View source for Viborg, Denmark

{{short description|Capital city in Mid Jutland, Denmark}}
{{distinguish|Vyborg}}
{{Other uses|Viborg (disambiguation){{!}}Viborg}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=November 2025}}
{{Infobox settlement
| official_name      = Viborg
| settlement_type    = City
| image_shield       = Coat of arms of Viborg.svg
| image_seal         = Viborg Segl.jpg
| pushpin_map        = Denmark#Denmark Central Denmark Region
| map_caption        = Location in [[Denmark]]
| subdivision_type   = [[Countries of the world|Country]]
| subdivision_name   = Denmark
| subdivision_type1  = [[Regions of Denmark|Region]]
| subdivision_name1  = [[Central Denmark Region]]
| subdivision_type2  = [[Municipalities of Denmark|Municipality]]
| subdivision_name2  = [[Viborg Municipality|Viborg]]
| established_title  = Earliest evidence
| established_date   = 8th century
| leader_title       = [[Mayor]]
| leader_name        = [[Ulrik Wilbek]] ([[Venstre (Denmark)|Venstre]])
| area_urban_km2     = 26.9
| elevation_m        = 51
| population_as_of   = 1 January 2025
| population_footnotes = <ref>[https://m.statbank.dk/TableInfo/BY3?lang=en BY3: Population 1 January by urban areas, area and population density] The Mobile Statbank from [[Statistics Denmark]]</ref>
| population_urban   = 43645
| population_density_urban_km2 = auto
| population_blank2_title = [[Municipal]]
| population_demonym = Viborgenser
| population_blank2  = 97621
| population_blank1_title = Gender<ref>[https://m.statbank.dk/TableInfo/BY1?lang=en BY1: Population 1 January by urban areas, age and sex] The Mobile Statbank from [[Statistics Denmark]]</ref>
| population_blank1  = 21312 males and 22333 females
| timezone           = [[Central European Time|CET]]
| utc_offset         = +1
| timezone_DST       = [[Central European Summer Time|CEST]]
| utc_offset_DST     = +2
| coordinates        = {{coord|56|27|12|N|09|24|07|E|region:DK|display=inline}}
| postal_code_type   = Postal code
| postal_code        = 8800
| area_code          = (+45) 8
| website            = {{URL|viborg.dk}}
| footnotes          = 
| image_skyline      = Viborg fra Norreso.jpeg
| image_caption      = View of Viborg and its monumental cathedral (Viborg Domkirke), as seen from the Søndersø lake.
}}

'''Viborg''' ({{IPA|da|ˈviˌpɒˀ|audio=Da-Viborg.ogg}}) is a city in central [[Jutland]], [[Denmark]], the capital of both [[Viborg municipality]] and [[Region Midtjylland]]. Viborg is also the seat of the Western High Court, the [[Courts of Denmark|High Court]] for the [[Jutland]] peninsula. Viborg Municipality is the second-largest [[Denmark|Danish]] municipality, covering 3.3% of the country's total land area.<ref>[http://www.viborg.dk/db/Kommune.nsf/Alle/9477EDB57BEB5E58C12572E600217769?OpenDocument Viborg Kommune statistics] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110405210719/http://viborg.dk/db/Kommune.nsf/Alle/9477EDB57BEB5E58C12572E600217769?OpenDocument |date=5 April 2011 }}</ref>

==History==
Viborg is one of the oldest cities in Denmark, with [[Viking]] settlements dating back to the late 8th century.<ref>
Under the leadership of King Vibor, Viborg was impenetrable behind their walls
[http://www.viborghistorie.dk/tidslinie/?periodfile= Viborg History]</ref> Its central location gave the city great strategic importance, in political and religious matters, during the [[Middle Ages]]. A [[motte-and-bailey]]-type castle was once located in the city. Viborg's name is a combination of two Old Norse words: ''[[vé]]'', meaning a holy place, and ''borg'', meaning a fort, but the original name of the town was ''Vvibiærgh'', where ''-biærgh'' means hill (modern Danish ''-bjerg'' (mountain).<ref>{{cite web|title=Den Store Danske website|date=9 May 2017 |url=https://denstoredanske.lex.dk/Viborg_-_by_i_Jylland}}</ref>

