Christmas Market and Lucia Parade in Ribe

On Saturday, we traveled to Ribe, Denmark's oldest city, in the morning.

With the motorhome, we were able to park and stay for free very close to the city center and made our way to the city from the parking lot.

We could see the large cathedral from afar, which looked as if it was assembled from different architectural periods.

This was likely due to several fires and periods of decline and construction.

We also visited the interior of Denmark's oldest cathedral.

There is also a small museum located on the upper floor of the cathedral.

From there, you can also climb the Bürger Tower, which is directly adjacent to the cathedral, via a lot of stairs.

From the roof, you can see over Ribe and the surrounding area all the way to the North Sea.

We were also lucky with the weather and were able to enjoy the view in sunshine and blue skies. 

Directly in front of the cathedral, there was a small Christmas market where we drank hot cocoa and later had a small bite to eat.

We took a tour around the town, which also took us past the castle ruins.

From Castle Riberhus, only the ramparts and the moat remain, along with a small section of the wall.

Afterward, we strolled through the small alleys of the old town and the pedestrian zone.

There were a few visitors, so we had difficulty finding a spot in a café when we wanted to take a coffee break.

After we managed to get at least a coffee in a restaurant, the Lucia parade started.

In this parade, children in white robes walk through the city carrying lights and singing.

The parade is held in honor of Saint Lucia and aims to bring light into the dark season. 

In the evening, we also took a walk around the city to see the lights.

Most of the stalls at the Christmas market closed by 4 PM, but a punch stand was still open, so we made a quick stop there.