By plane
Aalborg has one airport (IATA: AAL) (IATA
code: AAL) with several daily flights from Copenhagen, Oslo and
Amsterdam. From most airports in Germany, Aalborg can be reached mainly
with SAS via Copenhagen. There is a regular bus service from Aalborg Bus
Terminal to the airport.
By train
From Aalborg Central Station
(Hovedbanegård) there are hourly InterCityLyn and InterCity trains to
Copenhagen, as well as regional trains to Aarhus, Frederikshavn and
other cities.
From northern Germany, you first drive to
Fredericia and change there to the ICL or IC to Aalborg. With the travel
planner (in German) of the Danish railways or the travel planner of the
Deutsche Bahn AG you can easily find the connections you need. Depending
on the connection, the train journey from Hamburg to Aalborg, for
example, takes 6-8 hours. A seat reservation is required for the Danish
intercity trains.
By bus
Aalborg Busterminal at the train
station is the central point where intercity and city buses run. Aalborg
can be reached by long-distance bus lines both from the north from the
ferry ports of Hirtshals and Frederikshavn and from the south from
Aarhus.
In the street
Aalborg can be easily reached by car via
the well-developed E45. The drive from Hamburg to Aalborg takes about 5
hours by car. In Denmark, the motorways are not subject to tolls, but
the maximum speed is limited to 130 km/h (on many stretches also 110
km/h) and even slight excesses result in severe fines.
Always
obey the traffic rules and pay particular attention to cyclists in the
city. Jostling etc. is perceived as very impolite.
By boat
Aalborg can be reached from the north via the ferry ports of Hirtshals
and Frederikshavn. There are no direct ferry connections to Aalborg.
There are several mooring options for pleasure boats in Aalborg.
Aalborg-Grønlandshavnen is a port of call for passengers on cargo ship
voyages. A taxi is recommended for the journey from there to the center,
which is 12 km away.
Honnørkajen is the cruise berth, right in town,
just in front of Aalborghus Slot. The entry from the Baltic Sea into the
Limfjord to the pier, which is well worth seeing, takes 2 hours.
By bicycle
The Ox Road Hærvejen is part of the so-called Pilgrims
Route (EV 3). It begins in Trondheim (Norway) and runs via Sweden and
later Germany and France to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Travelers
driving the entire route end up in Frederikshavn after a ferry crossing
from Gothenburg. After a few kilometers the route continues as
Hærvejsruten (en. Oxen route) through Aalborg to Flensburg.
The city is very easy to get around on foot, by bike
or bus.
Almost all city buses stop at the bus terminal in front
of the train station. On rejseplanen.dk you can see from which bus
platform the desired bus departs. Single tickets can be bought from the
bus driver in cash – if possible with a suitable size – and cost DKK 24
per person for the city area. Alternatively, tickets can be purchased
via the NT app.
The best place to park your car is at parking lot
6 on the southern shore of the Limfjord. From there you can reach almost
everything comfortably on foot. If you want to explore the surrounding
area and the North Sea and Baltic Sea coasts, you need a car.
Aalborg or Ålborg is a city in the North Jutland Region with 117,351 inhabitants (2020) (140,897 inhabitants (2020) including Nørresundby), which is therefore Denmark's fourth largest city. Aalborg is the Capital Region of Aalborg's Capital Region and is described as being the capital of North Jutland. Aalborg Municipality is Denmark's third largest in terms of population, and arose in its current form on 1 January 2007 through a merger of Aalborg Municipality (1970-2006) and the neighboring municipalities of Hals, Nibe and Sejlflod.
Aalborg has an extensive and vibrant cultural life. The city is home
to KUNSTEN Museum of Modern Art Aalborg, Aalborg Kunstpavillon and
several theatres: Aalborg Theatre, Det Hem'lige Theater and Theater
Nordkraft. There are also three cinemas – BioCity, Metropol and Biffen -
art cinema.
Among the most well-known historical sights in
Aalborg are Aalborg Monastery, the underground Gråbrødrekloster Museum,
Budolfi Church, Aalborghus Castle and Jens Bang's Stone House.
Other attractions include the Utzon Center, Musikkens Hus, Aalborg
Symphony Orchestra, Aalborg Tårnet, Aalborg Zoo, Water Technology
Museum, Aalborg Maritime and Marine Museum, Aalborg Defense and Garrison
Museum, Lindholm Høje Viking Museum and Viking Graveyard, as well as the
annual Aalborg Carnival.
Vestre Havnepromenade between the Limfjord Bridge and the Railway
Bridge over the Limfjord was the first port area to be converted from
port and industrial purposes to mixed urban purposes with business and
housing.
The goal of transforming the area was to create a
diverse district with mixed use, and with an attractive harbor promenade
and high-quality urban spaces. The goal was to create a condensed and
distinctive skyline seen from the water and Nørresundby.
