The town's dramatic history is about Vikings, kings, queens, bishops, traitors, witches, floods and fires.

Ribe's history can be traced back to the Viking Age
in the beginning of the 8th century, where it became a market place by the sea.

With its outstanding status as Denmark's oldest and best preserved town,
Ribe is one of the few towns in Denmark, which still has a beautifully preserved medieval town centre with old half-timbered houses, cobblestone streets and a cathedral as the crucial centre point.