is worth a visit if you can appreciate the old centre, church and the history of the place - like the poles marking the water level at former storm surges. If you are in the area, you could rent a bicycle and go for a ride in the very flat landscape (maybe to the levee facing the Wadden Sea).
When you have a week, I would spend a (couple of) night(s) in Denmark beyond Copenhagen. Copenhagen simply isn't representative for all of Denmark. If you're not sure Ribe is the right town for you, there are plenty of other cities, towns or small islands to choose from.
I won't comment on the Viking Museum in Ribe, as it's been many years since I've been there, so I don't remember it that well, and things may have changed at the museum since that time.
Thank you so much!
We will also be a week on Bornholm, and we plan to visit the Open Air museum in Lyngby, Roskilde and Odense.
Thank you so much for your advice.
Perfect! You will have diversity in your trip then, and the places you've mentioned are all wonderful. And, if you go to Ribe before or after visiting Odense, the journey to Ribe won't be that long :-)
Enjoy your trip!
Considering that you are also going to Bornholm, I can understand if Ribe is a bit too far for more of the same. Granted Ribe is the oldest town in Denmark, but none of the current buildings are a 1000 years old, apart from the cathedral. Ribe is very pleasant and has a nice atmosphere, but so do a lot of places on Bornholm, like Svaneke, Gudhjem or Allinge.
I dont know anything about the viking museum in Ribe, but Bornholm also has medieval museum and the magnificent Castle ruins of Hammershua, the largest Castle in Northern Europe.
