Randers is a city in East Jutland with 62,482 inhabitants (2020), which makes it Denmark's 6th largest city. In East Jutland, Randers is the second largest city after Aarhus. The town is located at the mouth of the Gudenåen northeastern end and at the same time at the bottom of Randers Fjord with steep hills on the north side. From ancient times, Randers has been an important traffic hub for northbound and southbound roads, which met at the narrow crossing point at Randers, from where there was also access by ship into Randers Fjord. Today, there are train connections to Langå and Hobro from the city's railway station, just as all IC trains heading north stop here. Randers is located in the part of the Northeast Jutland area that is popularly called Kronjylland.
Randers' history can be traced back to at least the Middle Ages. The town was founded at the mouth of the Gudenåen, by what is today called Randers fjord. The city has been important as a trading town throughout its history. There have been several significant people in Randers' history, including Niels Ebbesen. Several different churches and monasteries were founded in the city. By industrialization, Randers got several different factories and a railway. Industrialization led to an increase in the population from 7,338 in 1850 to 24,428 in 1916, a development that continued through the interwar period whereby there were 32,928 inhabitants in 1940. In 2020, the population of Randers city is 62,482.
Water is strongly represented in Randers. Denmark's longest river,
Gudenå, runs through the city and the harbour, and Randers Fjord gives
access to the Kattegat. The citizens thus have direct access to the
stream from the city itself at the Hornbæk Enge and Vorup Enge wetlands.
There is therefore unique access to a versatile, beautiful nature, and
the areas are rich in bird life, just as European bison oxen graze in
Vorup Enge as part of Randers Regnskov's rewilding projects.
Randers is also characterized by a hilly landscape both in and around
the city. Randers also has peaceful forest areas in Fladbro, and a few
km outside the city lies Fussing Sø between hills and forest. Fussing Sø
is a favorite bathing destination for many of the locals.
Randers
Nature School offers experiences in nature and by the river.
Randers' infrastructure is characterized by its location at the
bottom of Randers Fjord. Together with the Gudenå, the fjord divides the
city into a northern and southern part, with the city center located in
the northern part.
Nordjyske Motorvej runs west of Randers and
has exits to several approach roads. The approach roads all lead to
Randers' only ring road, which encircles the city centre. The ring road
is called the Centerringen. The city council wants to make the city
center within the Center ring more peaceful. In this connection, it is
i.a. proposed to close roads to prevent through traffic and close
parking lots.
Randersbro creates the connection between the
southern and northern parts of the city, and with its 45,000 passing
cars every day, it is one of Denmark's busiest roads. West of the city
there is a connection via the motorway over the Gudenå, and there are
plans to make a new connection east of the city. These plans, which the
municipalities of Randers, Syddjurs and Norddjurs cooperate on, involve
a bridge or tunnel at Assentoft and must divert regional traffic around
Randers. The plan takes into account that the Port of Randers may have
to move out around the new connection. There are also thoughts about
more bridges inside Randers to relieve Randersbro. One of the proposals
is to expand the Center Ring so that it crosses Randers Fjord via
Randersbro and a new bridge called the Bolværkslinjen, which is to be
located 400 meters east of Randersbro.
Houmeden in Rander's city
center enjoys the status of Denmark's oldest pedestrian street, and the
city has a well-developed network of pedestrian streets in the old part
of the city.
In 2014, the "Northern Hinge" (Ringvej Syd
(Randers)) was opened, providing an easier bypass from Djursland over
Randers. The bypass road is located between Assentoft and Sdr. Borup and
relieves the other traffic in the area and into Randers.
Public
transport
Randers currently has ten city bus lines. From August 2020,
two A-bus lines with frequent departures will be introduced.
Airport
North of Randers Center is Randers Airport, the second
largest in East Jutland. It is home to Randers Flyveklub and has a
single runway.
Randers Municipality is also part of the ownership
group of Aarhus Airport in Tirstrup, which serves around 400,000
passengers annually. The airport has for a long period been under great
political pressure for a possible move closer to Aarhus.
