Things to do in Herning, Denmark - our top 11 tips

What to see and do in Herning, Denmark? We recently visited Herning to attend a trade fair, but we also had time to look around the Danish city. Here are our top tips on what to see and do in Herning!

Herning

Herning is a small town with a nice atmosphere. The first thing they told us at the tourist office is that the city is relatively young, and therefore does not have many old buildings.

Herning is an 'event city'. At the large exhibition centre just outside the city, and at the congress centre in the city centre, there are lots of fairs, festivals and concerts. Herning oscillates between being full of people during the events - and going into quiet periods in between.

Herning is located in the middle of Jutland in Denmark, about 90 kilometres west of Aarhus. From Copenhagen it is almost 300 kilometres.

What to do in Herning?

So what can you see and do in Herning? There is a lot to discover in addition to the events, we can say. We have collected our best tips here in a list.

1. strolling in the centre of Herning

Herning city centre is quiet and pleasant. The shops are densely packed, and there are plenty of restaurants in particular. For a city of this size, there are an unexpected number of restaurants, but when there are events going on, it can even be difficult to find a free table.

3. see Herning church

Herning's church was designed by architect Wiinholt and opened in 1889. Inside the church there is an organ from 1949, with 33 pipes. The church is located in the centre of town and when we were here there was a meeting for mothers with small children.

4. visit the Textile Museum

The Textile Museum in Herning is located near the city centre, housed in a former factory building. The museum tells the story of the textile industry, which was once the most important industry in this part of Jutland. You can see old machinery, and there is also a café and engaging activities for children.

5. Enjoy the atmosphere at the Napoli restaurant

We visited the Napoli restaurant one evening, and we didn't regret it. The best thing here was the cosy atmosphere and the personal service. Even though every table was full and the staff was obviously busy, they never kept us waiting and were happy to offer an extra smile.

The food is Italian and we each ordered a pizza. Then we went big and also took a dessert and a small whiskey each. Really good and nice!

6. Take a trip to Birk - the white city

For an extraordinary art experience, don't miss a trip to Birk Centerpark, located just outside the centre of Herning. By car or local bus it takes less than ten minutes to get here.

An aerial view of the area clearly shows a long line of white buildings scattered across a green landscape. There is a university, two art museums and a wide range of outdoor attractions, such as a sculpture park and various works of art.

7. Check out art at HEART Herning Museum of Contemporary Art.

One of the two art museums at Birk is 'HEART Herning Museum of Contemporary Art'. This large white building hosts various exhibitions of contemporary art. When we were here we could see the photo exhibition "Vestkyst" by Henrik Saxgren (until 18 September 2022). Fantastic photos!

Currently, you can also see the exhibition "Made on earth" by Tony Cragg (until 21 August 2022). The museum also has a café, where we took a lunch break with a panini.

8. Be fascinated by the Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelt Museum.

At Birk you will also find the Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelts Museum, an art museum built around the couple's work. The museum was established in 1976, after Carl-Henning donated a large collection, and originally consisted of a round building.

In 1993, a pyramid was added to the museum, and in 2015 the two geometric buildings were connected to the former shirt factory Angligården. You can now walk underground between the different buildings, which offer fantastic and bright exhibition spaces.

The museum has around 6000 works by both artists, and the exhibitions change a few times a year. When we were here, there was an exhibition focusing on ceramics.

We also saw an amazing and fascinating art and sound exhibition outside the museum, which can be visited even by those who do not enter the museum. As we approached the circle, we didn't hear anything, but then when we stepped into the centre, music poured in from all directions. Really cool! Despite dark clouds and rain, we stayed here for quite a while.

9. Walk in the Sculpture Park and the Geometric Garden

There is a lot of art to discover in Birk Centrepark, even outside the museums. For example, you can stroll through the Sculpture Park or check out the Genome Garden.

We were here at the wrong time of year (and on a day that was far too rainy!) to do the garden justice in pictures. If you come here at a better time of year, take a look for yourself!

10. Photograph the Elijah statue

One of the most striking works of art in Birk Centerpark is undoubtedly the giant sculpture Elia, which is 11 metres high and has a diameter of 60 metres. At first glance, one might wonder if this is a stranded spaceship from an alien galaxy.

But no, Ingvar Cronhammar's enormous work of art marks the turn of the millennium. The sculpture contains a gas burner and once every 18 days it sends up an 8.4 metre high fireball. The timing of this is randomly selected by a computer.

11. take part in a fair or event

The chances of visiting Herning in connection with a trade fair, concert or other major event are relatively high. MCH has several large venues in the city:

• MCH Messecenter Herning is one of Scandinavia's largest exhibition centres, with 15 exhibition halls.
• MCH Herning Congress Centre is a cultural centre for theatre, concerts and musicals.
• MCH Arena is the home of the local league FC Midtjylland.
• Jyske Bank Boxen is a venue used for sports, concerts, shows and events.

We were in Herning because we took part in the travel and camping fair "Ferie for alle", which is Scandinavia's largest travel fair. This was a really inspiring fair with a focus on travelling both abroad and in Denmark, as well as on outdoor, golf and camping.

