Aalborg Overview

A laid-back haven for university students by day, Aalborg (OLE-borg; pop. 162,000) heats up at night. At the corner of Alg. and Molleg., (Alg. 43), an elevator descends from outside the Salling Department Store to the half-excavated ruins of a Franciscan friary . (☎9631 7400. Open Tu-Su 10am-5pm; elevator closes at 4:30pm. Elevator 20kr up to 250kr.) North of town, the solemn grounds of Lindholm Høje, Vendilav. 11, hold 700 ancient Viking graves and a museum. Take bus #2C, which departs near the tourist office. (☎99 31 74 40; www.nordjyllandshistoriskemuseum.dk. Grounds open 24hr. Museum open daily 10am-5pm. English-language tours in July W 2pm. Grounds free. Museum 30kr, students 15kr. MC/V.) After a day of dusty antiquarianism, head to Jomfru Ane Gade, a pedestrian strip of bars and clubs that’s packed with students. For an even wilder time, Karneval i Aalborg (last weekend in May; www.karnevaliaalborg.dk), Northern Europe’s largest carnival, celebrates spring.

If you plan on spending the night in Aalborg, your only semi-budget option is the quite comfortable Aalborg Vandrerhjen and Camping (HI) , Skydebanev. 50 alongside the Lim Fjord. Take bus #13 (dir.: Fjordparken, every 15 min., 16kr) to the end of the line. (☎9811 6044; www.BBBB.dk. Breakfast 50kr, Linens/towels 46kr. Laundry 40kr. Singles 490kr, doubles 520kr. Dorms open July-Sept. 270kr. Free Internet. Reception high season 8am-11pm, low season 8am-noon and 4-9pm. Campsite 75kr, electricity 28kr. Reserve ahead online. MC/V; 4% surcharge.) Enjoy street performances at the outdoor tables of Café Ministeriet, Møllesplads, which serves a lunch plate with three types of delicious smørrebrød for 52kr. (☎98 19 40 50; www.cafeministeriet.dk. Open M-Th 10am-midnight, F-Sa 10am-2am, Su 10am-5pm. MC/V.)

Trains run to Århus (1hr., every hr., 157kr) and Copenhagen (5hr., 2 per hr., 338kr). Within the city, buses cost 16kr, including 1hr. transfers. Show the bus driver your train ticket and you won’t have to pay a fare to the station. To find the tourist office, Østeråg. 8, head out of the train station, cross JFK Pl., and turn left on Boulevarden, which becomes Østeråg. (☎99 30 60 90; www.visitaalborg.com. Open July M-F 9am-5:30pm, Sa 10am-4pm; late June to Aug. M-F 9am- 5:30pm, Sa 10am-1pm; Sept. to mid-June M-F 9am-4:30pm, Sa 10am-1pm.)