Ulfborg is a station town located close to Nissum Fjord in West
Jutland. The city has 2,025 inhabitants (2020) and is located on the
railway line between Ringkøbing and Holstebro. Ulfborg is located in
Holstebro Municipality and belongs to the Central Jutland Region.
In the former town hall, a citizen service has been established
today, which can locally serve the citizens in relation to the tasks
that do not require specialists.
The library, which was
inaugurated in 1997, is housed in a building complex on the square
and has a material stock of approx. 20,000 books and other media.
Ulfborg Gæstgivergaard, built in 1878 and renovated in 2007, has
a restaurant, rooms and a hall with room for approx. 150 dining
guests.
In the station town, Ulfkær Church is part of Ulfborg
Parish.
The royally privileged Ulfborg Market was held for
the first time on 21 August 1840. Over the years, the number of
visitors has been constantly increasing. The market is held every
year in week 33 in the green area by Ringvejen.
A few
kilometers to the west is the characteristic red-and-white 54 meter
high wind turbine, Tvindmøllen, by the school association Tvind. In
the eastern direction there are large stretches of heath.
Ulfborg and its surroundings boast museums that delve into local
history, retro culture, and seafaring tales, often set against the
backdrop of the rugged Jutland coast.
Strandingsmuseum St. George
(Thorsminde Shipwreck Museum): Located in the fishing village of
Thorsminde, about 10 km from Ulfborg, this award-winning museum narrates
the perilous history of shipwrecks along Denmark's west coast. Its
centerpiece is the tragic 1811 Christmas Eve disaster, when the British
warships HMS St. George and HMS Defence sank during a hurricane,
resulting in nearly 1,400 deaths—Denmark's worst maritime catastrophe.
Exhibits include thousands of artifacts recovered from the wrecks, such
as cannons, gold coins, musical instruments, wine bottles, and the
massive 11-meter rudder from St. George, displayed in a dramatic tower.
The museum explores themes of seafaring life, rescues, and the local
population's interactions with stranded sailors from around the world.
Interactive elements, like sound and light installations, bring the
stories to life, while an outdoor playground educates children on
shipwrecks. Opened in 2017 in site-specific architecture, it also
addresses modern issues like marine debris. Visitor tips: It's
handicap-friendly with elevators and audio guides; expect emotional
stories of loss and heroism.
VW & Retro Museum: Situated right in
Ulfborg, this family-owned museum is a nostalgic haven for car
enthusiasts and retro lovers. Founded by Carsten and Sussi, it features
a collection of vintage Volkswagen vehicles, including iconic Beetles,
buses, and a cherished VW camping bus that the owners drove over 90,000
km. The exhibits extend to 1950s–1980s memorabilia, everyday items, and
even B&O's old factory fire truck. It's more than cars—visitors can
explore retro designs, technology, and cultural artifacts that evoke
"the good old days." Activities include children's competitions with
prizes, dog-friendly visits (on leash), and guided tours with coffee or
meals in Grandma's Café. The museum, which started from Carsten's
father's VW dealership, emphasizes hands-on experiences and is popular
for bus groups.
Græmhus Kunstgalleri: A small art gallery in the
area, focusing on local contemporary works. It's a peaceful spot for
appreciating Danish artistry amid the coastal setting, though it's more
understated compared to the larger museums.
Ulfborg's history is marked by Viking-era roots, WWII resistance, and
innovative engineering, with sites that reflect resilience and cultural
legacy.
Kaj Munks Præstegård (Kaj Munk's Vicarage): In Vedersø,
about 15 km from Ulfborg, this 19th-century vicarage was home to Kaj
Munk, a renowned Danish playwright, poet, and pastor, from 1924 until
his 1944 arrest and execution by Nazis for his outspoken resistance
against the occupation. The site, now a museum under Ringkøbing-Skjern
Museum, chronicles Munk's life—from his Lolland childhood to his
prolific writing of plays, poems (like "The Blue Anemone"), sermons, and
anti-Nazi speeches. Key exhibits include the room where he was seized on
January 4, 1944, and insights into his family life with wife Lise and
five children. The beautiful garden, planted since the 1800s, features a
poet's path with Munk's quotes, a canal for boating to Nørresø, and
flora he introduced. It's a poignant reminder of freedom's cost and
Danish identity.
