Vestre fjordpark, or the old new name “Friluftsbadet” which means something like free air bath. Right now its almost drained on seawater, while getting cleaned for the new season. The area is a iconic part of Aalborgs history, where many daredevils took the first step onto the awe inspiring 10 meter jump, both legal at at day, and illegal at night.
It all started in 1930, where some sand was pumped out into the “Limfjord”, and some floating bathing bridges, a restaurant and some ice cream sale was established as recreation for the common people of Aalborg. The area was called poor mans Blokhus (A popular bathing town on the northwest coast of Denmark). Just before world war 2, some new piers was planned, and a filter system, to separate out the pretty polluted water of the Limjord, from the bathing facilities. That plan was stopped by the war.
During the war, the area was used as an airfield by the Germans, and runways, and a lots of bunkers was established in the area, which are most still there. Rumor has it, they tried to demolish a bunker with explosives, but after the explosion, the bunker still stood fine, but there were no whole windows left in the neighborhood, so they are still here just covered by sand and dirt. There is a single hangar left, and a small area around it, which now houses Aalborg Defence- and Garrison museum. I’ll do a post from there another day.
In 1947 the “Friluftsbadet” was finally initiated, and has been in use ever since, and has been through several renovations, the latest in 2017. And these days the Limjord is clean again, and you are able to take a swim directly in fjord. Which a lot of winter bathers do. Visiting in the summer or winter time, there is always time for a swim.
Vestre fjordby