The
district contains apartment buildings in 4-6 floors for mixed urban
purposes such as housing, education and environmentally friendly
businesses. The area is also laid out for smaller shops and cafes. In
order to supply water and thus urban space qualities into the area, a 14
m wide dug canal has been constructed from the Limfjorden to Strandvejen
- Obel's Canal.
In 2017-2018, the area where De Danske
Spritfabrikker is located will be transformed into an international art
and culture city with housing, art galleries, restaurants, etc.
Aalborg Centrale Havnefront lies in front of the medieval town, where
the fjord is narrowest and forms a large bend. Aalborg Centrale
Havnefront is to be experienced as a whole with harmony in materials and
lighting – the lighting which received the Danish Light Prize in 2011.
The landscape is emphasized by a continuous promenade for soft road
users. The promenade is made of asphalt, and sitting and sitting stairs
are established, which go all the way down to the water, as well as
benches and viewing platforms.
Unifying the area, and a
prerequisite for a good and direct connection between the dense city
center and the harbor area, is the new road construction
Strandvejen-Slotspladsen-Nyhavnsgade. The entire road course was put
into use in the spring of 2010. The road has been converted into a
beautiful city street with car traffic in two lanes, central slope/left
turn lane, cycle paths, pavements, planting and road lighting.
In
the area between Toldbodgade and Slotspladsen, large areas have been
released for Jomfru Ane Parken. On the harbor in front of Jomfru Ane
Parken is the Havnebadet and the restaurant ship Elbjørn. Jomfru Ane
Parken is used a lot on hot days, as an environment where you can
sunbathe, play music or play sports on e.g. The activity space. After
Jomfru Ane Parken is Honnørkajen and the Utzon Center, where the big
cruise ships are when they visit the city, and Honnørkajen is also used
for concerts, as it is a large area.
Immediately to the east of
the Utzon Center are Utzon Park and Bikuben's dormitories, which were
designed by Jørn Utzon's son Kim Utzon. Next comes First Hotel Aalborg
and an office building.
In 2014, the central harbor front won the
English architecture award, the Civic Trust Award.
The harbor front at Musikkens Hus was built after inspiration from the dunes of North Jutland. Aalborg University is building a city campus for their creative education programs designed by Henning Larsen Architects. Himmerland Boligforening is building youth housing and administration in a high-rise building by Henning Larsen Architects, the building has been named Larsen Waterfront, under this construction a municipal parking basement with space for approx. 200 cars. The large square at Musikkens Hus has been named Musikkens Plads. Musikkens plads and Musikkens Hus were inaugurated on 29 March 2014 with fireworks and a visit from Queen Margrethe 2.
On Østre Havn next to the Musikkens Hus area, the urban
transformation is also underway. Østre Havn is a district which must
contain many different functions. There must be both luxury apartments
and youth housing. Several office buildings are also planned in the
area. The area must be perceived as a Little Manhattan, as the majority
of buildings in the area will be high-rise buildings. Østre Havn is
expected to be completed within the next three years.
Kulturhuset
Nordkraft
A new cultural center, Nordkraft, which is a former
electricity plant by the harbour. The residents of Nordkraft are:
Aalborg Kickboxing Klub, Aalborg Cultural School, Aalborg Art Pavilion,
AAU Sports Training, Azzurra Nordkraft, Biffen, Café Utopia Nordkraft,
Den Rytmiske, DGI Nordjylland, DGI-HUSET i Nordkraft, Dreamhouse, FOKUS
Folkeoplysning, I. H. Aalborg, Jydsk Handball Association , KUL,
Kulturforeningen Baghuset, Kunsthal Nord, Nord Craft, Nordkraft Event,
SIFA, Skråen, Sportskarate.dk, Theater Nordkraft and VisitAalborg.
There are around 14 larger hotels in Aalborg. The hotels are spread
over the city and are found in different classes.
Aalborg Airport
Hotel at Aalborg Airport
BEST WESTERN Hotel Scheelsminde close to
motorway E45
Hotel Chagall at Vesterbro
Cabinn Aalborg in Friis by
Gabels Torv
Helnan Phønix Hotel at Vesterbro
Comwell Hotel Hvide
Hus by Kildeparken and Aalborg Congress and Culture Center
First
Hotel Europa, which is part of the Aalborg Congress and Culture Center
at Europa Plads
First Hotel Aalborg in Rendsburggade by Havnefronten
and Musikkens Hus
Radisson BLU Limfjord Hotel at Ved Stranden and
Jomfru Ane Gade
Hotel Aalborg formerly Aalborg Sømandsjem on Østerbro
by Nordkraft and Musikkens Hus
Hotel Krogen in Hasseris
Prinsen
Hotel in Prinsensgade
Hotel Jomfru Ane in Jomfru Ane Gade
The
house in Hasserisgade
The house is a cultural center that provides a
framework for cultural experiences, creative self-expression, meeting
and gathering activities and social gatherings.