Several Danish and foreign companies have branches or head offices in
Randers.
The multinational company Bombardier has its Danish
branch in Randers on Toldbodgade, where Hvide Mølle was founded as early
as 1862. The company produced passenger and freight cars for the railway
network in Northern Jutland and then came under the group.
One of
Northern Europe's largest butcher companies Danish Crown, Tulip Food
Company and the nationwide Danish clothing chain Marcus all have their
headquarters in the city. Randers Handsker was founded in 1811 in the
town and has been there ever since. The company has today outsourced the
majority of production, but sewing is still done at the address in
Randers, and the company is today one of the world's oldest
manufacturers of gloves.
NOPA was founded in Randers in 1964, but
today has its headquarters in Hobro. The wind turbine manufacturer NEG
Micon was also founded in the city, but merged with Vestas in 2004.
Other companies in the city include AGCO A/S, Dan Dryer and the brewery
Thor.
The retail trade is particularly concentrated in the city's
extensive pedestrian street network in the old part of the city, which
includes counts on Brødregade and the area between Borgergade and
Østervold with Houmeden, the country's oldest pedestrian street. At the
southern end of the city is Randers Storcenter, which has around 55
shops.
From 1963 to 2018, Køsters Motorboghandel existed, which
exclusively had motor-related literature. In 2018, the collection was
the fifth largest worldwide.
Hotel Kongens Ege and Hotel Randers
have a total of over 200 rooms, but there are several smaller motels and
hostels in the area.
Randers Amtsavis was founded in the city in
1810.
The garment factory G. Falbe Hansen existed in the city
from 1872-2009, and was for a time the largest in the country with over
450 employees.
Randers has programs within primary schools, private and independent schools, special schools, post-secondary schools, preparatory education, youth education, vocational education and higher education.
The city's biggest attraction is the Randers Rainforest, which is
Northern Europe's largest artificial rainforest. It has around 350
different plant species and over 175 different animal species, many of
which roam freely in the three artificial habitats: the African, the
Asian and the South American. There is also a snake terrarium called the
"Snake Garden" as well as an aquarium. Randers Regnskov is visited every
year by over a quarter of a million guests. Randers Regnskoven, in
collaboration with Aage V. Jensens Fonde, has, for example, released
viable European bison bulls in Vorup Enge.
There are several
museums in the city. The Cultural Center contains the Randers Art
Museum, which has a wide collection of Danish visual art from around
1800 to the present day, the Randers City Archives, the Randers Library
and the fusion museum Museum Østjyllands afdeling Museum Østjylland
Randers, which was established as a regional museum for the Randers area
in 1872.
Museum Østjylland has several addresses in the city;
Museum East Jutland Randers, the Handicrafts Museum Randers in the grain
warehouse Kejsergården and De Buhlske stuer.
In addition, there
is the GAIA Museum Outsider Art, Randers Local History Archive, Danish
Design Museum and Thor museum The brewery museum for the city's beer,
Thor.
In 2011, the Memphis Mansion (formerly Graceland Randers)
opened, a replica of Elvis Presley's Graceland. The museum contains
effects related to the artist and had over 142,000 visitors in 2016. 12
km southeast of Randers is Clausholm Castle, which was built in the
1690s.
The former electricity plant, Værket, forms the framework
for many of the city's offerings in the form of music and theatre, and
is used, among other things, by Randers Regional Theatre.
The
city's cinema is part of Nordisk Film Biograferne, and has six screens.
Every year in August (week 33), Randersugen takes place, where the
big draw is the Tent, which is located down by Justesen's lawn. Several
of the great Danish musicians come and play here. Randersugen is
Denmark's largest user-generated city festival.
Several statues
are set up around the city. These include e.g. The Jyske Stallion by
Helen Schou and Niels Ebbesen's statue by F.E. Call for Rander's old
town hall.
