A GUIDE TO HERNING PRACTICAL INFORMATION ABOUT OUR DESTINATION
Ω MCH Messecenter Herning Photo MCH
Experience major events
Ω Jyske Bank Boxen Photo Lars Møller/MCH
Dear Guests, We are happy to welcome you all to Herning, Ikast and Brande. As experts in hosting large events and welcoming guests we are excited that you have chosen our cities as your venue. We are a destination big enough to matter and small enough to care. Mette Gottlieb, tourism director
Denmark is the southernmost of the Scandinavian countries, consisting of a peninsula, Jutland, and 443 small named islands between the North Sea and the Baltic Sea, 72 of which are inhabited. The largest islands are Zealand and Funen. Herning, Ikast and Brande is in Region Midtjylland (The Central Denmark Region), on the Jutland peninsula, located approximately 300 km from Denmark's capital city of Copenhagen and 340 km from the German city of Hamburg. Herning was established at the beginning of the 19th century as a commercial centre providing goods and services to the farmers in the area. A thriving textile industry later developed in and around Herning, Ikast and Brande leading to the area now housing some of the biggest fashion companies in Denmark like JBS, DK company, Bestseller and Egetæpper. The MCH Herning messe- og kongrescenter (Expo and Congress center) opened in 1954 and is purpose built for conferences and exhibitions. Today the congress and expo center has two locations. The congress center in the downtown Herning and Northern Europe’s largest event and expo center located just outside the city and close to the motorway. Jyske Bank Boxen is the most recent addition to the center. For the last ten years superstars like Bruce Springsteen and Lady Gaga have visited along with the Ice Hockey World Cup and the acrobats from Circue du soleil.
VISA EU citizens can travel freely to Denmark; citizens of other countries may require a visa. If you travel to Denmark from outside the Schengen agreement area, you may also require a visa. Click here if you are travelling from a country outside the Schengen area or if you are not sure if you require a visa to visit Denmark.
Billund Airport Billund Airport is West Denmark’s International Airport and the cities’ closest airport. Serving annually 2.7 million passengers, the airport provides all West Denmark with easy access to many international destinations. An array of airlines has flights with direct connections to Billund from more than 50 European destinations comprising important central airports such as Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Paris, Helsinki, Istanbul, Brussels and London. Via the main Hub airports Billund is connected to, the airport is reachable from more than 530 destinations across the World. Although car parking is free in the cities, car hire in Denmark is not cheap and we recommended that you contact Go Shuttle, who offers daily transfers to and from Billund Airport. It is also possible to go by bus. See departures at www.rejseplanen.dk
Copenhagen Airport Copenhagen Airport is situated just outside Copenhagen. With 60,000 passengers a day it is the busiest airport in Scandinavia. The airport has three terminals, which are all interconnected. It is possible to get a connecting flight from Copenhagen Airport to Billund Airport. The flight takes approximately 50 minutes. Trains from Copenhagen Central Station and the airport depart every ten minutes, and the journey takes about 20 minutes. The easiest way to get to and from the airport is by Metro. There are also direct train departures for Herning from the airport. See more at www.rejseplanen.dk
Taxi companies Secher’s Taxi P: +45 20209713 Taxa Midt P: +45 97120777 Go shuttle: P: +45 21947526 Uber does not operate in Denmark due to national legislation.
Car Rental If you would like to find out more about car rental in Denmark, you can visit the VisitHerning website for further information. Please note that many cars in Denmark have a manual transmission, if you would prefer an automatic transmission it is recommended that you enquire and book in advance. It is also recommended that you compare rates of various agencies operating in the Herning area in advance. Often the most competitive rates can be found online.
Train Herning, Ikast and Brande is well connected to the rest of Denmark by rail. See all departures at www.rejseplanen.dk Herning railway station is located right in the city center near Hotel Scandic Regina, Hotel DGI Huset, Best Western PLUS Hotel Eyde, Herning City Hotel and a few minutes’ walk from MCH Herning Kongrescenter. Brande Railway station is located in the town center near Hotel Dalgas. Ikast railway station is located in the northern part of town. A short walking distance to Hotel Medi.
Train, bus, taxi..
Ω Herning Station
Summer vibes in the city
Ω Town square in Herning By car It is very easy to get to and from Herning by road. The Motorway E45 takes you right to the city center. Public parking spaces in Herning, Ikast and Brande are free of charge, however they are often subject to time restrictions. You must display a disc in the front window to indicate parking start time. You can buy a time indicator disc at gas stations. Private parking spaces may charge a parking fee. Follow the directions of the signs.