Tvindkraft Wind Turbine: Near Ulfborg at the
Tvind school campus, this 54-meter-tall turbine is the world's oldest
operational megawatt-scale wind turbine, built in 1978 by teachers,
students, and volunteers during the oil crisis. Originally designed for
2 MW but operating at 1 MW, it pioneered Denmark's wind energy industry,
inspiring national research and policy shifts away from nuclear power.
Today, it supplies energy to the schools and symbolizes self-reliance
and sustainability. Visitors can explore a free exhibition at its base
on its history and renewable energy's future.
Dodemandsbjergene
Thorsminde (Dead Men's Dunes): South of Thorsminde, this dune area holds
mass graves and a memorial stone erected by the Danish press for the
1,391 British sailors lost in the 1811 shipwrecks. The site evokes
somber reflection on maritime perils, with the dunes themselves serving
as natural burial grounds.
Churches: Ulfkaer Kirke (1900) in central
Ulfborg blends Romanesque and Gothic styles, with a unique pulpit
spanning the nave and an altar depicting Jesus and the New Jerusalem.
Ulfborg Church (12th century, restored 1977–81) features rare frescoes
and historical artifacts. Nearby Thorsminde and Torsted Churches add to
the area's medieval heritage.
Ulfborg's coastal location provides abundant opportunities for nature
immersion, with fjords, dunes, and trails ideal for eco-tourism.
Nissum Fjord: This expansive inlet, bordered by dunes and meadows, is a
bird sanctuary on the migratory route, attracting species like geese and
waders. As part of Nissum Fjord Nature Park (24,500 hectares), it offers
diverse habitats: fjords, forests, and lakes. Activities include kite
surfing (one of Europe's best spots), fishing, horseback riding, and
birdwatching from towers. Explore via a 70-km hiking trail, 84-km bike
path, or 43-km nature park loop. It's also a UNESCO Geopark site
emphasizing ice-age landscapes.
Husby Klitplantage: A 4-km
coastal plantation south of Nissum Fjord, featuring shifting dunes, pine
forests, beech woods, and heathlands. Established to combat sand
migration, it includes prehistoric sand drifts and erosion-sculpted
landscapes. Highlights: Marens Maw viewpoint for panoramic North Sea and
fjord vistas; activities like camping, swimming at Græm Strand, horse
riding, and fishing. It's dog-friendly with fenced areas.
Beaches
and Reserves: Pristine sands like Thorsminde Strand (with a "swimming
pool" enclosure for safety), Græm Strand, and Vedersø Klit offer
swimming, sandcastle building, and WWII bunker spotting. Vest Stadil
Fjord Vildtreservat is a wildlife haven for birdwatching. Husby
Hundeskov provides forested paths for dog walks.
Hiking Trails:
Ulfborg excels in outdoor trails, with options for all levels. In Husby
Klitplantage, try the 10.3-mile loop through forests and dunes
(moderate, 3–4 hours, birdwatching). Ulfborg Plantage features shorter
paths like Stråsø Plantage (with archaeological sites) or Lystbæk blue
route (4.3 miles, easy). Nissum Fjord's 70-km trail circles the inlet,
passing meadows and bird towers. Many are family-friendly, with shelters
and fireplaces.
Thorsminde Harbor: A quaint fishing spot for angling herring or
buying fresh seafood; adjacent to the fjord lock.
Gardens and Parks:
Mrs. Pedersens Garden and Nees Japanese Garden offer tranquil escapes.
Family Park West includes go-karts, fishing, and water parks.
Nearby
Larger Sites: Jesperhus (90 km away) combines a flower park, zoo, and
aquarium for day trips.
