One of Denmark’s oldest towns, Hjørring is an administrative hub in northern Jutland that was inhabited as early as 10,000 years ago. It’s home to several fine museums that showcase the region’s art and social history, as well as a sprawling park named after its resident swans.
Things to do in Hjørring
In the heart of Hjørring is the Vendsyssel Historical Museum, which details the people and events that have shaped Denmark’s northernmost region. It occupies several buildings within a scenic park where you’ll find picnic tables, a children’s playground and a herb garden. Get up close to artefacts from the Nordic Stone Age and see the preserved dental clinic of J.J. Lønborg Friis, who was responsible for initiating the museum.
Also in Hjørring is the Vendsyssel Kunstmuseum, which occupies a former textile factory in the centre of town. Founded in 1963, its collection focuses on 19th and 20th-century art from northern Denmark and includes paintings by Svend Engelund, Johannes Hofmeister and Poul Anker Bech. A new underground gallery was designed by the Italian-Danish architect Anna Maria Indrio in 2009 and houses a permanent collection of works by Niels Larsen Stevns.
If you want to stretch your legs, you can enjoy a stroll in Svanelunden, a scenic park located south of Hjørring’s railway station. There are plenty of benches along its lake shores where you can watch the ducks and swans in action, as well as a restaurant serving contemporary Danish cuisine.
Getting around Hjørring
Hjørring is a 30-minute drive from Frederikshavn and 35 minutes from Aalborg Airport, which has flights to destinations across Europe. Regular trains connect to the Hjørring railway station while the centre of Hjørring is compact enough to explore on foot.