In Randers you will find many types of buildings and building styles
from different periods. The city's oldest building, Påskesønnernes Gård,
can be dated back to 1460 and is located on the town hall square in the
center of town. The Holy Spirit House was also built in the 15th
century, both in the Gothic style.
The 17th and 18th centuries
are represented by a number of distinctive half-timbered houses in the
central part of the city, which formed the city's original street
layout. The houses can be seen in Brødregade, Nørregade, Kirkestræde,
Vestergrave, Vestergade, Store Kirkestræde and Von Hattenstræde and
Nygade. In Storegade you will also find Niels Ebbesen's farm from 1632.
Rander's old town hall, designed by architect Christian Jensen Mørup,
was built in 1778-1780 in neoclassical style.
The arrival of
neoclassicism in the 19th and 20th centuries can be seen in the
Schousgade quarter, but Randers State School from 1926 is also a
prominent building in this style, designed by Hack Kampmann.
One
of the architects who has left the biggest mark in Randers is Jens Peter
Jensen Wærum. He has designed several of the city's significant and
well-known buildings, such as Randers Technical School, the dragon rider
barracks, the water tower on Hobrovej and the buildings for the Thor
brewery.
Recent times
After the city's industrial and factory
operations in the center have closed down, new districts and buildings
have opened up. The district Thors Bakke was launched on the grounds of
the Thor brewery when the brewery closed. The area has now been
converted into housing, shops, restaurants and a cinema. Notable
buildings include the listed main building and the high-rise Thors Tårn.
A new district is also taking shape on the former site of the train
factory Scandia. The new district "Sporbyen Scandia" contains, like
Thors Bakke, newly built homes, restaurants, and cultural events and
fairs are held in the old halls, which have been preserved.
Football
Bionutria Park Randers.
Randers FC represents the
city in the best Danish football league, the Superligaen. The club was
formed in 2003 and is an association of the city's six local clubs:
Randers Sportsklub Freja, Dronningborg Boldklub, Kristrup Boldklub,
Vorup Frederiksberg Boldklub, Hornbæk Sports Forening and Randers YMCA.
The club plays on Randers Freja's licence. Randers FC plays its home
games at Cepheus Park Randers, which was built in 2004 and completely
completed in 2015. In 2006, Randers FC won the national cup tournament
in the Park over Esbjerg fB and, since the club's formation, has placed
itself predominantly in the better half of the Superliga.
Handball
Randers HK (women) has been in the national top for a number
of years. In November 2022, the board filed its own petition for
bankruptcy.
Randers HH plays in the 3rd division as of 2022-2023.
Both have/had their home ground in Arena Randers. Both were/are
superstructure clubs, which were formed with the aim of creating elite
teams that make Randers among the country's best.
Other sports
The city's location by Randers Fjord forms the basis for Randers Roklub
and other sports activities such as canoeing and kayaking.
Several other sports are gathered in the club Randers Sportklub Freja,
which, in addition to being part of the aforementioned superstructure
clubs within football and handball, also has athletics and table tennis
as well as triathlon on the programme. According to according to the
club's own statement, the table tennis department has some of Denmark's
best training facilities, and the results have not been lacking for the
department either.
Randers Thunder is an American football team
based in the city, as is Randers Dockers an Australian football team
based in the city. The city's football stadium has hosted the final of
the best Danish series in American football several times.
Randers Lions is the city's speedway team. The team raced in 2011 in the
Danish 1st division in speedway under the Danish Motor Union. In 2010,
the team won the Danish 2nd division with a maximum of 36 points for 12
matches.
International sporting events
International sporting
events are also held in the city. Among other things, Randers held the
world championship for German Shepherds in 2006 and again in 2018, with
participants from 50-60 countries. Both times at Cepheus Park Randers.
In 2013, Randers hosted the EC in beach handball. This took place at
Tronholmen in Randers, with a specially built outdoor arena.
The
Danish U/21 national football team has, as the latest national football
team, played at Cepheus Park Randers.