The Tall Ships
Races
The Tall Ships Races have called at Aalborg in 1999, 2004, 2010
and 2015. When Aalborg hosted in 2010, 86 ships docked in the harbour.
Over the course of four days, Aalborg had around 700,000 visitors and a
large number of concerts and other entertainment were organized in the
city. The international organization Sail Training International, which
is behind the big race for training and training ships, has selected
Aalborg to also be the final port in 2015. A month after it was held,
the city council decided to apply for the hosting again, and the event
came again to the city in 2019. An agreement was already made in
connection with the arrangement in 2019 for the next visit, which will
take place in 2022.
Aalborg is the home port for the school and
training ships Jens Krogh and LOA, both of which are participants in The
Tall Ships Races.
The city is also known for its varied nightlife, which is concentrated in and around Jomfru Ane Gade, colloquially the street which, despite being only 150 m long, contains around 20 discotheques, bars and restaurants. in 2012 there was a turnover of around DKK 300 million. per year.
Many sports events are held in Aalborg, e.g. Fjordmarathon, Aalborg
Brutal Marathon, World Championship in Military Orienteering 2012,
Handelsbanken – Dana A-Kasse Grand Prix (cycling), Aalborg MTB Marathon
(mountain bike), EC Ski Jumping 2013, EC Men's Handball 2014 and
European Man Championships Bowling 2015.
Aalborg Football Club
(AaB)
In terms of sports, Aalborg is primarily known for the sports
club AaB from 1885, and thus one of the country's oldest sports clubs.
The club has a football department, AaB Fodbold, which plays in the
Super League and has twice participated in the Champions League. AaB has
been Danish football champion four times in 1995, 1999, 2008 and 2014
respectively.
Other sports clubs
The city also contains, for
example, the floorball club Aalborg Flyers, the football clubs Aalborg
KFUM Fodbold, the sports club Aalborg Freja, Gug football club, the
sports club Chang Aalborg, the sports club Lindholm IF, the handball
clubs Aalborg Handball (since 2010, Aalborg Handball has won several
championships and, among other things, participated in the Champions
League the final, which is why the team has gained a lot of national
attention), Aalborg EH and AIK Vejgaard, the basketball club Aalborg
Basketball Klub (ABK) and Aalborg Studenternes Idrætsforening (AASI),
where students can play football, handball and volleyball. The ice
hockey team Aalborg Pirates is also based in the city.
Atletklubben Jyden, which is the last club in Denmark with wrestling,
boxing and weightlifting on the programme. In addition, Aalborg Fencing
Club and Aalborg Swimming Club, which with more than 2,000 members are
among the country's largest. The cycling club Aalborg Cykle-Ring
established, starting from 2021, the DCU Elite Team Team
Aalborg-Sparekassen Danmark.
Aalborg also lays the foundation for
several tennis clubs, including North Jutland's largest tennis club,
Aalborg Tennis Club with more than 620 members (2021). In addition,
clubs such as Nørresundby Tennis Club, Aalborg Østre Tennis Club,
Aalborg Chang Tennis, Gug Tennis Club and Frejlev Tennis Club can be
mentioned.
Aalborg Sports College is located in Vestbyen, directly opposite Aalborg Stadium. The school is a large part of the city's sporting and cultural life, as the students use many of the sports clubs in Aalborg as sparring partners and subsequently often get coaching jobs in the same clubs. The Sports College trains Diploma coaches in several different sports, you have the opportunity to prepare for a future study, primarily in the humanities, or you can prepare for the entrance exam for the Police School. In addition, Aalborg Sports College holds an annual exercise run in the spring, as well as open song evenings several times a year with themes such as the Beatles, the 1960s, Gasolin, etc. Aalborg sports college is also building premises for Aalborg climbing club.
Centrally in Aalborg there are three churches; Our Lady's Church,
Budolfi Church (Aalborg Cathedral) and Aalborg Klosterkirke, all of
which belong to Aalborg Budolfi Provsti.
Our Lady Church
Our
Lady's church was designed by J.E. Gnudtzmann and is located in the
middle of Aalborg, close to the pedestrian street and Aalborg
Stadsarkiv. It has done so since 1878, where there had previously been a
medieval church and a Benedictine monastery from the 12th century. At
that time, the church was called Mariakirken and was attached to a
Benedictine monastery in what was then the eastern edge of the city. In
the west gable you can still see a granite portal, which originates from
this first church. This is considered Aalborg's oldest work of art.
Budolfi Church
Budolfi Church is Aalborg's cathedral with a
central location in the city on Budolfi Kirkeplads between Algade and
Gammeltorv. The church's current form is from 1941-43, when the church
underwent a major expansion and remodeling. Before that, there was a
wooden church from the 11th century.
