The fourth largest city in Denmark, it is a transport centre and a lively meeting place for travellers from many countries. In addition, Aalborg is the largest conference centre in the Danish provinces and Aalborg Congress & Culture Centre is the site of a large number of congresses, meetings, exhibitions and cultural events.

It was the Vikings who founded a settlement at this point where the Lim Fjord is narrowest, and through the years, the city developed into one of the busiest trading centres in the country. Trade and wealth set their mark on the city and many of the old buildings from that time have been preserved as natural elements in the city scene. A special mention must be made of Jens Bang's House, a five-storeyed, Renaissance structure dating from 1624, Jørgen Olufsen's Gård from 1616, and the lovely Aalborghus mansion from 1539. The 15th century cathedral, dedicated to the English St. Botolph and known as "Budolfi Church" as well as Denmark's oldest social service insitution, the Monastery of the Holy Ghost, dating from 1431, also bear witness to the history of a busy city.

It is not far from Aalborg to the white, sandy beaches of the North Sea, the magnificent Forest of Rold and the delightful scenery of the Jutland Ridge. At the summit of Aalborg, in one of the city's parks, rises the Aalborg Tower with its restaurant at a height of 105 metres above sea level. On the north side of the Lim Fjord lies Lindholm Høje, Scandinavia's largest Viking burial ground - a unique attraction. An associated museum, shows how the inhabitants of Lindholm lived.

Aalborg is also the site of the largest entertainment park in the Danish provinces, Tivoliland, as well as the largest zoo. A neighbour of the cathedral is the Museum of History which contains an exciting collection covering the Lim Fjord in the Stone Age and a special exhibition of North Jutland glassware. The Naval Museum has an exhibition on the development of civil and naval shipping in Denmark, and Nordjyllands Kunstmuseum, a museum of fine art, contains one of Europe's largest collections of contemporary art.

Taking a gentle stroll is also a great way to experience Aalborg. The network of pedestrian streets, with its busy shops, binds the city centre together and if you feel the need of refreshment, Aalborg has about 300 restaurants to serve you - many of them in the famous street known as "Jomfru Ane Gade".

In recent years, Aalborg has considerably extended its overnight accommodation facilities. Today it has 3,000 hotel beds. In the area known as "Fjordparken" on the banks of the Lim Fjord is the new youth hostel, a chalet park and a yachting harbour with 600 berths. So Aalborg now has room for 1,135 boats, which can explore the Lim Fjord, one of the best stretches of sailing water in the country.