Nibe is an old fishing town, and its establishment is closely connected to the large catches of herring before 1825. It is no coincidence, then, that Nibe’s old coat of arms bore three herring, or that the church ship in Nibe Church is an old herring scaffie.
The town was built on the ancient fjord floor, close to the range of hills that stretch from Skals Forest in the north to Lundbæk Forest in the south. The streets Nørregade, Skomagergade, and Søndergade were originally part of the road from Aalborg to Løgstør. From this line of streets, the other old streets run in parallel toward the fjord to the places where fishermen landed their herring catch. Over time, these streets have been knitted together by alleys, lanes, and passages.
Even though the town was first granted market town status in 1727, its history stretches back more than 600 years. In 1672, Nibe was Jutland’s eighth largest, and Denmark’s 16th largest town. When it was named a market town, it had 1600 residents. Today, about 4700 people live here.
The old houses in the town were built close to one another, with half-timbering and thatched roofs. Fires quickly become catastrophes. Two great fires in 1765 and 1806 led to the town taking on its present appearance.
The town still has many beautiful old houses whose owners preserve them with care and attention.