1. Cultural Walk A walk in the footsteps of some of Aalborg’s most famous people, people who have left their imprint on Aalborg, for example: Harald Jensen and Brigadier Halling. We will see and hear about the impressive buildings and the legacies they left the town. We also hear about poverty and leprosy and why the poor and the lepers were left outside the city? What is leprosy really? 2. Witches in Aalborg The witches of Aalborg have their own story, in fact, many of them admitted they were witches. It is believed there was even a witch school. We hear about the many different wizards and witches and the punishments they received after cruel and painful interrogation.
3. Around Aalborg Castle Aalborg Castle was built just after the Count’s Feud (Denmark’s Civil War) in the 1500s. It was never intended to be a fortress, but home for the king’s vassal and warehouse for taxes collected in kind. On this tour we also visit “Fruebyen”, the district, where peasants set up stalls to trade their goods. It is here where we find the city’s oldest piece of art: a portal, situated on the west façade of the Church of Our Lady, dating from the 1100s. We return via Hjelmerstald and Østerå, formerly a river, which was faced on both sides by large merchant houses and businesses; finally we end our tour at Toldbods Plads (Customs Square).
4. Street Art and Street Food In this stroll through Aalborg’s narrow streets and alleyways, we pause to look at some of the many exciting, gable wall art, painted by international and Danish artists from 2014 onwards. Some started as graffiti, others by students from art schools. Together we experience the paintings and discover their stories and the history of their creators. The tour ends at the former kitchen furniture factory ‘Boform’, where we hear about its transformation into ‘Street Food – The Lighthouse’, which offers 17 different ethnic foods from across the world.
5. Budolfi City This tour is named after St. Budolfi Cathedral. During the walk, Aalborg’s greatest period; its history from the Viking Age, through the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, is explained. We see and hear the story of Jens Bang and his house, the pride of the city, built in the early 1600s. In addition to the story of Jens Bang, we learn about the life of the monks and nuns in one of the best-preserved monasteries north of the Alps – The Monastery of the Holy Ghost. 6. On the Sunny and Shady Side of 1600s Aalborg On this tour we follow in the footsteps of the rich and poor. How did they live and what opportunities were there for help if accidents and illness occurred? How was punishment dealt out? Hear how terrible it could be for a thief, a prostitute, a witch or healthy young people without work. We take a look at the places where the events happened.
7. Aalborg Harbour Front Aalborg Harbour has undergone a total transformation, from a commercial port to an adventure port for the city’s residents. Starting at the Limfjord Bridge, we continue along the fjord past Customs Square, Aalborg Castle, Utzon Centre, NordKraft Culture Centre and the Opera House, ending at the newly uncovered Østerå (Eastern River).
8. Harbour Traffic and Street Food The best way to experience the impressive change Aalborg Waterfront is going through is from the water. The regeneration of the harbour front, from East Harbour (known as Greenland Harbour) through to the Island of Egholm in the west, began in the 1970s and is now part of the urban space. We sail along the Limfjord, on board the good ship M/S Kysten, from Portland Cement Factory in the east to the Island of Egholm in the west. We end our tour at the former kitchen furniture factory ‘Boform’, where we hear about its transformation into ‘Street Food – The Lighthouse’, where 17 different ethnic food kitchens from across the world offer their products.
9. Goodbye to Red Aalborg, Hello to Cloud City, Fjordbad and Street Food Continuing the waterfront regeneration theme; this tour starts at the Customs House, passes under the road bridge and the old distillery where the story of the changes from distilling to a cultural centre is told. From here we continue west, under the railway bridge to the new Vestre Fjordbad, the city’s newest adventure playground for all ages. The tour ends at the former kitchen furniture factory Boform, where we hear about its transformation into “Street Food – The Lighthouse”, where 17 different ethnic food kitchens from across the world offer their products.
10. Aalborg During World War II We start at the Memorial Park for many of the region’s resistance fighters during World War II. Here we learn about the occupation and spend a little time looking at some of the commemorative wall plaques in the park itself. Making our way back towards the city centre, we stop at various sites and buildings to hear about the events that happened during those ‘five dark years’. 11. Let the Streets Talk Where do the names of the street signs in Aalborg originate? On this tour around the city we will hear about witches, cavalry officers, bishops, city bailiffs, royalty and other good folk. We also take a look at the city’s open spaces, why are they situated where they are?
12. Know Your City – by Bike A tour of approx. 5 km taken at a gentle pace on your own cycle. We start at Kunsten (Museum of Modern Art) and go on a tour of the Sculpture Park, where talks on selected works is given. Then on to Aalborg’s first football stadium, built on land bequeathed to the city in 1920 by Harald Jensen, after whom ‘Haraldslund is named. Here the stories of Harald Jensen, his life, initiative, charity, greatness and pain are revealed to us. At Skudehavnen we are introduced to museums, Fjordbyen and the environment of the fjord. We continue onwards towards the city along the waterfront. 13. Vesterbro – Aalborg in the 1930s. Through crisis and change on the way to the future. Here we take a tour along Vesterbro, looking at the marks construction has left on it; we hear stories of the background behind Aalborg’s development during this period.
14. Hasseris On our trip through Hasseris we look at the many road names and hear about some of the people, who lived there, admire villas and houses, which were built by merchants and other enterprising people from a few generations ago. 15. P for Packness The architect Ejnar Packness left his mark on Aalborg. On this tour we will visit some of the buildings he designed and take a look at other fine structures. 16. Art and History in Fruebyen The theme is the story and the art of the Fruebyen/Nørregade quarter, the place where peasants formerly stabled their horses and traded on the markets. We look at the art of, among others, Erik Heide, Henrik Voldmester and Otto Evans, whilst relating the story of the neighbourhood. The tour ends at Langes Craft Workshop, situated in a 200 year old, four-sided courtyard, formerly a forge in Hjelmerstald. 17. Sculpture Walk Aalborg is a city with many sculptures and buildings that we know so well, or do we? We regularly go past them, but do we see them? Created by both local and national artists as well as one internationally renowned Danish artist. These sculptures arrived in waves, some in the 1930s, in connection with the development of Vesterbro, others in connection with the City’s Jubilee and others even later. On the trip around Aalborg we will look at both old and new sculptures and talk about the motive, the location and the artist. 18. Bend Your Neck and ‘Look Up’ Many houses in Aalborg have beautiful features and decorations, which we rarely notice, many are located in the ‘look up’ view. Some are for decoration; others have symbolic values. We will see some funny ones and hear the story behind them and the people who erected them. 19. Beer Walk and Small Talk A beer walk is a tasty way to experience the city. We visit a selection of the city’s pubs to sample a specialty beer of your choice at each. During a stroll between the pubs, buildings of interest will be pointed out as we pass by them, with stories of their history as well as anecdotes from the fascinating life of Aalborg’s bygone years. 20. Tour of Renaissance Aalborg The Reformation started in Germany and arrived in Denmark during the 1530s. What did this transition, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance mean for Aalborg? As we walk around the city looking at Renaissance architecture, we hear about the changes it brought to the church and the punishments it introduced. Finally, we end the tour at Denmark’s smallest but most beautiful cathedral: Budolfi Cathedral.
Max. 25 persons per guide; groups above this size will be split, with each having its own guide.