The historic centre of Randers clusters around Storegade and the squares near Sankt Mortens Kirke, with half-timbered houses lining the lanes that run down toward the Gudenå river. Most of the old buildings date from the 17th and 18th centuries, though the street pattern is older. The area is compact and best explored on foot.
Storegade is the main pedestrianised shopping street, lined with both historic buildings and contemporary shops. Side lanes off Storegade reveal quieter courtyards and some of the best-preserved older architecture. The area between the church and the river has the most intact character. A walk through this neighbourhood in the late afternoon, when the light catches the brick and timber, gives a better sense of what a prosperous Jutland market town looked like than the busier tourist towns further south.