Bus City buses travel around the city. See departures and arrivals at www.rejseplanen.dk
Driving The legal driving age in Denmark is eighteen. Cars are driven on the right, (bicycles should also be ridden on the right). Overtaking (passing) is on the left. The white stripe in the middle of the road indicates if it is legal or not to overtake - it is legal to overtake when the stripe is punctuated, you must indicate when changing lanes. You must always use dipped headlights. A line of triangles means you must give way.
Driving speeds The speed limit is 50kph in built-up areas, 80kph on open roads and 130kph on motorways (with some signed stretches at 110kph).
Driving under the influence of alcohol The drink driving limit is 50mg of alcohol per 100ml of blood (lower than countries like the UK and the US which has a limit of 80mg per 100ml).
Parking in Denmark Parking restrictions apply in most towns and cities in Denmark. They are strictly enforced and clearly indicated. In some towns or cities, such as Herning, Ikast and Brande, free public parking is available with time restrictions. In areas where there is free parking with a time restriction a parking disc is required to show the time of arrival. Discs are available from gas stations, supermarkets and home improvement stores. Parking meters and pay and display ticketing also operate in cities where a fee is required to park.
Currency Denmark’s currency, the krone, is most often written with the symbol DKK in international money markets, and kr within Denmark. One krone is divided into 100 øre. There are 50 øre, 1kr, 2kr, 5kr, 10kr and 20kr coins. Notes come in denominations of 50, 100, 200, 500 and 1000 kroner. Credit cards such as Visa and MasterCard are widely accepted in Denmark (American Express and Diners Club less so). In many places (hotels, gas stations, restaurants, shops) a surcharge may be imposed on foreign cards (up to approx. 3.75%). If there is a surcharge, it must be advertised (eg on the menu, at reception). ATMs are widely available in Denmark and can be found at most bank branches, as well as at supermarkets and shopping centres. Even in smaller towns, banks are likely to have ATMS available to use.
Electricity In Denmark, the power plugs and sockets are of type E and K. The standard voltage is 230 V, and the standard frequency is 50 Hz.
Climate Denmark has a temperate climate, it has relatively cool summers and moderately cold winters. Denmark’s spring season is March to May, spring begins cold then begins to warm up. The summer period is June to August with temperatures in July averaging 21 degrees Celsius. The autumn season is September to November and the weather can often be windy and rainy therefore it is advised that visitors bring suitable waterproof outerwear such as raincoats and remember their umbrellas.
Local Time Denmark observes Central European Summer Time (CEST) March– October and Central European Time (CET) October– March. Please note the clocks change (go back one hour) in Denmark on Sunday 25 October.
Smoking and E-Cigarettes All kinds of smoking are prohibited in indoor spaces in Denmark. The only exception to the rule is bars, cafés and clubs that are smaller than 40 sq m in size. It is also prohibited to smoke in railway stations and on the platforms.
Drinking Alcohol laws in Denmark are different for spirits compared to beer and wine. The minimum age for buying beer and wine in Denmark is 16 years in shops and 18 years in bars and restaurants. For buying alcohol with a percentage higher than 16.5%, the legal age in Denmark is 18.
Ω Præstbjerg Naturcenter Photo: Nicolas Jægergaard
Tipping Tipping is not expected in Denmark because service charges are included in the bill by law/agreement. However, if they have received exceptionally good service some Danes choose to tip restaurant staff. If you would like to show appreciation to your waiter with a tip, your waiter may be surprised, but should appreciate the gesture, tipping approximately 10% of the bill or rounding to a convenient figure would be considered generous.
Dialing codes The national dialing code for Denmark is +45, this allows you to make calls to Denmark.
Useful information Emergency number: (+45) 112 will give you access to the police, fire service or an ambulance. Call (+45) 1813 for injuries or sudden illness and speak to a nurse or doctor. Call (+45) 114 for police, when it is not an emergency. The nearest hospital is “Regionshospitalet Herning” - which is situated approximately 1.4km from MCH Herning Kongrescenter. Herning Lokalpoliti is the nearest police station to MCH Herning Kongrescenter.
