Christmas in Ribe

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Founded in the beginning of the 8th century, Ribe is the oldest existing town in Denmark. At that time the vikings used Ribe as a trading centre before leaving for "sea expeditions". The first Scandinavian church was built here around 860. The town continued to grow and became very important not just for Denmark but much of Scandinavia. Although there was a great fire in 1580, many of Ribe's original medieval houses are still standing. The great cathedral situated in the heart of Ribe can been seen from far away as the landscape surrounding Ribe is very flat, much of it marshland. The cathedral was built in the 13th century. Many famous people was born or lived in Ribe during the centuries.

A few days before Christmas my brother Aage and our friends Charlotte and Henriette (sisters) went on a very cosy day trip to Ribe for Christmas shopping. Here are a few photos taken from our visit in one of Denmark's most historic towns.

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Photos

Ribe Cathedral
Ribe Cathedral is the oldest cathedral in Denmark - and for me one of the prettiest.

Ribe Cathedral - the altar
The decorations were in the 1980s by Carl Henning Pedersen.

Christmas cookies
"Brune kager" on top of Ribe Cathedral's tower.

Skibbroen
Today the harbor is mainly for leisure purposes.

Fiskergade
A small alley with some beautiful medieval houses.

Shopping in Ribe
Ribe has many good and interesting shops with all sorts of things.