Aalborg Monastery Church
In the middle of the center of Aalborg, lies Aalborg Monastery, with its
associated monastery church. The monastery church was over a long
period, 2005 to 12 September 2010, undergoing a major renovation. The
renovation was done in collaboration with Aalborg monastery and Budolfi
parish (Aalborg cathedral). During the renovation, all the furniture in
the church was sent to various craftsmen for renovation, and the altar
area and the baptismal font were replaced by completely new ones. These
were created by the sculptor Professor Mogens Møller. The architect of
the entire renovation was Ole Knudsen, and the royal building inspector
Jacob Blegvad was an observer and active in the process. Aalborg
monastery church belongs to the parish of Budolfi, and to this day is
still active with Sunday services, holiday services, baptisms and
weddings, even though the Holy Spirit monastery itself has been
converted into housing for the elderly.
The city's name is known as Alabur and Alebu on coins from the 11th
century. In King Valdemar's Land Register it is called Aleburgh. The
name is thought to come from áel, which is a narrow stream or waterway.
Some also use the nickname "Paris of the North" about Aalborg.
Spelling Å/Aa
Aalborg, like Aabenraa, is one of the Danish cities
where there has been a dispute about the spelling. The spelling rules
recommend Ålborg, but the page form Aalborg is now also allowed (in the
Spelling Dictionary it is in brackets). In the official list of place
names there is also Ålborg, but with a note that "the local municipality
wants å, Å written as aa, Aa".
The spelling with Å was introduced
after the spelling reform in 1948. Minister of Education Bertel Haarder
and Minister of Culture Mimi Jacobsen decided in 1984 that the
municipalities could choose the spelling themselves, which went against
the advice of the Place Names Committee and the Danish Language Board.
Since the 1980s, DSB, Post Danmark and the Swedish Map and Land
Registry Agency have reintroduced the spelling Aalborg on signs etc. in
line with the municipality's wishes. Most residents strongly identify
with the Aa spelling, and the city has even been called Double A as a
nickname from the title of a song by local rap musician Niarn.
In
non-Scandinavian languages, Aalborg is most often spelled with "Aa" for
practical reasons, as it does not require the use of Scandinavian
characters.
The city of Aalborg's history stretches back over 1,000 years. Alabu is the first known name for Aalborg, it is written on coins from the 1040s. The town was granted township rights in 1342.
The city itself is believed to have been founded in Viking times, but the area has been inhabited by humans for much longer. The town's location is due to the fact that there was a good crossing point over the Limfjord, which narrowed in here, combined with the good harbor opportunities where Østerå emptied into the fjord. In the Iron Age, there were villages on several of the chalk mounds on which modern Aalborg was built. The most significant of them were Tranders and Hasseris.
The first actual urban settlement probably arose at
the Østerås outlet in the Limfjord in the area where the modern
streets Algade and Boulevarden cross today. The river functioned as
a port similar to many other similar trading places in Viking-era
Denmark. Among the oldest townhouses, traces of agriculture were
found, including plow tracks. Apparently, from approx. 800 lay a
village on the site.
In 1994 to 1995, a major archaeological
study of the oldest layers in the city of Aalborg was carried out.
These studies provided a better knowledge of the early history of
the city. Among other things, it was found that in the 10th century
there had been changes in the area around the estuary. Traces of
crafts and workshops are beginning to appear, as well as pit houses
and a trading post. The structure of the square is reminiscent of
the one that i.a. known from Ribe in the 700s, ie. it is not an
actual permanent city, but rather a marketplace where there has been
activity from time to time. The trading and workshop space has
probably been in operation until the middle of the 1000s. It was
probably replaced by the first real city with year-round buildings.
The oldest street is Algade, and the houses were built with the
gable facing the main street. Traces of houses from around the same
time on the other side of the river have also been found. There have
probably been royal interests instead from the beginning, but the
connection of the royal power becomes clear in 1035-1042, when
Hardeknud struck coins in the city, the same thing happened in
Aarhus.
From these coins also derives the oldest name of the
city: Alabu. The kings Knud the Holy and Erik Ejegod also minted
coins in the city. Scattered traces of handicrafts have been found
near the river from the entire period from 700 to 1000, but the soil
layers show that arable land replaced buildings. On each side of the
creek a church was erected where tombs dating to 995-1025 have been
found.
In the Middle
Ages, Aalborg flourished, it was granted market town rights in 1342,
and became one of Denmark's largest cities. A development that was
further strengthened when in 1516 the town was granted a monopoly on
the trade in salted herring.
The Port of Aalborg was granted
royal privilege as a port in the period 1462-1490.
Købmandslavet Guds Legems Laug (today Erhverv Norddanmark) was
established in 1431, after a long period of trade with the Hanseatic
League. The herring fishery created connections across the North Sea
to England, but trade with Norway and western Sweden was also
important. During the Count's feud, however, the town was hard hit.
