The history here dates back to 700 AD when Vikings lived here. The town is located at the entry to the Limfjord. There have been coins found with the city’s name dating to 1040. It was a major trading post. A church was built in the early 12th Century but was destroyed along with the monasteries when the Reformation came here in 1530. Those crazy Lutherans! Trade continued to be the primary reason for this city’s existence until the 20th century when it became more industrialized with factories. Now they pride themselves on being a knowledge centre and export port to the Arctic’s Greenland. Population is close to 200,000, fourth largest in Denmark.

The walking tour guide is very good today. She takes us on a 2 hour 15 minute walk around the city. Since it is Sunday, everyone is doing their Hygge – In both Danish and Norwegian, hygge refers to “a form of everyday togetherness”, “a pleasant and highly valued everyday experience of personal wholeness. I think we call it hanging out or chilling especially at home.

A famous Danish architect named Utzon was quite well known. He designed the Sydney Opera House and also these buildings donated by him to be used by University students training to be architects.

Next stop is the Aalborg House of Music. It took 4 years to complete and was designed by an Austrian architect, interestingly enough a Danish architect designed the Vienna Concert Hall. The Danish architect brought back bread from Vienna called Viennese bread in Denmark. However, when this Viennese bread was brought to America by a Danish person, it came to be called a ‘Danish.’ And now you know for trivia!

We go into the House of Music and learn that it has the longest cement staircase in the country. Why? Because cement is one of Denmark’s major industry.

Aalborg is known for its many city squares. It seems on every corner there is one! Next we enter an old power plant which was converted to a mall with movies, shops and restaurants. Again, its Sunday so everything is closed, making it easier to get photographs. Note all the cement!

We spend the next hour or so wandering down the oldest street in Aalborg – 800 years old. Lots of buildings, some from the early 1600’s and some from a couple years ago. The shops and restaurants are mostly closed.

Our tour guide told us that 10% of the population emigrated in the early 1900’s to the USA. There is a building that houses all the archives so people can come and research their ancestry. Another beautiful square with a fountain.

A tour in these countries would not be complete without a little Viking experience. In a small park are some people showing their crafts from the Viking era. We receive a small glass of honey wine to toast the Norse God. Apparently, you do not drink the entire drink but pour out a few drops at the end for good luck -so your ship wouldn’t sink.

We stop in front of the old city hall and town square. The yellow building featured at the beginning of this blog post. Next door to this building is the oldest house in Aalborg. Built by the richest man in 1620 and when he died in 1640, no one could afford to live there so it was turned over to the government who placed a pharmacy there which was the Swan Pharmacy from 1665 – 2014. At which time it became a building with various shops. Another square is just across the street and in the 1600-1700’s the street use to be a river. And look a McDonalds is just up the street.

Finally, we see the Castle Fortress built in 1554 and used for only 20 years because they did not plan very well. There is no clean drinking water. The building has a tuner for an escape route, a dungeon, lots of rooms and is used by the royal family court now. It was the place that was used as where ‘taxes’ were kept – Middle Ages Taxes – pigs, grain, crops, fish, etc. Nazi’s occupied it in WW2, of course. However, because the Danes surrendered in 8 hours, they were spared being destroyed is how the story is told to us.

Our last stop is across the street from our ship. It is the Toll Building and also known as Tax Square. There is a fountain like one in Las Vegas on a small scale in the enter. It runs several times a day – we missed it!

A few more pictures and signing off until tomorrow – Copenhagen.