==Economy==
Viborg municipality is where the [[Apple Inc.|Apple]] [[Foulum Data Center]] is located which opened in September 2020.<ref>{{cite news |title=Apple scraps $1 billion Irish data centre over planning delays |url=https://www.reuters.com/article/us-apple-ireland-idUSKBN1IB0XT/ |access-date=7 September 2024 |work=Reuters |date=10 May 2018}}</ref>

==Sights==
[[File:Viborg domkirke 2007-11-10 edited.jpg|thumb|left|180px|Viborg Cathedral]]
Viborg is famous for [[Viborg Cathedral]]. The construction of the cathedral started in 1130 and took about 50 years. The building has burned to the ground and been re-built several times. Only the [[crypt]] of the original cathedral is still preserved. The cathedral was and is the locus of cult of [[Saint Kjeld of Viborg]] who was dean of the cathedral chapter there and had a great shrine there in the Middle Ages. The newest parts of the church are from a restoration between 1864 and 1876.<ref name="EB1911">{{Cite EB1911|wstitle=Viborg (Denmark)|display=Viborg|volume=28|page=17|short=y}}</ref> The cathedral is famous for its many paintings by Danish painter [[Joakim Skovgaard]], which depict stories from the [[Bible]]. Next to the cathedral is the [[Skovgaard museum]], founded in 1937.<ref>[http://www.skovgaardmuseet.dk/KundeAspSider/Sider.asp?AID=525&BID=2005&CID=&ASti=Skovgaard%20Museet&BSti=Museets%20historie&CSti= Museum website]{{dead link|date=July 2016 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>

Before the [[Protestant Reformation]] Viborg was the home of five [[monastery|monasteries]],<ref>one for [[Augustinians|Augustinian canons]] and one for Augustinian nuns, a [[Franciscan]] friary, a [[Dominican Priory, Viborg|Dominican priory]] and a preceptory of the [[Knights Hospitaller]]s</ref> about 12 parish churches, several chapels and of course the cathedral. The Black Friars' church dates from the 13th century.<ref name="EB1911"/> Today only the cathedral and a few remains of the Franciscan and the Dominican monasteries are left.

==Sports==
[[File:Viborg Stadion (1).jpg|thumb|180px|left|[[Viborg Stadion|Viborg Stadium]]]]
Since the 1990s, Viborg has had a reputation as one of Denmark's leading cities for [[sports]]. It started with [[Team handball|handball]], a popular sport in Denmark, when the women's handball team became one of best five clubs in Europe, and continued when both the men's handball team and the professional [[Football (soccer)|football]] team established themselves in their respective domestic leagues. From 1998 to 2008, [[Viborg FF]] was a member of the [[Danish Superliga]], reaching an all-time high by winning the [[Danish cup]] in [[1999–2000 Danish Cup|2000]].

Viborg hosts the annual Haervejsmarchen international two-day walking festival, which regularly attracts 8,000 participants, including many from outside Denmark. It includes marked routes of distances of up to 45 kilometres a day.<ref>{{cite web|title=Haervejsmarchen website|url=http://www.haervejsmarchen.dk}}</ref>  The walk is affiliated to the [[IML Walking Association]].<ref>{{cite web|title=IML Walking Association website|url= http://www.imlwalking.org/#/members/Viborg}}</ref>

{{clear left}}

==Education==
[[File:Viborg Katedralskole Symmetrical.jpg|thumb|180px|Viborg Katedralskole|left]]
Viborg is home to a number of [[educational institutions]], including [[Viborg Katedralskole]] ([[cathedral school]]). Denmark's oldest [[educational institution]] celebrated its 900th birthday in 2000. The school is believed to have been founded about 1060, at the same time as the city became the seat of a [[bishop]]. The [[Church body|church]] needed to educate boys and young men to enter into the church's service, and to that purpose it created a school. Its current monumental home was built in 1926 to accommodate a larger number of students and later the school added a [[dormitory]] to house the many students from outer regions or islands not close to a [[gymnasium (school)|gymnasium]]. Although this role is now basically obsolete, the dorm continues to be a popular solution for many students wanting to get away from home or for a small number of students from [[Greenland]]. Viborg Katedralskole is today one of four gymnasiums in Viborg.

Viborg is also home to [[The Animation Workshop]], an art school based in a former army barracks on the outskirts of town. The school, which achieved official recognition from the Danish government in 2003, offers students a Bachelor of Arts in character animation.