More things to do in Herning for those who like food and shopping

There is a lot to do in Herning if you like food and shopping. Here are a few more tips, in addition to those already mentioned.

• Bryggeriet Herning is a microbrewery and restaurant since 1999 (Torvet 3C).
• Café FRY serves pasta, burgers and Mexican food. (Østergade 15)
• Herning Centre is a large shopping centre with 80 shops and 10 restaurants.
• Restaurant Sankt Jørgen at Best Western Plus Hotel Eyde serves classic dishes. (Mindegade 1)

More things to do in Herning for culture and history lovers

There is also more to see and do in Herning when it comes to culture and history.

• Deep Forest Art Land - Forest snow offers impressive art in a forest setting.
• Herning library is located in the city centre and offers both books and various exhibitions and events (Østergade 8).
• Helen's house is a former poorhouse from 1815 (Sammelstedvej 15).
• Open Air Museum is a small open-air museum that tells the story of rural life in the past. (Museumsgade 32)
• Herningsholm Museum showcases Herningsholm's oldest building, a mansion from 1579 (Herregårdsparken 1).
• Klosterlund Museum talks about archaeological finds, ancient history and the peat industry (Kragelundsvej 6A, Engesvang).
• Søby lignite museum tells about the time of excavation of lignite (Brunkulsvej 29).

More things to do in Herning for nature lovers

Are you most comfortable in nature? Then you'll find some more suggestions for things to do in Herning here:

• Golf is available in several places, such as Herning Golf Club, Aaskov Golf Club and Brande Golf Club.
• Canoeing you can do in Storå, Karup Å or Skjern Å.
• Løvbakke Nature Centre is a nature area with hiking, park with fallow deer, nature school and more.
• Put & Take fishing can be done in Bjerrely Fiskesø, Vester Mølle Put & Take or Fårbæk Put & Take.
• Hiking you can do in several places, such as Hærvejen by Nørre Snede, Trehøje or Harrild Hede.

More to do in Herning with children

Here are some more tips for things to do in Herning with children or teenagers.

• Baboon city is Denmark's largest indoor amusement centre, with bouncy castles, trampolines, bumper cars and more. (Åkirkebyvej 10)
• DGI Huset Herning is a hotel, but also a swimming pool, suitable for both children and adults.
• Football golf you can try your hand at Sunds Fodboldgolf or Sørvad Fodboldgolf.
• Natural playgrounds there are several, such as Praestbjerg Nature Centre & Nature Playground, Harrild Hede Forest Playground and Løvbakke Deer Park & Nature playground.
• Jyllands Park Zoo shows more than 200 different species such as giraffes, monkeys, lions. seals and penguins. (Haunstrupvej 13, Videbæk)
• Terminals offers skate park, parkour course, climbing wall and e-sports (Godsbanevej 7).

Where can you stay or park your motorhome?

Herning has a variety of accommodation options, which are linked to the major events that are usually organised in the city. If you come by motorhome, there is a car park/parking space at the Market Square. If you are going to the "Ferie for alle" fair, there is a fair campsite, and there are also several campsites outside Herning.

We stayed at Hotel Eyde Best Western Plus, which we were very pleased with. The room was fresh and good, there was coffee available all around the clock and the service was excellent. We also liked the location, right in the centre of Herning.

We were also very pleased with the breakfast at the hotel. They served fresh and tasty juice, good bread, nice liver paste, crispy granola and a lot of other goodies.

More to see and do in the neighbourhood

If you head west from Herning, you can visit the adventure park WOW Park Skjern, and if you head south, you can visit Legoland. Germany is not too far away either. For example, we can recommend a visit to the Haithabu Viking Museum, located northwest of Kiel.

Even more things to see and do in Herning?

Have you visited Herning? Tell us about your experience! Maybe you have even more tips for things to see and do in Herning?

Facts about Herning

• Country: Denmark
• Region: Central Denmark Region (Midtjylland)
• Residents: More than 89 000 in the municipality (2021)
• Neighbourhoods: Herning, Birk, Gjellerup, Hammerum, Lind, Snejbjerg and Tjørring.
• Read more: You can find more information at the city's website.

Travelling to Herning

• Flight: You can fly to Herning, for example from Copenhagen.
• Trains: From Copenhagen to Herning by train takes three hours. There are both direct trains and trains where you have to make a change.
• Car: Driving from Copenhagen to Herning takes about three hours if you take the Funen route.
• Travelling in Herning: To travel by local bus, you can download the "Midttrafik" app.

History of Herning

• 1579: The Herningsholm mansion was built on the road between Jelling and Holsterbro.
• 17th century: Herning consisted of a few farms.
• 1827: A courthouse was built.
• 1840: At this time only 21 people lived in Herning.
• 1876: A wool spinning mill was established, which eventually developed into a clothing factory.
• 1877: Herning became the terminus of the Skanderborg-Silkeborg railway.
• 1887-1889: The medieval church was demolished and Herning's church was built.
• 1930: The population had increased to over 10,000 by this time.
• Present tense: Many fairs and events are organised in Herning. The city has twice been named Danish City of the Year.