Enjoy the Out in the fresh air beautiful nature
Ω Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelts Museum
Explore the art scene
LEISURE ACTIVITIES AND LOCAL LANDMARKS Carl-Henning Pedersen & Else Alfelts Museum The museum houses a collection of more than 6000 paintings, watercolors, sculptures, mosaics and other artworks by the artist-couple Carl-Henning Pedersen and Else Alfelt. Most of the exhibits were generously donated by Carl-Henning Pedersen himself to Herning town before the museum’s opening in 1976. HEART Herning Museum Of Contemporary Art The museum’s collection is focused on modern and contemporary Danish and international art, from the 1930s onward – with a special focus on Italian post-war art and Arte Povera, and on concrete and constructive art. The museum’s building in an iconic 60,000 square-foot/5,600 square-meter building designed by acclaimed American architect Steven Holl. Tekstilmuseet While most clothing today is made on the other side of the globe, it was not long ago that Central Jutland was the center of extensive textile production. The exhibition Made in Central Jutland shows how textile production exploded in the 1950s, created jobs and growth and caused the middle Jutland to boom and then expand worldwide. In the old Wet Appretur, the children can come to ‘work’ at the Children’s Factory, or visitors can go for a walk in the Wolferiet and experience the “Hammerum girl” and her red dress, which is almost 2000 years old. Elia Elia is a sculpture by Ingvar Cronhammar. It is the largest sculpture in northern Europe. It is a large, spherical dome with four columns reaching 32 meters. The sculpture is controlled by a computer which sends out flames at random intervals. If lightning hits the columns, the dome is expected to answer with resonance. Herning Church Herning “Kirke” was designed by the architect Wiinholt, inaugurated in 1889 and today is said to characterise the centre of the town in a beautiful and natural way. The big organ from 1949 has 33 voices and rings nicely in the church. The altar-piece is made by Joakim Skovgaard and pictures Jesus in the Nazareth Synagog. The church’s original altar can be seen in the sacristy. The church received on its 100th birthday, chimes with 48 bells, that play at 8, 10, 12, 15, 18 and 22 o’clock. De Geometriske Haver De Geometriske Haver meaning the geometric gardens also called ’The Musical Garden’ - were designed by one of the country’s most important landscape architects, Carl Th. Sørensen and was built after his death in 1984. The gardens are built around the principle of ”simplicity of simplicity”, as they are governed by a very simple geometric set of rules. Jyllands Park Zoo On the approx. 18 hectares you meet more than 700 animals and birds from all over the world. Some of the animals can be fed with special food from the park shop.
The Wall murals of Brande In 1968, Brande became famous due to a couple of innovative residents, who initiated the painting of 23 giant, colourful murals all over the town. The purpose of the project was to tear modern art out of the museum and art gallery atmosphere and plant it in peoples’ everyday life and thereby create debate. Søby Brunkulslejer The museum aims to inform visitors about the period from 1940 to 1970 when lignite (brown coal) was excavated in the area. The museum has three authentic working homes, stores etc. from the 1940s. The museum depicts working life and daily life for the workers who sled in Søby Brunkulslejer. Klosterlund Museum At Klosterlund Museum, you can see exhibitions on the animals of the forest, the machines used for working with peat, as well as original archaeological findings dating back to the Stone Age. The museum tells the story of how people have inhabited this area for thousands of years, how they lived, and in particular how they through the years have utilized the peat of the bogs. The museum is located in beautiful natural surroundings near Bølling Sø.
OTHER ATTRACTIONS IN DENMARK Legoland, Billund Legoland Billund, the original Legoland park and Denmark’s most famous and popular amusement park for families and children of all ages. Over the years, Legoland Billund has added many original models and rides. The park, which has now been expanded to cover 45 acres, is divided into ten themed areas. Lego house, Billund Lego House is an experience centre in Billund, Denmark, near Legoland. It is a 12,000-square metre house filled with 25 million Lego bricks. LegoHouse has six Experience Zones, a cosy LEGO Square and topnotch outdoor playgrounds. ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum, Aarhus With 20,700 square meters spread over 10 floors, ARoS is one of Northern Europe’s largest art museums. Each year, ARoS receives about one million visitors, making it the most visited art museum in Scandinavia. ARoS has four large specialty galleries, an ARoS Focus gallery and a floor with installation art. In each gallery, ARoS presents art from the museum’s collection or by national and international artists such as Grayson Perry, Robert Mapplethorpe, Joana Vasconcelos, Bill Viola, Olafur Eliasson, Paul McCarthy, Shirin Neshat, Lucian Freud and Francis Bacon. Viking Ship Museum, Roskilde The Viking Ship Museum in Roskilde is Denmark’s national museum for ships, seafaring and boatbuilding in the prehistoric and medieval period. The main focus of the museum is a permanent exhibition of five original Viking ships excavated nearby in 1962.
Amalienborg, København Amalienborg is the home of the Danish royal family, Amalienborg is famous for its Royal Guard, called Den Kongelige Livgarde - the guards march from their barracks in 100 Gothersgade by Rosenborg Castle through the streets of Copenhagen and end up at Amalienborg. Amalienborg Museum presents the private interiors of the most recent kings and queens and an exhibit on the monarchy today with its many traditions.
Get a glimpse of history
Ω Klosterlund Museum Photo: Maja Theodoraki