1. Aalborg Highlights – In the Footsteps of Old Aalborg. This tour is especially aimed at those who want to get to know Aalborg’s history better — those who want to understand the city’s DNA. Why was Aalborg founded here by the Limfjord? Why was it for many years Denmark’s second-largest city?
To support the story of Aalborg’s past, we pass through the historic buildings of the city centre: Jens Bang’s House, Aalborg Monastery, Aalborghus Castle, Hjelmerstald, Our Lady’s Church, Budolfi Church and more.
2. Aalborg’s Transformation from Industrial Town to University City. Over the past decades, Aalborg has transformed from a city of smoking chimneys and numerous pubs into a city shaped by young people focused on education and café life — a transformation that even locals may not yet fully have noticed.
This story is best experienced along Aalborg Harbour, where former factories that produced spirits, ships, cigars, sulphuric acid and cement have made way for experiences and new housing.
We start at the Limfjord Bridge and continue along the waterfront, passing Toldboden, the Castle, Utzon Center, Nordkraft and the House of Music. We finish at the newly uncovered Østerå stream.
Optional add-on: The tour can also take place on board M/S Kysten — the transformation is most striking from the waterside. Call or email for pricing.
3. Aalborg’s Witches – Punishment and Imprisonment. The period of witch burnings is not a particularly glorious chapter in Danish history, but in Aalborg the stories are quite unique — many of the accused actually confessed to being witches. It is even believed that there may have been a witch school. We hear about the various witches and sorcerers and the punishments they received.
Optional add-on: Visit to Rakkerens Hule. Call or email for pricing.
4. Street Art in the City Centre. On this walk through Aalborg’s narrow streets and alleyways, we explore some of the many exciting murals created by international and Danish artists since 2014 — a development we can thank Galleri Væg and Galleri Kirk for. Some artists started as graffiti painters, while others have formal art school training. Together we experience the artworks and uncover their stories, while learning about the artists, their motivations and working conditions.
5. Street Art in the West District. In recent years, Galleri Kirk has particularly expanded the city’s now well-known wall gallery. Many of the newer artworks are located in the West District. Let’s go together in search of these murals. The tour can end with a visit to North Urban Art Studio — a collective of young artists whose mission is to share their art with the surrounding community and spark interest in art. We learn about their ambitions for the area near Spritten.
6. Street Art by Bicycle. Murals are now spread across all corners of the city, making a cycling tour ideal if you want to experience the diversity of Aalborg’s wall art. We start in Vejgaard and finish in the West District.
7. In the Footsteps of Aalborg’s Business Magnates. We follow in the footsteps of influential figures who shaped Aalborg: Harald Jensen, Isidor Henius, Brigadier Halling, Marius Andersen, C.F. Tietgen, C.A. Olesen, Frederik Obel and others. We see and hear about the impressive buildings they left behind — from Hotel Phønix to Medborgerhuset.
8. Aalborg During the Second World War. In the Memorial Grove, we hear about the occupation period and look at memorial plaques there and at Almen Cemetery. The tour continues into the city, including Aalborg Monastery, where Denmark’s first resistance group, the Churchill Club, was based. The tour also visits other locations significant during “the five cursed years.”
9. Vesterbro – Aalborg in the 1930s. Through crisis and change on the road to the future: We walk along Vesterbro, see the striking functionalist architecture — more cohesive than anywhere else in Denmark — and hear about Aalborg’s development following the Wall Street crash of 1929.
10. Sculpture Walk. Aalborg is a city rich in outdoor sculptures — created by local and national artists, as well as one internationally known Danish artist. Some sculptures were installed in the 1930s during the development of Vesterbro, others for city anniversaries, and still others later.
On this tour, we explore both old and new sculptures and discuss their themes, placement and artists. Sculptures and buildings we know so well — or do we? We pass them regularly, but do we really see them?
11. Look Up. – Lean your head back. Many buildings in Aalborg have beautiful decorations that we rarely notice. Some are purely decorative, others symbolic, and many are placed high above eye level. We find some of the most interesting ones and hear the stories behind them and the people who commissioned them.
12. Beer Walk and Small Talk. Beer Walk is a tasty way to experience the city. We visit up to six pubs and enjoy well-poured craft beers. The tour is enriched with stories about the different beer types and brewing methods, while also learning about Aalborg’s nightlife.
Optional add-on: Tasting card for 6 different beers (total 1.2 litres). Price: DKK 175.
13. In Search of Aalborg’s Three Monasteries. The story of Aalborg’s monasteries can be experienced in several ways. The tour focuses on medieval Aalborg and the city’s three monasteries — a nunnery, a monastery for monks, and a double monastery. The tour can be conducted as a walk only, but it is also possible to visit the underground Grey Friars Monastery beneath Salling, with skeletons, ruins and stories about Aalborg’s origins. Finally, Aalborg Monastery can be visited — one of the few where you can still experience monastic life.
Optional add-on: Visit to the Grey Friars Monastery via elevator. Entrance to Aalborg Monastery.
14. Aalborg and the Writers. Aalborg has inspired many great stories — from H.C. Andersen to Jakob Paludan, from Johannes V. Jensen to Broby Johansen, and from Bjarne Reuter to Jakob Ejersbo and many more. On this tour, we follow the traces these gifted storytellers left in the city — from the Cimbrer Bull to commemorative plaques.
Max. 25 persons per guide; groups above this size will be split, with each having its own guide.