==Transportation==
[[File:Banegården Viborg.JPG|thumb|Front façade of [[Viborg station]].]]

===Rail===
Viborg is served by [[Viborg railway station]]. It is located on the [[Langå-Struer Line|Langå-Struer railway line]] and offers direct [[InterCity]] services to [[Copenhagen]] and [[Struer, Denmark|Struer]] and [[regional train]] services to [[Aarhus]] and [[Struer, Denmark|Struer]].

==Notable people==
[[File:Vitus Bering 1.jpg|thumb|140px|Vitus Bering]]
{{list missing criteria|date=September 2025}}
=== Public service and thinking ===
* [[ Saint Vibor]]
* [[Saint Kjeld]] (died 1150), Archdeacon, canonized 1188
* [[Biskop Gunner]] ([[:da:Gunner (biskop i Viborg)|da]], 1152–1251), Bishop, co-writer of the Law of Jutland
* [[Knud Mikkelsen]] ([[:da:Knud Mikkelsen|da]], 1421-1478/1488), Bishop, contributor to the Law of Jutland
* [[Niels Kaas]] (1535 in Stårupgård –1594) politician, [[Chancellor]] of Denmark 1573-1594
* [[Vitus Bering (1617–1675)|Vitus Bering]] (1617–1675) poet, historian and Supreme Court justice
* [[Carl Gottlob Rafn]] (1769–1808) enlightenment scientist and civil servant
* [[Sophie Zahrtmann]] (1841 in Vammen{{snd}}1925) [[deaconess]] and nurse
* [[Hans Christian Cornelius Mortensen]] (1856–1921), ornithologist, taught in Viborg
* [[Bertel Dahlgaard]] (1887–1972) politician and statistician
* [[Kåre Pugerup]] (born 1964) diplomat and Chief of Staff at the [[UN]] agency [[IFAD]] in Rome
* [[Torsten Nielsen]] (born 1967 in Sparkær) politician, Mayor of [[Viborg Municipality]] since 2014
* [[Anders Primdahl Vistisen]] (born 1987 in [[Vridsted]]) [[Danish People's Party|DPP]] politician and [[Member of the European Parliament|MEP]]

=== Arts ===
[[File:Gudrun Houlberg.jpg|thumb|140px|Gudrun Houlberg, 1916]]
[[File:Morten-lund DSC05034.jpg|thumb|140px|Morten Lund, 2017]]
* [[Christen Aagaard]] (1616—1664) poet, academic and theologian
* [[Carl Deichman]] (1705–1780) Norwegian mine operator, book collector and philanthropist
* [[Mads Alstrup]] (1808–1876) first Danish portrait photographer with his own studio
* [[Kristian Mantzius]] (1819–1879) actor, popular with his audience but not his bosses
* [[Jeppe Aakjær]] (1866–1930) poet and novelist, a member of the [[Jutland Movement]]
* [[Anders Randolf]] (1870–1930) Danish American actor in American films<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0709856/   IMDb Database] retrieved 25 May 2020</ref>
* [[Benjamin Christensen]] (1879–1959), film director, screenwriter and actor<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0159725/   IMDb Database] retrieved 25 May 2020</ref>
* [[Tyge Hvass]] (1885 in  Randrup{{snd}}1963) a Danish [[Functionalism (architecture)|functionalist]] architect
* [[A. W. Sandberg]] (1887–1938) a Danish film director and screenwriter<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0761244/   IMDb Database] retrieved 26 May 2020</ref>
* [[Jens Klok]] (1889–1974) a Danish architect with the [[Royal Danish Navy]]
* [[Gudrun Houlberg]] (1889–1940) actress<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0585422/   IMDb Database] retrieved 25 May 2020</ref>
* [[Olaf Wieghorst]] (1899–1988), painter of the American West
* [[Peter Seeberg]] (1925–1999), writer, worked in Viborg as a museum custodian
* [[Johann Otto von Spreckelsen]] (1929–1987), architect
* [[Peer Hultberg]] (1935–2007), a Danish author and psychoanalyst, lived in Viborg as a child
* [[Freddy Milton]] (born 1948 in Overlund) a Danish comics artist and writer
* Poul Martin Bonde (born 1958) songwriter and spokesperson of [[Smukfest]]<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1641964/   IMDb Database] retrieved 3 May 2021</ref>
* [[Frank Hvam]] (born 1970) stand-up-comedian<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0404809/   IMDb Database] retrieved 25 May 2020</ref>
* [[Morten Lund (musician)|Morten Lund]] (born 1972) jazz drummer
* [[Lise Rønne]] (born 1978) a Danish journalist and TV presenter<ref>[https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1238773/   IMDb Database] retrieved 26 May 2020</ref>
* [[Rasmussen (singer)|Rasmussen]] (born 1985) stage name of ''Jonas Flodager Rasmussen'', Danish singer and actor

