Lonely Planet has revealed the 10 best destinations in Europe 2014: “Lonely Planet’s Best in Europe 2014” .
The editors of the famous travel guide choose “Viking Denmark” as number 5 on their list.
Lonely Planet also tells its readers about the most important Viking sites in Denmark – and Ribe is of course one of them ” Viking Denmark: following the footsteps of ancient explorers”
About Ribe town Lonely Planet writes: “The jewel in Jutland’s Viking crown is Ribe, the country’s oldest town which was founded around 700 as a Viking marketplace. This is historic Denmark at its most photogenic, all cobblestones and higgledy-piggledy houses – so pretty, it was recently voted Europe’s Best Big-Time Small Destination”
Here is Danhostel Ribe’s self-guided walking tour of old town Ribe, if you want to go your own way on a self guided holiday in Ribe: Ribe Old Town Walk
(Danhostel Ribe is Ribe’s hostel)
You can also choose to join the free guided tour with Ribe’s Night Watchman every evening from 1st of May to 18th October 2014
Viking sites in Ribe
Ribe is also nowadays a hive of Viking activities as it was in its Viking heyday, and your research into Ribe’s Viking Era could start at Ribe Viking Centre (Ribe VikingeCenter). The reconstructed Viking village is like a living museum with hands-on experiences.
– afterwards you can continue your research by visiting the Viking Museum (Museet Ribes Vikinger) with thousands of artefacts found during archaeological excavations in Ribe.
The special exhibition in 2014 is called ” The Christian Vikings”.
Excavations around Ribe Cathedral from 2008-2012 revealed a Christian cemetery from around 850, more than a 100 years before Denmark was officially Christianized according to the UNESCO World Heritage rune-stone of Harold Bluetooth in Jellinge.
Video: The dicovery of a dark age horse burial in Ribe, Denmark.
Much of the time archaeological excavations are going on in Ribe, and maybe you will be lucky to see one, when you visit our town. The finds from this Viking-Age period are numerous when archaeological excavations are going on in Ribe. The newest is unique and less than a week old, when a fully equipped warhorse from around 700 was found . (See the video)
Here you can read about the rune stone, that was found in Ribe: Rune stone found in Ribe
Every year the first week of May Ribe’s International Viking Market, Denmark’s most authentic Viking market is taking place at Ribe Viking Centre – don’t miss it . It’s 7 incredible days with hundreds of Vikings, craftsmen, warriors, archers, riders, jesters and many others from all over Europe
At last we will mention a Viking Walk in Ribe. You can pay for your own guide at the Viking Museum, who will take you to all the places in Ribe where the Vikings lived, worked and was buried 1300 years ago – you can also walk Danhostel Ribe’s self guided Viking Walk: Viking Walk . On this walk you will hear about horse sacrifices and if you follow our blog www.danhostel.org we will later this year tell you more about horse sacrifices and show you a video
Don’t forget to book your room at Danhostel Ribe
Danhostel Ribes‘s photographer, Gudrun Rishede, took the photos