"Founded around the year 700 AD, Ribe is the oldest city in Denmark and all of Scandinavia. During the Viking Era (793–1066 AD), it was an important trade town for the Vikings because of its strategic location linking Scandinavia with the rest of the Nordic countries. Since then, Ribe has seen its fair share of turmoil. First, a devastating fire in 1580 where 213 houses burned down, and then a severe flooding in 1634 that caused serious damage. But Ribe kept its medieval charm. "
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"Ribe Cathedral or Our Lady Maria Cathedral was founded in the Viking Age as the first Christian church in Denmark by Ansgar in the 9th century, a missionary monk from Hamburg, under permission of the pagan King Horik I. The present cathedral (built from 1150-1250) has experienced several damaging events throughout its long history and has been restored, expanded and decorated repeatedly. As it stands today, Ribe Cathedral is the best preserved Romanesque building in Denmark, but reflects a plethora of different architectural styles and artistic traditions."
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We climbed to the tall, square topped, cathedral tower roof to get a high view of Ribe.
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The little island is a former site of a Royal castle...
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One of Ribe's smaller medieval households...
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Dams and spillways create nice water featured park settings in the middle of town...
"On the small water front, used by Viking raiders over a thousand years ago, a "newer" boat is tied up. The town has access to the sea via the river that has been modified to carry the tiny ships. The flood history column is also here - the bands show the surge heights of the worst storms. In 1634, a violent storm surge on the night of 11–12 October flowed into Ribe and the surrounding farm land. So many people and animals died in the storm, that it was nicknamed the "Great Drowning". 8,000 people drowned during that single night. The surge flooded the cathedral as high as the pulpit. "
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Now just southwest of Ribe, we take a look at the roadway to Mandø, only accessible at low tide. We drove about a half a mile of the 1 1/2 mile road, before turning around, to get an experience of driving on a sea bed.
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We made it back to drier land before the waters returned.
"Møgeltønder is a small town located in Møgeltønder Parish, Tønder Municipality, in the southwestern corner of the Danish peninsula of Jutland 5 kilometres north of the Danish-German border and 4 kilometres west of Tønder. Møgeltønder is known for its picturesque main street, the large 12th-century church, and Schackenborg Castle. As of 2024, it has a population of 754."
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