Attractions

As you stroll through the medieval streets and lanes of Randers, you'll see several well-preserved half-timbered houses from the 16th and 17th centuries that were originally built by prosperous merchants.

Armed with a map from the tourist office, walk from here along Denmark's first pedestrians-only street, Houmeden. The half-timbered houses on the north side date from around 1560. You come out at Rådhustorvet (Town Hall Square), the center of Randers. On the western side of the square is the oldest stone house in Randers, dating from 1468. The Rådhus (Town Hall) on the east side of the square was built in 1778 to the designs of Christian Mørup. A belfry crowns the hipped roof. On a plinth in front of the Rådhus is the seated figure of Niels Ebbesen, who killed the Duke of Holstein in 1340 when he attempted to gain control of Denmark.

Heading east behind the Town Hall, continue down Rosengade and Nygade. On the corner is Fideikommishuset, constructed in 1833 by Joseph Carl Wulff, a prominent Jew. This was a large Jewish quarter until the 19th century. Nygade 4 is the oldest half-timbered house in Randers, from 1550.

Turn right onto Østervold, which more or less follows the line of the old moat that used to run along the ramparts. At the northern end of Nørestræde and Østervold is one of the oldest school buildings in Randers, from 1861.

The town's most interesting church is the Sankt Mortens Kirke, Kirketorvet (tel. 86-42-29-21), built as the church for the Holy Ghost monastery from around 1500. It is one of Denmark's most attractive town churches, noted for its beautifully carved doors to the main entrance. Inside this Gothic brick building is a choir with three sides facing east; it sits lower than the three-aisled nave. The interior of the church has rich trappings, mainly from the 17th and 18th centuries, including a lovely font, magnificent altar, baroque pulpit, and organ case. Admission is free, and the church can be visited Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm and Saturday 10am to 1pm. Sunday is reserved for mass.

Kulturhuset, Stemannsgade 2 (tel. 86-42-86-55), lies on the east side of Randers, a 10-minute walk from Town Hall Square. Consisting of both an old and a new building, it is the museum of local history and culture. Fleming Lassen designed the newer section with two interior courtyards in 1964. On the main floor is a Historical and Cultural Museum, including a trio of burghers' rooms decorated in part with paintings by Rembrandt and Ostade. There are both a prehistory section and exhibitions devoted to ecclesiastical art. There is also a display of antique weapons and old glass. Upstairs is the art museum, housing mainly 20th-century Danish paintings, including works by Asger Jorn and Ejler Bille. The museum is open Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm, charging 25DKK ($4.20) adults, 15DKK ($2.50) seniors, free for children.

A final attraction, Randers Regnskov, Tørvebryggen 11 (tel. 86-40-69-33), is a rainforest -- a tropical, zoological exhibition center where you can venture out on a "safari" through a terrain featuring impressive rocks and cliffs, colorful butterflies, and playful otters. This permanent exhibition of a rainforest's flora and fauna is found in two glass domes built next to the Gudenå River. May to August it's open daily 10am to 6pm. Off-season hours are Monday to Friday 10am to 4pm, Saturday and Sunday 10am to 5pm. Admission is 90DKK ($15) adults, 80DKK ($13) seniors, 50DKK ($8.35) children.

Nearby Attractions--Near the town of Hobro is the site of Fyrkat, Fyrkatvej no. 37B (tel. 98-51-19-27), a 10th-century Viking ring fortress. It is, however, somewhat smaller than the more famous Trelleborg fortress in southern Zealand.

The ring fortress, or so it is believed, was constructed by Harald Bluetooth, the Viking king, around A.D. 980. Over time, its memory faded into history. As late as the 1950s it was still a farmer's field. Archaeologists from the national museum in Copenhagen began an excavation of the site, learning that it had been a community of some 1,000 souls, including Viking soldiers, women, and children. There was evidence that the fortress had been burned and probably abandoned. It is presumed that it enjoyed only a short life span.

As you walk along grass-covered ramparts, you can trace its symmetrical design. Like similar Viking constructions, the fortress was divided into four parts, opening onto a main courtyard, the center of life and bustling market activities. All structures, of course, are gone, but a Viking house of oak timbers has been constructed on-site to show the type of building that once stood here.

The field also contains some period farmhouses, including a 2-century-old water mill and a half-timbered kro where you can order lunch.

The E45 motorway, 27km (17 miles) northwest of Randers, reaches Hobro. You can also go by the hourly IC train to Hobro, a 20-minute ride from Randers. Fyrkat is 3km (1 3/4 miles) south of Hobro center on the Fyrkatvej. You can take a taxi from the Hobro train station for about 100DKK ($17). There's no public transportation. Admission is 55DKK ($9.20) adults, 20DKK ($3.35) children. March to May and September to October it's open daily 10am to 4pm; June to August daily 10am to 5pm. Guides in period clothing give demonstrations of Viking activities, including spinning and bronze casting.

To the north of the fortress, Vikingegården Fyrkat has opened to supplement the fortress site. This is a farmstead similar to one that might have provided food to the Vikings. Eight buildings on-site have been duplicated authentically.