Skipper Clement used the town as his main base, but in December
1534 the town was stormed by Johan Rantzau's troops who plundered
and looted it. It has been estimated that about 2,000 people lost
their lives in that regard. This may have been a revenge for the
battle of Svenstrup a few months before, when the rebel army had
defeated Christian the 3rd's noble army. In 1554, Aalborg became a
bishop's city. In the centuries that followed, Aalborg grew again,
mainly on the basis of the rich herring fishery around Jutland,
which had a particularly strong upswing in the 1680s.
A
number of medieval buildings still have traces of them. The Gray
Brothers Monastery, which was located on the east side of Østerå, is
mentioned in 1268 and was a Franciscan monastery. It was probably
built around 1240, while the Franciscan monastery in Ribe from 1232
is Denmark's oldest. The monastery was closed in 1530, ie even
before the Reformation. Remains from the now demolished buildings
can today be seen in an underground exhibition under Algade. The
city's third monastery, the shared monastery and nunnery of the Holy
Spirit Monastery, was founded in 1451 to help the sick, orphans and
the poor. It was converted into a hospital by the Reformation.
Today, the buildings function as nursing homes. The Cathedral of St.
Budolfi is built in Gothic style and dates from the end of the 14th
century. Gammeltorv with houses from approx. 1300 witnesses to the
wealth of trade in the Middle Ages.
In 1767, four priests in Aalborg began printing a
magazine with news. It was later named Aalborg Stiftstidende and
after merging in 1999 with three other significant newspapers in
North Jutland, the newspaper is now called Nordjyske Stiftstidende.
Aalborg Amtstidende published a newspaper in Aalborg in 1889-1971.
Around 1800, there was a decline in herring fishing, which had a
negative impact on the city's economy. It was further aggravated in
connection with the Loss of Norway, where the city lost its
important role as a hub for Norwegian trade and the establishment of
the Limfjord's Western 'exit', which meant that the city lost
control of the Limfjord region's trade.
Aalborg Business
School was founded in 1875.
Aalborg continued to be Jutland's
largest city until the 1850s, when this status was taken over by
Aarhus. After a violent industrialization in the 1890s, Aalborg was
in the 20th century a distinct industrial city, known as the city
with the smoking chimneys and home to several large companies within
especially cement (Aalborg Portland and Dansk Andels Cement, DAC),
tobacco (CW Obel) , shipbuilding (Aalborg Shipyard) and spirits (De
Danske Spritfabrikker). The city's heyday as an industrial city in
growth in the years around World War I is the background for Jacob
Paludan's book "Jørgen Stein". The author himself lived in the city.
The great riches that were accumulated in the city are reflected in
the residential area Hasseris and especially Hasserisvej, which
probably has the country's largest concentration of mansions and
patrician villas from around 1900.
In connection with the
German invasion of Denmark, the airfield was captured very early by
German paratroopers. This event is considered the first in which
paratroopers were used in war. Throughout the war, the airfield was
of great importance to the Luftwaffe.
In 1969, Aalborg
Privatbaner closed, and it became the end of Aalborg as a hub for a
number of railways to the west and east.
As a result of the
city not having a university, Aalborg became a distinctly working -
class city. The Social Democrats have had a majority for many years.
In 1960, Aalborg Seminarium was founded and it was not until the
1970s that Aalborg University came into being.
Transition
from industrial city to knowledge and education city and the future
Today, Aalborg is undergoing a transformation from being an
industrial city to being a city of knowledge and education, and we
have come a long way in this development. In the late 1990s,
construction of offices and homes began in the old industrial areas
west of the Limfjord Bridge, but it was not until the late 00s that
development gained momentum. The old port areas in front of the
medieval town east of the Limfjord Bridge were transformed into a
recreational area with cafés, restaurants and cultural and sports
life. In 2008, the Utzon Center was opened, which was a milestone in
development. The center's first architecture programs moved into the
center. Aalborg University today has Denmark's largest admission of
students and has approx. 20,000 students affiliated.
The old
Nordkraft power plant has transformed the old industrial building
into one of Europe's largest cultural centers, and opposite
Nordkraft, 251 of the 5,000 youth housing units that will be built
in Aalborg in the coming years are being built. Tourism has also
become an important area for Aalborg, as many tourists from all over
the world visit Aalborg to experience the city. Norwegians and
Swedes in particular use Aalborg for weekend trips.
Old
industrial areas such as Godsbanen, Eternitten and Østre Havn are
areas that are now being converted into neighborhoods with
educational functions, offices and housing for both young and old.
According to the physical vision for Aalborg for 2025, it is
expected that there will be 225,000 people living in the urban
region, that they will have a + bus line in the city, and that the
New Aalborg University Hospital will be completed.