=== Sport ===
[[File:Finn Døssing.jpg|thumb|150px|Finn Døssing, 2011]]
* [[Charles Buchwald]] (1880 in Bjerringbro{{snd}}1951) amateur footballer, won silver medals at the 1908 and [[1912 Summer Olympics]]
* [[Finn Døssing]] Jensen (born 1941) former footballer, 349 appearances for [[Viborg FF]]
* [[Ulrik Wilbek]] (born 1958) successful handball coach and Mayor of Viborg since 2018
* [[Nicolai Vollquartz]] (born 1965) football referee
* [[Nikolaj Jacobsen]] (born 1971) a handball coach and former player with 148 caps for [[Denmark men's national handball team|Denmark]]
* [[Steffen Højer]] (born 1973) former football player, 380 club caps, many for [[Viborg FF]]
* Brian Buur (born 1977) (as Brian Sorensen) a former Danish darts player
* [[Henrik Dalsgaard]] (born 1989 in Roum) footballer, over 300 club caps, played for [[Brentford F.C.|Brentford]].

==In popular culture==
In the [[science fiction]] book ''[[The Corridors of Time]]'' by [[Poul Anderson]], a Danish-American writer who did considerable research on Danish history, a large part of the plot takes place in 16th-century Viborg. The protagonist - an American [[time travel]]ler from the 20th century - arrives in the city in 1535 and gets involved with the adherents of the overthrown King [[Christian II]] and of the peasant rebel leader [[Skipper Clement]], who face savage persecution in the city.

Viborg is also the setting of "[[Number 13 (short story)|Number 13]]", a ghost story by the English writer [[M.R. James]].

==Twin towns—sister cities==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Denmark}}

Viborg is [[Twin towns and sister cities|twinned]] with:
*{{flagicon|FRA}} [[Bayeux]], France<ref name="Bayeux twinnings">{{cite web|url=http://www.cncd.fr/frontoffice/bdd-region.asp?action=getRegion&id=4#tabs3 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20131127063207/http://www.cncd.fr/frontoffice/bdd-region.asp?action=getRegion&id=4 |url-status=dead |archive-date=27 November 2013 |title=National Commission for Decentralised cooperation |access-date=26 December 2013 |work=Délégation pour l'Action Extérieure des Collectivités Territoriales (Ministère des Affaires étrangères) |language=fr }}</ref>