Prehistoric and Early Medieval Origins (Pre-1200)
The history
of Ulfborg, a small railway town in western Jutland, Denmark, traces
back to prehistoric times. Archaeological evidence from the region,
part of Ulfborg Herred (an ancient administrative hundred), reveals
Stone Age and Bronze Age settlements. Notable finds include flint
tools, axes, pottery, amber beads, and gold rings from barrows and
mounds scattered across the area, such as Neolithic mounds near
Skærum Mill and hillside sites with holy springs used for
pilgrimages in Catholic times. A significant discovery was a
prehistoric boat unearthed in Husby parish in 1869. The landscape,
characterized by sandy coasts, dunes (some up to 80 feet high, like
Ovenbjerg), heaths, mosses, and rivers like Storåen and Idumå
flowing into Nissum Fjord, was prone to sand drifts (sandflugt) and
floods, shaping early human activity focused on agriculture,
fishing, and grazing.
Ulfborg Herred itself is one of Denmark's
oldest divisions, first documented in Kong Valdemars Jordebog
(Valdemar's Earth Book, ca. 1231) as "Vlburghæreth" or
"Ulburglihærcth," with crown estates paying 16 marks of silver in
rent. During the Middle Ages, it fell under Hardsyssel, a larger
jurisdictional area. The herred bordered the North Sea to the west,
Nissum Fjord to the northwest, and neighboring herreder like Hjerm
and Hammerum. It encompassed parishes such as Ulfborg, Husby, Madum,
Staby, Sønder Nissum, Raasted, Idum, Vinding, Timring, and others,
covering about 85 square Danish miles. The herred court (ting) was
held at Tinghøj mound in Ulfborg parish under open skies, with
boundaries marked by stones (e.g., a 1543 survey with Hing Herred).
Economy revolved around agriculture (barley and rye rotation,
grazing), fishing (cod and herring), and livestock, though poverty
was common due to sand drifts, wars, and plagues.
The core
settlement of Ulfborg Kirkeby (church town) emerged around Ulfborg
Church, constructed at the end of the 12th century (ca. 1200). This
Romanesque church, located about 4 km north of modern Ulfborg,
features a distinctive pulpit extending across the interior and an
epitaph for nobleman Prebjørn Gyldenstjerne (d. 1616). The church's
establishment signals organized community life by the late Viking
Age or early medieval period, with roots in feudal land ownership
and ecclesiastical donations.
Medieval and Renaissance Period
(1200–1700)
From the 13th century, Ulfborg's history is tied to
noble estates, church endowments, and environmental challenges. In
1266, knight Aage Thysæsk donated Svendsholm farm in Staby to Ribe
Cathedral. By 1292, Madum estate (including a mill) was documented
in royal letters, later becoming Puggaard endowment for poor
schoolchildren in 1298. Vosborg estate, mentioned in 1299, was
granted to Archbishop Jens Grand and later rebuilt after floods
(e.g., 1532 relocation). Raids disrupted the area, such as Henrik
Meyenstrup's 1389 attack on Puggaard, leading to excommunication.
The 14th–15th centuries saw ownership by influential families like
the Bugges, Juels, and Gyldenstjernes. Niels Bugge ("King Bugge")
built a moated castle at Vosborg in the 1330s and was murdered in
1358 amid disputes with King Valdemar Atterdag. Estates like
Møltrup, Øgelstrup, and Stenumgaard changed hands through marriages,
sales, and royal grants. The Reformation (1536) dissolved
monasteries like Tvis, redistributing lands. Sand drifts intensified
from the 16th century, prompting royal decrees (e.g., 1569
clearances in Husby and Staby). Floods damaged properties like
Sønder Vosborg (1557, rebuilt).
