The narrow, steep, and winding streets of the historic core reveal Viborg's medieval origins. Viborg is pedestrian-friendly, and motorists had best park outside and cover the inner city on foot. The city's main attraction is Viborg Domkirke, Sct. Mogens Gade (tel. 87-25-52-50), a round-arched Romanesque structure, constructed in 1876 in a style similar to the original great church that stood here in the 12th century. Even before that, a wooden structure was built on this site in the Viking era. The ravages of time and many fires left their mark on the church, although there are still traces of its first stone crypt from 1130.
The crypt is worth examining in detail. In the leather-clad coffin of one of the crypt chapels lies the embalmed body of the alchemist Valdemar Daa, described so movingly by Hans Christian Andersen in his story The Wind Tells of Valdemar Daa and His Daughters.
The cathedral's most distinctive features are its twin towers with their pyramidal roofs. The interior is known for the Biblical wall paintings of Joakim Skovgaard, created between 1901 and 1906.
The black stone in the floor in front of the altar marks the grave of the murdered Danish king Erik Glipping, who received no less than 50 sword and dagger thrusts through his body when spending the night in Finderup, just southwest of Viborg, in 1286. Hours are Monday through Saturday 11am to 4pm and Sunday noon to 4pm; admission is free.
Skovgaard Museet, Domkirkestræde 2-4 (tel. 86-62-39-75), fronts the cathedral. The museum is housed in the old town hall or Rådhus, a baroque structure designed by Claus Stallknecht of Hamburg, Germany. He came to Viborg to help rebuild the city after the last major fire in 1726. The museum here today is devoted to the paintings, sketches, and sculptures of Joakim Skovgaard (1856-1933), known mainly for his work in Viborg Domkirke . The museum owns his preliminary sketches for his frescoes for the cathedral. You can also see works by some of his fellow artists and friends, including Johan Thomas Lundbye, Niels Larsen Stevns, and Thorvald B. Bindesbøll. Works by 20th-century artists can also be viewed. The museum is open May to September, daily 10am to 12:30pm and 1:30 to 5pm. Off-season hours are daily 1:30 to 5pm. Admission is 30DKK ($5) adults, free for children.
A final museum, Viborg Stiftsmuseum, Hjultorvet 9 (tel. 87-25-26-10), is housed in a building that was once the headquarters of the local health society, with statues of some of the society's pioneers. The museum relates the history of the city going back to the Ice Age, although exhibitions range up to modern times as well. There are also artifacts discovered in the area that date back to the Stone Age, the Iron Age, and, of course, the Viking era. An intriguing section of the museum displays commercial art as interpreted by the artists of the 1500s and 1600s. The museum is open May to August, Tuesday to Sunday 11am to 5pm. Off-season hours are Tuesday to Friday 1 to 4pm and Saturday and Sunday 11am to 5pm. Admission is 25DKK ($4.20) adults, free for children under 15.
