Ribe's night watch man ready for historical walk from Danhostel Ribe, Earth Hour 2010

captured beheaded pirates, the death story of Denmark’s beloved queen Dagmar, fatal floods, and fires. Not imagination but a journey through the fantastic and true history of Ribe, Denmark’s and Scandinavia’s oldest town, that this year celebrates its 1300 anniversary.

At 8.30pm. on the 27th March when Ribe’s street lamps are turned off because of Earth Hour 2010, we invite you to meet us outside the dark hostel, Danhostel Ribe. From here Ribe’s night watch men will guide us safely with their lanterns and spiked maces as protection through Ribe town.
Ribe’s medieval night town watchmen had several duties like to prevent carelessness with fire, lookout for floods, follow drunken Ribe citizens home to bed, and separate street fighters. Every hour they would sing a verse of the watchman’s tune to mark the hours and keep themselves awake, but on the 27th March they will just guide us and tell us some of the fantastic 1300 year history of Ribe.

Nowadays Ribe’s watch men can be followed on their route through the old, winding and cobblestoned streets of Ribe every evening from 1st of May until 15th of September, but Ribe’s hostel (Danhostel Ribe), and Gammelt Præg (Ribe  Town Preservation Organization), think this is a great way to mark Ribe’s 1300 year anniversary and Earth Hour, since also Esbjerg municipality has decided  to raise awareness about climate change, and therefore has decided to turn out the street lights in  Ribe this hour, which will give the historical town walk its finishing touch.
Everyone is welcome and it is free of charge. If you want to sleep at the hostel of course we have a very good offer for this evening and the rest of the Easter holidays. Look Here:

Earth Hour and Easter offer at Danhostel Ribe

P.S. also the sunset will be “dark” in Ribe – since we have the most beautiful “Black Sun” at the time (migration starlings dancing air ballet in the sunset), and it is possible to go on tour with the rangers from Vadehavscentret before you go with the night watchmen.

Earth Hour is a global event organized by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) to raise awareness about threat of global warming.
Danhostel Ribe has for many years been labeled as an eco-friendly hostel and worked with sustainable tourism in many ways. At the hostel we are aware that we are probably not reducing CO2 emissions by taking part in this action and that we don’t save the earth by turning out the lights for one hour, but we think it is a nice way  to raise awareness about climate change together with people all around the world.

WWF Denmark (World Wildlife Fund – Verdensnaturfonden i Danmark) and TrygFonden recommends the event in Ribe on this link and in news mails, and press releases. You can also register your own climate event on Earth Hour evening if you follow the link.
If you don’t visit us or join or arrange an event in your own town – we hope you will remember to turn out the light yourself in your home.

Earth Hour 2010
Earth Hour started in Australia in 2007. More than 2.2 million people in Sydney turned off the light. All ready in 2008 Earth Hour became global and 370 towns in 35 countries turned off the light and made it the biggest climate campaign ever. Danhostel Ribe and Esbjerg municipality have participated since 2008.

Here you can see a short documentary on Earth Hour from 2007 up to 2010:

Find out more about Earth Hour, sign up, etc : Panda.org

Danhostel Ribe on INNOTOUR

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