==Climate==

{{Weather box|width=auto
|collapsed=yes
|location= Viborg ([[Midtjyllands Airport]]) (1993–2020 normals, extremes 1971–2000)
|metric first=Yes
|single line=Yes
|Jan record high C = 11.3
|Feb record high C = 12.2
|Mar record high C = 22.2
|Apr record high C = 26.8
|May record high C = 28.4
|Jun record high C = 30.1
|Jul record high C = 32.7
|Aug record high C = 34.6
|Sep record high C = 27.8
|Oct record high C = 23.0
|Nov record high C = 16.0
|Dec record high C = 12.3
|Jan record low C = -28.4
|Feb record low C = -21.0
|Mar record low C = -16.3
|Apr record low C = -7.8
|May record low C = -4.0
|Jun record low C = 1.1
|Jul record low C = 3.7
|Aug record low C = 1.0
|Sep record low C = -2.3
|Oct record low C = -5.3
|Nov record low C = -18.0
|Dec record low C = -24.0
|Jan high C = 3.7
|Feb high C = 4.0
|Mar high C = 6.8
|Apr high C = 12.2
|May high C = 16.2
|Jun high C = 18.9
|Jul high C = 21.2
|Aug high C = 21.2
|Sep high C = 17.3
|Oct high C = 12.5
|Nov high C = 7.7
|Dec high C = 4.7
| year high C = 
|Jan mean C = 1.3
|Feb mean C = 1.6
|Mar mean C = 3.3
|Apr mean C = 7.8
|May mean C = 11.4
|Jun mean C = 14.5
|Jul mean C = 16.7
|Aug mean C = 16.7
|Sep mean C = 13.4
|Oct mean C = 9.2
|Nov mean C = 5.2
|Dec mean C = 2.3
| year mean C = 
|Jan low C = -1.1
|Feb low C = -0.9
|Mar low C = -0.1
|Apr low C = 3.4
|May low C = 6.7
|Jun low C = 10.2
|Jul low C = 12.2
|Aug low C = 12.2
|Sep low C = 9.5
|Oct low C = 6.0
|Nov low C = 2.7
|Dec low C = -0.1
| year low C = 
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 67.7 
|Feb precipitation mm = 45.9
|Mar precipitation mm = 55.5
|Apr precipitation mm = 40.8
|May precipitation mm = 48.1
|Jun precipitation mm = 63.3
|Jul precipitation mm = 59.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 68.7
|Sep precipitation mm = 84.5
|Oct precipitation mm = 86.7
|Nov precipitation mm = 81.1
|Dec precipitation mm = 77.0
|year precipitation mm = 778.5
| unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
| Jan precipitation days = 12.6
| Feb precipitation days = 9.6
| Mar precipitation days = 11.2
| Apr precipitation days = 8.2
| May precipitation days = 8.0
| Jun precipitation days = 9.6
| Jul precipitation days = 9.4
| Aug precipitation days = 10.3
| Sep precipitation days = 12.2
| Oct precipitation days = 12.8
| Nov precipitation days = 13.9
| Dec precipitation days = 13.9
| year precipitation days =131.6
| Jan humidity = 89.7
| Feb humidity = 86.7
| Mar humidity = 82.6
| Apr humidity = 74.5
| May humidity = 73.2
| Jun humidity = 74.9
| Jul humidity = 77.3
| Aug humidity = 80.1
| Sep humidity = 84.5
| Oct humidity = 87.3
| Nov humidity = 90.8
| Dec humidity = 97.7
| year humidity =
|Jan snow days = 7.3
|Feb snow days = 6.3
|Mar snow days = 4.9
|Apr snow days = 1.6
|May snow days = 0.1
|Jun snow days = 0
|Jul snow days = 0
|Aug snow days = 0
|Sep snow days = 0
|Oct snow days = 0.2
|Nov snow days = 2.6
|Dec snow days = 5.8
|year snow days =28.8
|source 1  = Danish Meteorological Institute (precipitation, sun and snow 1971–2000, humidity 2008–2020)<ref name = DMI1>{{cite web
| url = http://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2002/tr02-12.pdf
| title = Danish Climatological Normals 1971–2000 for selected stations
| publisher = [[Danish Meteorological Institute]]
| access-date = 11 July 2025
| archive-date = 15 March 2018
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20180315144636/https://www.dmi.dk/fileadmin/user_upload/Rapporter/TR/2002/tr02-12.pdf}}</ref>
|source 2 = IEM<ref name = IEM1>{{cite web
|url=https://www.mesonet.agron.iastate.edu/sites/monthlysum.php?station=EKKA&network=DK__ASOS
|title= [EKKA] Karup [1972-] Monthly Summaries
|publisher=The Iowa Environmental Mesonet
|access-date=11 July 2025}}</ref>
}}

==See also==
* [[St. John's Priory, Viborg]]
* [[Chronicle of the Expulsion of the Grayfriars#Chapter 2 Concerning the Friary at Viborg]]
"Gymnasium" is the Danish equivalent of high school. It is not what English speakers call a gym, or place to work out. It offers a very rigorous education for college-bound students.

==References==
{{reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline|Viborg}}
*{{Wikivoyage-inline|Viborg}}
{{Viborg Municipality}}
{{Municipal seats of Denmark}}
{{30 most populous cities of Denmark}}
{{Authority control}}
{{Coord|56|26|N|9|24|E|region:DK_type:city|display=title}}

[[Category:Viborg, Denmark| ]]
[[Category:Cities and towns in the Central Denmark Region]]
[[Category:Municipal seats of Denmark]]
[[Category:Towns and settlements in Viborg Municipality]]