The Priory of St. Catherine, on the eastern edge of the old town, is the best-preserved monastic complex in Denmark and the only one with its cloister intact. Founded by the Dominicans in 1228 and rebuilt after a fire in 1517, it survived the Reformation by being converted to a hospital — a function it kept until the early twentieth century.
The church is a tall, severe brick basilica of the type the friars built right across northern Europe, with star-vaulted ceilings and a slightly later carved pulpit. The cloister and inner garden are open to visitors during daylight hours and are completely silent — Ribe's quietest corner.