St. Catherine's Priory

St. Catherine's Priory is a Dominican monastery in Ribe with three aisles and Gothic architectural features throughout. The complex includes extensive cellars beneath the southern section that reveal medieval construction techniques and storage areas from centuries past.

The priory was founded in 1228 by Dominican friars and expanded considerably in the early 1300s during Ribe's economic boom. This growth reflected the city's rising importance as a center of religion and trade.

The priory housed Dominican friars who taught in the city and worked closely with the cathedral school. Today, traces of this learned community remain visible in the spaces where they lived and studied.

The priory now operates as a museum where visitors can explore the medieval architecture and rooms used by the monks. The layout and structure make it easy to walk through and understand how monastic life was organized centuries ago.

The priory remains Denmark's most complete surviving monastic complex, with building elements from multiple construction periods still visible today. The varied architectural styles show how the structure evolved and was modified over hundreds of years.