Vejle

Sister cities

• Jablanica
• Qasigiannguit
• Borås Municipality
• Schleswig
• Mikkeli
• Jelgava
• Molde Municipality
• Mostar

History

Vejle was originally built on a small islet that was surrounded by Omløbsåen to the west, Mølleåen to the east, and Vejle River to the south. It was only after the Industrial Revolution, that the city expanded beyond the river borders. During Viking times, the wetlands around Vejle had to be crossed at the Ravning Bridge, a 760-meter long wooden boardwalk, built around 980 ad, located west of the current city. Archaeological digs near St. Nicolai Church in downtown Vejle have shown that there were residences in the area as far back as 1100. The first recorded mention of the town is from 1256, and the first known merchant town privileges were issued by King Valdemar III in 1327. During the Middle Ages, Vejle was a prominent market town. It developed slowly, only having small setbacks from the Black Death during the 14th century. Vejle traditionally traded with cities such as Lübeck, Aarhus and Flensburg, located in the old duchies of Schleswig and Holstein, and other cities on the Baltic coast. Vejle used to be protected by two castles: Castrum Wæthel (Vejleborg) (Vejle Castle) The Vejle castle was constructed out of wood and lay just outside the city, where Vejle railway station is located today. It was constructed to protect the city and the Vejle River. The architecture of the castle indicates it was built in the 14th century, but by the year 1473 the castle had most likely been decommissioned. being turned into fields. The last remnants of the castle disappeared through the construction of the railway in the 19th century. Rosborg Rosborg was located in the marshlands of the Vejle Valley, located a couple hundred meters west of the city. It sat atop a manmade hill around 1.75 meters high, 40 meters long, and 25 meters wide. There had been multiple buildings…

Geography

Downtown Vejle was built on an island of glacial till in Vejle River remaining from a hill formed during the last ice age. In a country where the highest natural elevation is only about 170 m (558 ft) above sea level, Vejle is known for the forested hills that rise to the north and south of the town and fjord. The valleys of the two rivers that converge at Vejle are both unique in Denmark: Vejle River Valley (Vejle Ådal) is the longest tunnel valley in Denmark, and the Grejs Valley (Grejsdalen) is the largest ravine in Denmark. Both empty into Vejle Fjord, which connects Vejle by water through the Little Belt strait to the Baltic Sea, and through the Kattegat and Skagerrak straits to the Atlantic Ocean. Development of new architecture, art and alternative town spaces throughout the 1990s has made the city an attraction. Vejle was the first city in Denmark, which had its own official architecture policy to set high standards for the urban development. The fjord is also the site of the modern wave-shaped apartment complex known as The Wave (Bølgen). Many of Vejle's neighbourhoods began as separate towns or villages that merged with the city as it grew. Søndermarken, Nørremarken, and Grejsdalen, however, were all founded as extensions of the city onto the surrounding hillsides. Vejle's neighbourhoods include: * Vejle centre. * Bredballe – east of the motorway and north of Vejle Fjord; considered an affluent neighbourhood. * Grejsdalen – northernmost part of the city, located in the long, narrow valley of the same name. * Mølholm – southeast of the centre. * Nørremarken – east of Grejsdalen, west of the motorway, includes Northern Woods (Nørreskoven) and Vejle Stadium. * Uhrhøj – west of Grejsdalen, north of Trædballe. * Vinding – southeast, next to…

Most-observed species

• Eurasian Blackbird

  Turdus merula Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  6,845
• Common Wood-Pigeon

  Columba palumbus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  5,953
• Common Chiffchaff

  Phylloscopus collybita (Vieillot, 1817) · Aves
  4,808
• Mallard

  Anas platyrhynchos Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,631
• Common Buzzard

  Buteo buteo (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,416
• Eurasian Wren

  Troglodytes troglodytes (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  4,154
• Great Tit

  Parus major Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  4,147
• Mute Swan

  Cygnus olor (J.F.Gmelin, 1789) · Aves
  3,709

Most recent

• M 2.6 — 2005-03-16
  13 km NNW of Kalundborg, Denmark
• M 2.8 — 2004-11-24
  13 km SSE of Ebeltoft, Denmark