19 May 2019 -- Day 11 -- Aalborg, Denmark
Arrived around 7:30 am to gorgeous blue sunny skies -- a treat from the fog of the past couple of days! However we did get some light fog rolling past as we toured the city -- off and on. We had a short 5 hours in this charming, quaint city in Northern Denmark, but what a treat -- full of history and tales. And just like of the river cruise, we simply walked down the ship gangway and we were in the city!
The Uzton Center of architecture was right at dockside and Jorgen Uzton's last project and gift to his home city. He was renowned as the architect for the Sydney Opera House.
Next we arrived at the Aalborg Music Hall which uses all materials produced in Aalborg, from the Aalborg white portland cement to the stainless steel. The architect designed the windows to resemble bubbles that depicted his love of scuba diving.
As we meandered through the town there were a lot of quaint street scenes that showed the old 18th Century houses and buildings.
We also passed houses such as the one that had a list of all its owners since the 1700s,
... the Horse Stable Street that was where the poor lived and worked,
and Bell Casting Street which was the old city slum area.
The City Hall, Buldolfi Cathedral, and the Zero KM marker (designating the exact center of the city) were all clumped together, across from commercial buildings. The city hall (left) was used until recently to conduct ministerial business and meetings, but now is used for dignitaries and their visits. The Buldolfi Cathedral (center) was built in 1400 and named after an English patron. However some parts of the structure date to the 1100s. The photo on the right is the 0 km monument for Aalborg and is the geographical center of the city.
Monastery of the Holy Ghost was started in 1431 and was elevated to a monastery by the pope in 1451. There are a number of tales due to the monastery housing 26 nuns along with 6 monks. (Their "cells" have now been reconfigured into very nice apartments for older citizens.) The courtyard served as the birth of the Danish Resistance that started in 1941 and their meeting place during their missions. Captured Resistance fighters were also jailed by the Germans in small underground cellars of the courtyard.
Post Office Tower had nine small windows on each face which were originally pigeon carrier slots that were used up to and including World War I and were finally closed up in 1946.
Finally, we reached the Aalborghus Castle, that really doesn't look like a typical castle. It was built mainly for a fortress to protect the population by King Christian III in the 1500s. On the right is the entryway to the dungeon that would house up to 9 prisoners. That little door in the left hand corner is the dungeon, and the only air and light entered was from the holes in the two small circles on the door. We didn't go in there!!
Truly an amazing port of call to spend such a short time, leaving much more to explore. And the Lord blessed us with this amazing sunset!
Arrived around 7:30 am to gorgeous blue sunny skies -- a treat from the fog of the past couple of days! However we did get some light fog rolling past as we toured the city -- off and on. We had a short 5 hours in this charming, quaint city in Northern Denmark, but what a treat -- full of history and tales. And just like of the river cruise, we simply walked down the ship gangway and we were in the city!
The Uzton Center of architecture was right at dockside and Jorgen Uzton's last project and gift to his home city. He was renowned as the architect for the Sydney Opera House.
Next we arrived at the Aalborg Music Hall which uses all materials produced in Aalborg, from the Aalborg white portland cement to the stainless steel. The architect designed the windows to resemble bubbles that depicted his love of scuba diving.
As we meandered through the town there were a lot of quaint street scenes that showed the old 18th Century houses and buildings.
... the Horse Stable Street that was where the poor lived and worked,
and Bell Casting Street which was the old city slum area.The City Hall, Buldolfi Cathedral, and the Zero KM marker (designating the exact center of the city) were all clumped together, across from commercial buildings. The city hall (left) was used until recently to conduct ministerial business and meetings, but now is used for dignitaries and their visits. The Buldolfi Cathedral (center) was built in 1400 and named after an English patron. However some parts of the structure date to the 1100s. The photo on the right is the 0 km monument for Aalborg and is the geographical center of the city.
Monastery of the Holy Ghost was started in 1431 and was elevated to a monastery by the pope in 1451. There are a number of tales due to the monastery housing 26 nuns along with 6 monks. (Their "cells" have now been reconfigured into very nice apartments for older citizens.) The courtyard served as the birth of the Danish Resistance that started in 1941 and their meeting place during their missions. Captured Resistance fighters were also jailed by the Germans in small underground cellars of the courtyard.
Post Office Tower had nine small windows on each face which were originally pigeon carrier slots that were used up to and including World War I and were finally closed up in 1946.
Finally, we reached the Aalborghus Castle, that really doesn't look like a typical castle. It was built mainly for a fortress to protect the population by King Christian III in the 1500s. On the right is the entryway to the dungeon that would house up to 9 prisoners. That little door in the left hand corner is the dungeon, and the only air and light entered was from the holes in the two small circles on the door. We didn't go in there!!
Truly an amazing port of call to spend such a short time, leaving much more to explore. And the Lord blessed us with this amazing sunset!
Very charming! And the sunset... Wow!
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