Administrative shifts occurred:
Ulfborg Herred was under Riberhus Len (1523–1549), then independent,
united with Bøvling Len (1597), and Bøvling Amt (1660). Lensmænd
(bailiffs) like Niels Eriksen Gyldenstjerne (1454–1471) managed
taxes and military duties. The herred court moved to Madum Church in
1638 by royal order. Wars, including Swedish invasions (1650s),
brought ravages, famine, and disease (e.g., 48 deaths in Vinding in
1652). Cattle plagues (1740–1770) and sand drifts exacerbated
poverty. Population was low: 579 in 1801, rising slowly to 788 in
1830.
Local folklore includes the demolition of Skærum Chapel
(1547, ordered by Christian III for idolatry; stones reputedly
cursed, site afforested in 1878–1879). Plantations to combat sand
drifts began in 1780 (e.g., Ulfborg Aktieplantage).
19th
Century: Transformation into a Railway Town (1800–1900)
Ulfborg
remained rural until the mid-19th century. Markets began in 1840,
with the royal privileged Ulfborg Marked held annually in August
(week 33), attracting crowds for horses and cattle—the largest in
West Jutland. The southern settlement had only an inn, a few houses,
and a marketplace until the West Jutland Longitudinal Railway
(Vestjyske Længdebane) opened on March 31, 1875, turning it into a
stationsby (railway town).
Rapid growth followed: By 1879, it
included Ulfborg Church, parsonage, schools, and station. The 1901
census recorded 97 houses and 690 inhabitants, with traders and
craftsmen. Infrastructure boomed: Schools (1883, 1907), epidemic
house (1893), Ulfkær Church (1900, a branch church), mission house
(ca. 1900), dairy (1904, later Tinghuset), electricity plant (1907),
post office (1909), waterworks (1913), hotel, and pharmacy. Three
annual markets were held by the early 1900s. Population reached 985
by 1916.
20th Century: Industrialization, Reforms, and
Modernization (1900–2000)
Growth slowed post-1916: 1,005
inhabitants in 1930, 1,166 in 1950, 1,357 in 1970, and 1,910 in
2000. Small industries emerged, including a sawmill, furniture
factory, wood products, wool spinning mill, machine factory, cement
casting, and printing house. The West Jutland Tailor and Cutter
School opened in 1964. Until the 1960s, the municipal office was at
the nursing home.
The 1970 Municipal Reform created Ulfborg-Vemb
Kommune by combining parishes like Bur, Gørding, Husby, Madum,
Staby, Sønder Nissum, Ulfborg, and Vemb, with Ulfborg as the
administrative seat. The 2007 Structural Reform merged it into
Holstebro Kommune, repurposing the town hall (Tinghuset, designed
1916–1917 as a dairy by Erik V. Lind) as a cultural center hosting
citizen services, police, music school, local history archive, and
events.
A landmark event was the 1975 construction of
Tvindmøllen, the world's first megawatt wind turbine, at the Tvind
schools (3 km southwest, in Madum parish). Built by volunteers amid
the 1970s oil crisis and anti-nuclear protests, it featured
innovations like fiberglass blades, variable speed, and computer
controls. Still operational, it symbolizes Denmark's pioneering role
in renewable energy.
Local history is preserved at Ulfborg-Vemb
Lokalhistoriske Arkiv, with yearbooks since 1987 and collections on
topics like WWII occupation in Husby, Ulfborg Market, and church
features.
Contemporary Ulfborg (2000–Present)
Today,
Ulfborg has about 2,004 residents (2025) in a 1.9 km² urban area, 22
km southwest of Holstebro. It remains a railway hub on the
Esbjerg–Struer line, with amenities like Ulfborg School (330
students), daycare, sports center, swimming pools, library (1997),
and shops. Nature attractions include Husby Klitplantage, Stråsø
Plantage (national park), and Felsted Kog reserve (1936). Museums
like VW & Retro Museum (Denmark's Best Museum 2024) and nearby
Strandingsmuseum St. George highlight maritime and cultural
heritage. The annual market continues, drawing visitors.
Ulfborg offers both shops with groceries, shoes, clothes, jewellery, flowers and furniture.