Riberhus, Medieval castle ruins and green space in Ribe, Denmark.
Riberhus is a castle ruin in Ribe, Denmark, set on a raised earthwork about 26 feet (8 meters) high and surrounded by moats. The remains of the medieval foundations are visible from the embankment, and a path runs around the full perimeter.
The castle was built in the early 1200s as a royal fortress and a base for collecting taxes on behalf of the Danish crown. Swedish forces destroyed it in 1658 during conflicts between the two kingdoms.
A bronze statue of Queen Dagmar stands at the southern corner of the embankment, made in 1913 by Danish sculptor Anne Marie Carl-Nielsen. She is one of the few visible elements that still directly recalls the royal past of the site.
The grounds are open year-round as a public park and can be visited at no cost. Sturdy footwear is a good idea since the embankment slopes and some areas of the grounds can be uneven.
Archaeological digs revealed that people were living on this site as far back as the 10th century, well before the medieval castle was constructed. This earlier layer of occupation is rarely noticed by visitors who come to see the fortress remains.
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