Central Denmark Region
The Central Denmark Region (), or more directly translated as the Central Jutland Region and sometimes simply Mid-Jutland, is an administrative region of Denmark established on 1 January 2007 as part of the 2007 Danish municipal reform. The refo ...
Statistics Denmark
Statistics Denmark () is a Danish governmental organization under the Ministry of the Interior and Housing, reporting to the Minister of Economic and Internal Affairs. The organization is responsible for creating statistics on the Danish society ...
including the suburbs of Tjørring, Snejbjerg, Lind, Birk, Hammerum, and Gjellerup, making Herning the 12th most populous urban area in Denmark.
History
Herning was established at the beginning of the 1790s, during the period of heath reclamation, as a commercial centre providing goods and services to the farmers in the area. A textile industry later developed in and around the town. This industry was once Herning's principal economic activity. Today, the town has a more diversified industrial base. Herning became a market town in 1913. Herning has twice been awarded the title of Danish City of the Year.
Industry
There are many small furniture and textile businesses in and around Herning.
Attractions
Herning is home to
Messecenter Herning
The MCH Messecenter Herning is an convention center, exhibition centre and entertainment complex in Herning, Herning, Denmark. The complex is the largest fair and exhibition center in Denmark– beating the Bella Center in Copenhagen. Locate ...
, the largest exhibition centre in
Scandinavia
Scandinavia is a subregion#Europe, subregion of northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. It can sometimes also ...
, which hosts many trade fairs.
Carl-Henning Pedersen
Carl-Henning Pedersen (23 September 1913 – 20 February 2007) was a Danish painter and a key member of the COBRA movement. He was known as the "Scandinavian Chagall", and was one of the leading Danish artists of the second half of the 20 ...
and Else Alfelt's Museum of Art (also known as Herning Art Museum) is located in the city.
The city is the site of three buildings designed by the architect Jørn Utzon. One is publicly owned and two are privately owned.
The town is also home to sculptor Ingvar Cronhammar's monumental work Elia. The sculpture is located near the Herning Art Museum.
The old Herningsholm Estate in Herning is open to the public for touring. Classensborg Estate, now called Skarrildhus, is located 25 km south of the town, but is closed to the public because it is a private hotel and educational facility. The grounds, however, can be toured and are known for their beautiful rhododendron displays during the spring.
The Herning Museum displays a history of Herning, as well as the development of moorland agriculture and ancient textile production. The museum operates traveling educational exhibits.
ice hockey
Ice hockey (or simply hockey in North America) is a team sport played on ice skates, usually on an Ice rink, ice skating rink with Ice hockey rink, lines and markings specific to the sport. It belongs to a family of sports called hockey. Tw ...
league, the Oddset Ligaen. Having won 16 championships and 29 medals in all (following the 2011–2012 season), Herning Blue Fox has accumulated the greatest number of victories in the history of professional ice hockey in Denmark.
FC Midtjylland
Football Club Midtjylland (, "Central Jutland") is a Danish professional football club based in Herning and Ikast. The club is the result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad. Midtjylland competes in the Danish Superliga, which they ...
is a football team playing in the
Danish Superliga
The Danish Superliga (, ) is a professional association football league in Denmark and the highest level of the Danish football league system. The league is currently contested by 12 teams each year, with 2 teams relegated. It is the current ...
. It was formed in 1999 following a merger of Herning Fremad and Ikast FS and won the national championship of Denmark for the first time in 2015 having twice been the runner up. The club's fourth championship title was won following the conclusion of the 2023-24 Danish Superliga season. FC Midtjylland play their home matches at MCH Arena, which is situated next to the largest sports and concert venue in Denmark, Jyske Bank Boxen.
Herning also is a centre of Danish cycling. The
GP Herning
Grand Prix Herning is a one-day road bicycle race held in Midtjylland, Denmark.
The race is organised by Herning Bicycle Club with both start and goal in Herning.
The race is characterised by its gravel paths, which result in multiple punctur ...
is a professional bicycle race held annually in Herning. The 2012 Giro d'Italia started in Herning.
Bjarne Riis
Bjarne Lykkegård Riis (; born 3 April 1964), nicknamed ''The Eagle from Herning'' (), is a Denmark, Danish former professional road bicycle racer who won the 1996 Tour de France. For many years he was the owner and later manager of the Oleg Tink ...
, first Dane to win the
Tour de France
The Tour de France () is an annual men's multiple-stage cycle sport, bicycle race held primarily in France. It is the oldest and most prestigious of the three Grand Tour (cycling), Grand Tours, which include the Giro d'Italia and the Vuelta a ...
, was born in Herning. Fourteen years after his win, Riis admitted using illegal performance-enhancing drugs for the competition; however, he retained the Trikot since the statute of limitations had already expired prior to his admission.
The final of the 2019 World Men's Handball Championship was played in Jyske Bank Boxen.
Herning hosted the FEI World Championships in 2022, which saw international equestrians compete in jumping, dressage, para-dressage and vaulting at the MCH Messecenter Herning.
Climate
Transport
Rail
Herning is the hub for both road and rail transport in central Jutland. The rail lines crossing the peninsula intersect at Herning railway station, the principal railway station of the town, with connections to Vejle,
Ã…rhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Ã…rhus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
,
Esbjerg
Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport city and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban area, urban population of 71,554 (1 January ...
and
Holstebro
Holstebro is the main town in Holstebro Municipality, Denmark. The town, bisected by Storå, Denmark, ''Storåen'' ("The Large Creek") and has a population of 37,487 (1 January 2025).Copenhagen
Copenhagen ( ) is the capital and most populous city of Denmark, with a population of 1.4 million in the Urban area of Copenhagen, urban area. The city is situated on the islands of Zealand and Amager, separated from Malmö, Sweden, by the ...