In 2013,
the European Commission concluded that Aalborg is the city in Europe
where the majority of residents are satisfied with their city
compared to other major European cities such as Copenhagen and
Hamburg.
In March 2014, it emerged that De Danske
Spritfabrikker will close production in Aalborg, which will then be
moved to Norway. The buildings and the surrounding area have been
bought by A. Enggaard, who together with Martin Nielsen Holding ApS
who wants to develop the area into an international destination with
culture, apartments and businesses.
Aalborg is located in the north of Himmerland on the south side of the Limfjord and via the Limfjord Tunnel, the Limfjord Bridge and the Railway Bridge over the Limfjord there is a connection with Nørresundby on the north side, which is in southern Vendsyssel.
Aalborg is 120 kilometers north of Aarhus, 82 kilometers north of
Randers and 50 kilometers north of Hobro. Aalborg is 50 kilometers south
of Hjørring, 63 kilometers south-west of Frederikshavn and 90 kilometers
east of Thisted. It is 414 kilometers (via the Great Belt Bridge) to
Copenhagen. Hamburg is 450 kilometers away. It is 150 kilometers to
Gothenburg (via the Frederikshavn-Göteborg ferry). Oslo is 361
kilometers away (via the Frederikshavn-Oslo ferry).
Aalborg
centre
In the center of Aalborg is Nytorv, which forms the city's
most central square. The pedestrian street Bispensgade runs from Nytorv
and a short distance from the square – via Østerågade – is the
pedestrian street Algade. One end of this – which, however, is not a
pedestrian street – runs up towards Budolfi Church. The three pedestrian
streets, Nytorv and the adjacent streets make up one of the city's
largest trading places, which are united in the association Aalborg
City. At Gammeltorv, which is also in the centre, you will find the
city's old town hall, Aalborg Town Hall. A short distance from Nytorv
(via Ved Stranden and Borgergade) is one of Aalborg's busiest streets,
Vesterbro, which at the northern end is connected to the bridge over the
Limfjorden to Nørresundby, the Limfjordsbroen. It is the only place
(apart from the motorway connection in the Limfjord tunnel) where you
can cross the Limfjord from Aggersund in the west (bridge) to Egense in
the east (ferry). Østerågade becomes the street Boulevarden, which leads
up to John F. Kennedys Plads, Aalborg Bus Terminal and Aalborg Station.
Aalborg's cultural center is found at Nordkraft, Musikkens Hus and
the Main Library. This area forms a new cultural center where the city
expands to the east. The area also includes new youth housing and new
apartment complexes on Østre Havn.
Aalborg Municipality divides Aalborg into administrative planning
areas. In total there are 16 planning areas. 5A Hasseris, 5B Skalborg,
6A Kærby, 6B Hobrovej, 7 Gug, 8A Aalborg Øst, 8B AAU-kvt., 9A
Reberbansgade/Ryesgade-kvt., 9B Søhelte-kvt., 9C Klosterm/Vesterbro.,
10A Aalborg City, 10B Ø-gade kvt., 11A Vejgaard, 11B Vejgaard Vest, 12A
Nørresundby and 12B Sundby/Hvorup.
These planning areas can be
divided into a functional district designation used by Aalborg's
residents: Aalborg Centrum, Øgadekvarteret, Vejgaard, Aalborg East,
Aalborg University District, Gug, Skalborg, Hobrovejskvarteret, Kærby,
Hasseris, Aalborg Vestby and Nørresundby.
Several of the
districts have local neighborhood designations.
Aalborg Centrum
covers i.a. The theater quarter, Eternitgruden, the Godsbane area and
Østre Havn
Aalborg East covers i.a. the areas Øster Sundby, Øster
Uttrup, Sønder Tranders and Nørre Tranders.
Hasseris covers i.a.
Mølholm and Gammel Hasseris.
Skalborg covers i.a. City South.
Gug
covers i.a. Greenland Quarter, Gug East and Visse.
The
Hobrovejskvarter covers i.a. Kornblomkvarter.
Aalborg Vestby covers
i.a. Søheltekvarteret and the island of Egholm
Spring in Aalborg is relatively dry and sunny and typically with temperatures between 5 °C – 10 °C, but with the possibility of night frost and not infrequently temperatures up to 15 °C. Summers have on average maximum temperatures around 20 °C and minimum temperatures of 12 °C, but sometimes with temperatures above 25 °C, but rarely above 30 °C. Autumn typically has temperatures between 6 °C – 12 °C and is characterized by a lot of rain. September can offer late summer weather, while November sometimes offers snowfall. Winters have average temperatures between −3 – 2 °C, and rarely lower than −10 °C. Precipitation typically alternates between rain, sleet and snow.
There are 114,194 (2018) inhabitants living on the Himmerlands side. Including Nørresundby on the Vendsyssel side, there are 137,053 residents (2018). In total, there are 213,558 (2018) inhabitants in Aalborg Municipality.
