Ålborg

Port in Denmark 32 km/20 mi inland from the Kattegat strait, on the south shore of the Limfjord; population (2002 est) 120,000. One of Denmark's oldest cities, it has a castle and the Budolfi cathedral (named after the English St Botolph), dating mainly from about 1400. It is the capital of Nordjylland county in Jylland (Jutland); the port is linked to Nørresundby on the north side of the fjord by a tunnel built in 1969. Major industries include shipbuilding, cement, and textiles.

Ålborg was first settled in the 9th century, but did not expand significantly until the arrival of Franciscan monks from Germany between 1240 and 1250. They established a friary that continued until 1530, and built a church in 1300 that was later replaced by a larger church, the remains of which can be visited in Ålborg Historical Museum.

The Helligåndsklostret (Monastery of the Holy Ghost) was built in 1431 by Maren Hemmings and awarded monastery status in 1451. It has been the site of a grammar school since the Reformation, and during World War II, the resistance group the Churchill Club was based in the building. Ålborg also has a maritime museum and a zoo.