Scan Magazine | Attraction of the Month | Denmark
A large investment has turned Aalborg’s old lido into a haven of water- and land-based activities.
Attraction of the Month, Denmark
Aalborg’s new outdoor wonderland
– making people jump with joy Open-air swimming, bouldering and beach volley – these are just some of the free activities on offer in Aalborg’s new, vast recreation area. Once the site of a run-down lido and spanning 165,000 square metres, Vestre Fjordpark has become a must-visit location in Denmark’s most northerly city. By Signe Hansen | Photos: Rafael Zajac
Located on the Limfjord, three kilometres from the centre of Aalborg city, Vestre Fjordpark is a wonderland for outdoor enthusiasts. Since opening last summer, the park has become the number one place to be on a warm summer day – or evening. “It’s been an overwhelming success,” says Aalborg municipality project manager Anders Toft Hougaard. “I went to visit on a warm evening in May and I think there must have been between five and eight thousand people out there, and that’s just a regular good night.” 88 | Issue 114 | July 2018
Aside from the 50-metre open-air pool, the park’s free facilities include beach volleyball courts, basketball, an outdoor gym and much more. It is also the home of a number of local clubs and organisations, such as Aalborg Sportsdykkerklub (sport diving club) and Aalborg Havkajakklub (sea kayaking club).
From run-down lido to award-winning park With its long history, the 70-year-old Aalborg lido had always been a pop-
ular recreational site in the city. When connection to the motorway – a project for which the surrounding parkland had originally been reserved – was cancelled, the municipality therefore took action to ensure that the popular area would not be lost. With three different funds (Det Obelske Familiefond, Lokaleog Anlægsfonden and Nordea-fonden) each donating 11.5 million DKK (around 1.37 million GBP), a total of nearly 73 million DKK (five million GBP) was invested into the development of the lido and surrounding area, and an ambitious plan was set into work. “We were more than a bit nervous when we first started, as both the lido and the green area that surrounded it had a very special place in the heart of the people of Aalborg,” explains Hougaard. “So we did several