The city center is very marked by the fact that there are only two
main thoroughfares that cross the Limfjord. The main road between
Nørresundby and Svenstrup runs right through the center of Aalborg in
the form of the long street Vesterbro. Residents and people traveling
through the city quickly learn that during rush hour it is impossible to
use the main road through the center as it is jammed with cars. There is
increasingly a debate in the area about the 3rd Limfjord connection.
Collective transport
Aalborg's traffic hub is John F. Kennedys
Plads, where you will find both Aalborg Bus Terminal and Aalborg
Station. There are frequent train connections to Copenhagen (5½ hours),
Aarhus (1½ hours), Hjørring (40 minutes), Frederikshavn (1¼ hours) and
Skørping (21 minutes). Aalborg is a hub for bus traffic in the North
Jutland region and also has X-bus connections to Rønbjerg, Nykøbing M.,
Løkken Viborg, Asaa, Frederikshavn, Silkeborg, Holstebro, Randers,
Aarhus, Esbjerg and Thisted.
Took
With the stations Lindholm,
Vestbyen, Skalborg and Aalborg Station, which are all served by regional
trains, Aalborg is one of the relatively few cities in Denmark that is
served from several regional train stations. DSB's InterCityLyn trains
all stop at Vestbyen, Lindholm and Banegården.
The municipality
is also served by trains via Aalborg Nærbane, which in addition to
Aalborg Station stops in Lindholm, Vestbyen, Svenstrup and Skalborg. In
connection with the Government's, Liberal Party's, Danish People's
Party's, Liberal Alliance's and Conservative People's Party's Traffic
Agreement 2013, DKK 276 million has been set aside for a connecting
runway to Aalborg Airport from Lindholm.
Bus
Nordjylland's
Trafikselskab is responsible for operating buses in the city, and as the
only municipality in North Jutland, Aalborg Municipality is responsible
for planning routes and timetables. The city is served by 12 regular
city bus lines, 2 service bus lines, 5 night bus lines and 6 local bus
lines.
The Metrobus concept formed the backbone of public
transport in Aalborg until 2016. Lines 1 and 2 ran on a common route
through the center of Aalborg, after which they are distributed to other
cities. If it said 1L, for example, the bus continued to
Svenstrup/Godthåb. On the shared route, the metro buses did not run
according to a definite schedule, but arrived at a certain interval,
during the day typically every 7-8. minute. They are thus reminiscent of
the A-buses in Copenhagen. There are around 281,000 boardings on the
city and metro buses in Aalborg Municipality per week.
The
Metrobus concept was discontinued in 2018 when they began to repaint the
remaining metrobus lines into ordinary yellow city buses.
Electric city buses
As of 7 August 2022, all city bus lines in
Aalborg have been replaced by electric buses. In doing so, Aalborg
municipality has carried out Denmark's largest change from diesel
operation to electric bus operation.
Aalborg Light rail/+BUS
Aalborg Light Rail was one of the city's major focus areas and was to
function as the backbone of public transport in the future. They wanted
a high-class light rail from Aalborg Vestby via Aalborg Centrum to the
new University Hospital. Expansions to Aalborg Airport, Aalborg East,
City South, Bouet or Løvvang in Nørresundby could then be planned. The
project was started by Nordjylland's Trafikselskab, Aalborg Municipality
and Region Nordjylland in the Light Rail Secretariat, which has produced
reports, etc. to the Folketing to get the light rail in Aalborg before
2025. The light rail was expected to cost DKK 1.1 billion. kroner, and
it was expected that a light rail would be able to reduce the number of
cars by 600,000. However, the state did not want to contribute to the
light rail anyway, instead they are now working on a BRT system that
will cost 0.5 billion. kroner. This connection - with the name +BUS - is
expected to be established by 2023.
The Egholm ferry
There is
a ferry connection for people and cars to the island of Egholm. The
ferry berth on the Aalborg side is at Fjordparken in Vestbyen.
Cab
Dantaxi 4x48 drives taxis in Aalborg, after the merger with
Aalborg Taxi, while the booking center uses both Aalborg Taxi's number
and Dantaxi 4x48's nationwide number.
Aalborg Airport
Aalborg
Airport is Denmark's third largest airport with around 1.5 million
annual passengers. The domestic route to Copenhagen is by far Denmark's
largest with approximately 20 daily departures. The route is operated by
both SAS and Norwegian. There are also 17 foreign routes to e.g. London,
Barcelona, Nice, Stockholm, Oslo, Malaga, Mallorca, Vágar and Amsterdam.
Added to this is a strongly increasing charter traffic.
Right
next to Aalborg Airport is the military Air Station Aalborg.
In
2014, a hotel was built directly adjacent to Aalborg Airport, Aalborg
Airport Hotel.
