Walk in the footsteps of Denmark’s Viking ancestors by visiting Nørresundby, a laidback port city. Enjoy the long summer days of North Jutland at a beach and harbor, visit historical buildings and spot birdlife around old chalk quarries. Nørresundby is the twin city of Aalborg, and the two cities are on opposite sides of the Limfjord.
Curious travelers come to the city to visit the hilltop Lindholm Høje, a Viking burial ground home to almost 700 graves that date between A.D. 400 and 1000. Archaeologists found the tombs concealed beneath layers of sand during excavations carried out in the 1950s. At the Lindholm Høje Museum, displays of original coins, glassware and jewelry offer an insight into Viking lifestyles. Learn about burial rituals and the systematic layout of the graves.
In downtown, locals cruise by bike along a network of quiet cobblestone streets. Visit the whitewashed Nørresundby Church, built in the 1100s and rebuilt in the Gothic style in the 1500s. The Sundby Collections is a small free museum located in the city’s oldest house, called Bryggergården. Browse rooms decorated with typical 19th-century furnishings, bottle ships and photos that portray local history.
Follow the waterfront promenade from Nørresundby Harbor and along the shores of the Limfjord to Lindholm Beach Park. On sunny days the park beckons with its access to safe swimming areas, grassy lawns, beach volleyball courts and exercise stations. Bike or walk from here to Lindholm Fjordpark, a natural habitat for kestrels, owls, deer and fox. Try your hand at kayaking and windsurfing while here.
Chalk quarries are common around the Aalborg region, many of which have turned naturally into lakes of dazzling blue waters and lush green vegetation. A walking and running trail skirts the quarry lake in Solsideparken. Wildlife thrives around the lake at Lindholm Søpark.
Nørresundby is only a 20-minute walk or 5-minute bike ride from central Aalborg via Limfjordsbroen bridge. The Kulturbroen bridge is a bike and rail crossing between the beach park and west Aalborg.