Denmark - Aalborg

Images of Aalborg, a city in the North Jutland Region of Denmark.

Sent by Fie Elise from Aalborg, Denmark.

Aalborg or Ålborg (/ˈɑːlbɔːrɡ/ AHL-borg, US also /ˈɔːl-/ AWL-; Danish: [ˈʌlˌpɒˀ]) is Denmark's fourth largest urban settlement (behind Copenhagen, Aarhus, and Odense) with a population of 119,862 (1 July 2022) in the town proper and an urban population of 143,598 (1 July 2022). As of 1 July 2022, the Municipality of Aalborg had a population of 221,082, making it the third most populous in the country after the municipalities of Copenhagen (capital) and Aarhus. Eurostat and OECD have used a definition for the metropolitan area of Aalborg (referred to as a "functional urban area"), which includes all municipalities in the province (Danish: landsdel) of North Jutland (Danish: Nordjylland), with a total population of 594,323 as of 1 July 2022.

By road Aalborg is 64 kilometres (40 mi) southwest of Frederikshavn, and 118 kilometres (73 mi) north of Aarhus. The distance to Copenhagen is 412 kilometres (256 mi) if travelling by road and not using ferries.

The earliest settlements date to around AD 700. Aalborg's position at the narrowest point on the Limfjord made it an important harbour during the Middle Ages, and later a large industrial centre. Architecturally, the city is known for its half-timbered mansions built by its prosperous merchants. Budolfi Church, now a cathedral, dates from the end of the 14th century and Aalborghus Castle, a royal residence, was built in 1550. Today, Aalborg is a city in transition from a working-class industrial area to a knowledge-based community. A major exporter of grain, cement, and liquors, its thriving business interests include Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy, Alfa Laval, and Aalborg Portland. These companies have become global producers of wind turbine rotors, marine boilers, and cement (read more).