Port of Aalborg
Aalborg Port is located by the
Limfjord in primarily the eastern part of Aalborg, as most port
activities have moved away from central Aalborg. Company Aalborg Havn
A/S owns 2.6 million m² port area, while other port owners are i.a.
Aalborg Portland and Nordjyllandsværket. Royal Arctic Line operates
freight traffic to Greenland from the Port of Aalborg. Grain and feed
materials, steel structures, wind turbine blades, cement, coal, oil and
containerized goods are all goods that are loaded in the Port of
Aalborg.
As one of the country's largest cities and the center of a large
region, Aalborg has a number of different educational institutions. The
municipality runs 19 primary schools in Aalborg (incl. Nørresundby), and
there are also 7 private schools in the city.
Secondary education
Hasseris Gymnasium
Tech College Aalborg
Aalborg business school
Aalborg Cathedral School
Aalborg Student course
Aalborg Technical
High School
Aalborghus Gymnasium
Scientific and vocational
education
Aalborg University (AAU)
The Academy of Information
Sciences
The Jutland Conservatory of Music
University College
North Jutland
Other higher education
SOSU Nord
Other
education
VUC & HF North Jutland (OBU, FVU, AVU, HF)
Aalborg
Sports College
Folkeuniversitetet in North Jutland
Aalborg
Production School
The Adult School for Teaching and Communication
The speech institute
The Hearing Institute
Aalborg School
EUX
Business Strandvejen
EUD Business Strandvejen
Commercially, the city is known, among other things, for its
production of white and gray cement at the Aalborg Portland cement
factory and for its schnapps - Rød Aalborg - as De Danske Spritfabrikker
was founded here in 1881 by C.F. Tietgen and C.A. Olesen.
In the
eastern part of the city is Aalborg University, which also has several
departments in central Aalborg. From Aalborg City Center it is 6 km to
Aalborg Airport on the north side of the Limfjord.
A significant
part of the city and area's business life is organized in the Chamber of
Commerce Erhverv Norddanmark, which has its roots in the Guds Legems
Laug founded by local merchants no later than 1431. The organization,
which is the country's oldest and largest of its kind, has more than 650
members ( mid 2021).
Aalborg has 33 sister cities all over the world. Aalborg is thus the city in Denmark where politicians spend the most money on fostering relations with twin cities. Every four years, Aalborg is visited by young people from most of the twin cities for the sports event Ungdomslegene (since 1975). Similar Youth Games take place in Rendsborg, Lancaster and Almere.
Born in Aalborg
Hans of Denmark (1455-1513), King of Denmark,
Norway and Sweden, Duke of Schleswig and Holstein
Børge Mogensen
(1914-1972), furniture architect
Preben Kaas (1930-1981), actor and
comedian
Henning Munk Jensen (1947-), soccer player
Henning Jensen
(1949-), soccer player
Britta Thomsen (1954-), politician and member
of the European Parliament
Ole Bornedal (1959-), film director
Anne van Olst (1962-), Olympic bronze medalist in dressage riding
Claus Beck-Nielsen or Madame Nielsen, author (1963-)
Benny Nielsen
(1966-), Olympic silver medalist in swimming
Jes Høgh (1966-), soccer
player
Soulshock (1968-), songwriter and music producer
Hanne Dahl
(1970-), politician and former member of the European Parliament
Ebbe
Sand (1972-), soccer player
Pernille Rosendahl (1972-),
singer/songwriter (Swan Lee, The Storm)
Geo (1975-), stand-up
comedian, actor, columnist and author.
Peter Gade (1976-), EC gold
and WC bronze in badminton
Joachim B. Olsen (1977-), Olympic bronze
medalist in the shot put and politician
Mette Frederiksen (1977-),
Denmark's 42nd Prime Minister
Huxi Bach (1978-), Danish radio and TV
host
Niarn (1979-), Danish rapper
Pernille Skipper (1984-),
politician
Skipper Clement (1485-1536), leader of the peasant revolt
Jens
Munk (1579–1628), sailor raised in Aalborg
Frederik Ferdinand
Tillisch (1801–1889), Danish statesman
Jørn Utzon (1918-2008),
architect raised in Aalborg
Inge Eriksen (1935-2015), author raised
in Skørping and Aalborg, has written the novel A woman with a hat
(2005), which includes takes place in Aalborg
Ole Stavad (1949-),
politician and former minister educated in Aalborg
Bent Flyvbjerg
(1952-), head of research at Oxford University, longer employment at
Aalborg University
Frank Jensen (1961-), mayor and former minister
raised in Aalborg
Bjørn Lomborg (1965-), statistician and writer
raised in Aalborg
Jakob Ejersbo (1968-2008), author, i.a. for the
novel Nordkraft
Peter Adolphsen (1972-), writer raised in Aalborg
Martin 'Mønt' Jensen (1989-), gastrophysicist and jazz man raised in
Aalborg