Himmelbjerg Tower - Hjerl Hede - Mønsted Kalkgruber - Viborg - Viborg Bryghus brewery

Route: Aarhus - Himmelbjerg Tower - Hjerl Hede - Mønsted Kalkgruber - Viborg - Viborg Bryghus brewery - Aarhus
Duration: 10 h
Our first short stop we will make at the 25 metre high Himmelbjerg Tower, which was erected in commemoration of King Frederik VII, who on June 5, 1849 gave the Danish people its free constitution. The Tower, designed by the architect L. P. Fenger, has a frieze bearing the inscription: In commemortation of the King - Frederik VII - a friend of the Danish people - the giver of the Constitution'. The erection commenced in 1874.Next we will visit to  the Hjerl Hede’s Open-Air Museumwhich is theme-specific museum for cultural and history. The museum consists of the Old Village, the Jutlandic Forestry Museum, and the Museum for Peat production. More than 50 different buildings can be seen at Hjerl Hede’s Open-Air Museum, showing the style of building and furnishing in the rural areas, as well as showing a number of elements which are characteristic for the surroundings of an old Danish village. Among these are the rural craftsmanship. In the middle of the old village lies the village pond surrounded by farms, a blacksmith, a tavern, a school, a vicarage, a church, and a mill. Among the buildings you will find “Vinkelgården” – which is Denmark’s oldest farm. All farms and houses within the old village are furnished with furniture, kitchen, and textile from the old village societies. In order to show a varying and lively picture of the old Danish village communities, gardens which are characteristic of the period  have been laid out at each building.  At the museum you meet the master artisan in his workshop. Next we will visit to Monsted Limestone mine are the world’s largest – in fact sixty kilometers of underground paths comprise the caves of Mønsted Kalkgruber, though only two kilometers of that are electrically lit. The tunnels vary wildly in size: Some are cathedral height, some are low enough that an adult can’t walk through upright. These tunnels open up into various cave “rooms,” some of which contain entire underground lakes. Visitors to the Mønsted Kalkgruber museum can wander through the caves on their own or take a train ride tour throughout.  The caves are very, very old. When Denmark was becoming an increasingly Christian nation around the 11th century, limestone mining was a profitable industry because the stone was used in cathedrals.  Limestone remained profitable until the mid 20th century. Next we will visit to the city of Viborg which is one of Denmark’s oldest cities, dating back to 900 AD, as well as an important administrative centre., city of full of history, culture, nature and events! Originally a centre of pagan worship, Viborg (English: “sacred hill”) was a royal town and the early capital of Jutland. According to legend, it was from Viborg that King Canute set out to conquer England. The kings of Denmark were consecrated in Viborg from 1027 onward. The first Danish coins were struck there in the early 11th century, and it became a bishop’s see in 1065. After its 12th-century charter was renewed (1440), it was the largest town in Jutland (and was also the starting point of the Reformation in Denmark) until the 17th century.  It is now a commercial centre that manufactures beer, textiles, and machinery. Historical buildings include the 12th-century cathedral (rebuilt 1864–76), with frescoes by Joakim Skovgård; the medieval Søndersogns and Asmild churches; the Baroque Town Hall (1728); and the Bishop’s Palace (1728). Our next stop will be at Viborg Bryghus , a microbrewery in the heart of the city.  There you will have the opportunity to participate in “Brew & Cobblestone", a  tour where you learn the history behind many of the places and the people that have given names to some of Viborg Bryghus’ beers. The tour ends with a beer tasting in the brewery room at Viborg Bryghus. Also if you want you can to skip straight to the beer and tasting. After we will return to Aarhus.
Price: Per person