Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
19
Postgaarden
C2
20
Ribe Bryghus
A3
Sights
Ribe Domkirke
CHURCH
(
;
www.ribe-domkirke.dk
; Torvet; tower adult/child Dkr20/10;
10am-5pm
MAP
GOOGLE MAP
Mon-Sat, noon-5pm Sun May-Sep, shorter hours Oct-Apr)
Dominating Ribe's skyline is the impressive Ribe Cathedral, which dates back to at least
948 (the earliest record of a bishop presiding in Ribe) - making it the oldest in Denmark.
The cathedral was largely rebuilt in 1150 when Ribe was at the heart of royal and govern-
ment money, which in turn paved the way for some fine architectural structures.
The new cathedral was constructed primarily from tufa, a soft porous rock quarried near
Cologne and shipped north along the Rhine. It took a century for the work to reach com-
pletion. Later additions included several Gothic features, but the core of the cathedral is
decidedly Romanesque, a fine example of medieval Rhineland influences in architecture.
The interior decor is a hotchpotch of later influences. There's an organ with a facade de-
signed by renowned 17th-century sculptor Jens Olufsen, a baptismal font from 1375, and
an ornate pulpit created in 1597 (a mark on the pillar behind the pulpit shows where the
flood of 1634 reached). You can find remains of paintings from the 16th century on the
last two pillars on the northern side of the cathedral, while in the apse are modern-day fres-
coes, stained-glass windows and seven mosaics created in the 1980s by artist Carl-Hen-
ning Pedersen. The funky mosaics enliven the church and add a fascinating contrast to the
more sombre features.
For a view over the countryside, climb the 248 steps (52m) up the cathedral
tower
which dates from 1333. A survey of the surrounding marshland makes it easy to under-
stand why the tower once doubled as a lookout station for floods. New
museum exhibits
in the tower cover the cathedral's long history.
)
, is planned for near the cathedral. This museum will explain the significance of excava-