Herning lies at the intersection of three major roads: Route 18, that traverses the Jutland Peninsula from southeast to northwest; Route 15, that crosses the peninsula from Aarhus in the east to Ringkobing in the west; and Route 12, from Esbjerg in the southwest to Viborg to the northeast. A small part of Route 34 lies within city limits.
National Roads
* , runs southwest to northeast through Herning. The road start at
Esbjerg
Esbjerg (, ) is a seaport city and seat of Esbjerg Municipality on the west coast of the Jutland peninsula in southwest Denmark. By road, it is west of Kolding and southwest of Aarhus. With an urban area, urban population of 71,554 (1 January ...
to the south and goes to Viborg in the north.
* runs east to west through Herning. To the east, National Road 15 goes through
Silkeborg
Silkeborg () is a Denmark, Danish town with a population of 52,571 (1 January 2025).Aarhus
Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Ã…rhus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...
and to the west, Route 15 goes through Vidbaek and end at Ringkobing.
* runs southeast to northwest through Herning. Route 18 starts at Vejle in the south and passes through Brande before reaching Herning. Route 18 then continues northward until it reaches
Holstebro
Holstebro is the main town in Holstebro Municipality, Denmark. The town, bisected by Storå, Denmark, ''Storåen'' ("The Large Creek") and has a population of 37,487 (1 January 2025).Haderup before reaching Skive.
Airport
Herning is served by Karup Airport situated to the northeast of the city. There are several flights a day connecting it to
Copenhagen Airport
Copenhagen Airport, Kastrup (, ) is an international airport serving Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark, as well as the wider Øresund Region, including Zealand and the southern Sweden, Swedish province of Scania. In 2023 it was the largest ai ...
Niels Holst-Sørensen
Niels Holst-Sørensen (19 December 1922 – 24 October 2023) was a Danish athlete and air force officer, and a centenarian. He served as the commander-in-chief of the Royal Danish Air Force from 1970 to 1982, and as Denmark's military representa ...
(born 1922), former athlete, air force officer and commander-in-chief of the
Royal Danish Air Force
The Royal Danish Air Force () (RDAF) is the aerial warfare force of the Kingdom of Denmark and one of the four branches of the Danish Armed Forces. Initially being components of the Army and the Navy, it was made a separate service in 1950. I ...
* Eva Sørensen (1940–2019), sculptor and ceramist of granite and marble works
* Lars Larsen (born 1948 in Arnborg), businessman, owner and founder of Jysk
* Helge Sander (born 1950 in Ørre), national politician and Mayor of Herning 1998 to 2001
*
Kristine Jensen
Kristine Jensen (born 1956), is a Danish architect who has specialized in landscape architecture.
Biography
Jensen was born in Herning where her father was an architect.
When she was 19 she went to Aarhus to study landscape architecture at the ...
(born 1956), architect who has specialized in landscape architecture
*
Claus Pilgaard
Claus Pilgaard (born 30 March 1965), also known as Chili Klaus or Klaus Wunderhits, is a Danish musician and entertainer. He is best known for his ''Chilismagning'' series on the internet and on television. For the series, he invites celebrities a ...
* Otto Jensen (1893–1972), cyclist, competed in the
1912 Summer Olympics
The 1912 Summer Olympics (), officially known as the Games of the V Olympiad () and commonly known as Stockholm 1912, were an international multi-sport event held in Stockholm, Sweden, between 6 July and 22 July 1912. The opening ceremony was he ...
*
Kristen Nygaard
Kristen Nygaard (27 August 1926 – 10 August 2002) was a Norwegian computer scientist, programming language pioneer, and politician. Internationally, Nygaard is acknowledged as the co-inventor of object-oriented programming and the programming ...
(born 1949 in Sunds), former footballer, 363 club caps and 36 for
Denmark
Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...
*
Bjarne Riis
Bjarne Lykkegård Riis (; born 3 April 1964), nicknamed ''The Eagle from Herning'' (), is a Denmark, Danish former professional road bicycle racer who won the 1996 Tour de France. For many years he was the owner and later manager of the Oleg Tink ...
FC Midtjylland
Football Club Midtjylland (, "Central Jutland") is a Danish professional football club based in Herning and Ikast. The club is the result of a merger between Ikast FS and Herning Fremad. Midtjylland competes in the Danish Superliga, which they ...
Detroit Red Wings
The Detroit Red Wings (colloquially referred to as the Wings) are a professional ice hockey team based in Detroit. The Red Wings compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division (NHL), Atlantic Division in the East ...
, the first Danish
NHL
The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...
player
* Michael Pedersen (born 1986), cricketer and former national team captain
* Frederik Andersen (born 1989), goaltender for the
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes (colloquially known as the Canes) are a professional ice hockey team based in Raleigh, North Carolina. The Hurricanes compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Con ...
* Kim Astrup (born 1992), badminton player
* Nicklas Jensen (born 1993), hockey player currently playing for
Jokerit
Helsingin Jokerit (, English: Joker (playing card), Jokers or Jesters of Helsinki) is a professional ice hockey team based in Helsinki, Finland, which competes in Mestis. Jokerit plays its home games at the Helsinki Ice Hall and Helsinki Halli in ...
of the
KHL
The Kontinental Hockey League (KHL; ) is an international professional ice hockey league founded in 2008. It comprises member clubs based in Russia (20), Belarus (1), Kazakhstan (1), and China (1) for a total of 23 clubs.
It was considered in ...