: Plan from 1884. The castle is believed to have been built by King
Eric V of Denmark in the 1260s. The name Riberhus is first recorded in 1320 in connection with the
håndfæstning Christopher III had to sign in order to become the country's king. The document obliged the king to demolish all his castles in Jutland apart from
Skanderborg Castle,
Koldinghus and Riberhus. The castle was initially the seat of the king's vassal of Southwestern Jutland, and thus the centre of local government. During this period, a number of royal castles were built across the country to strengthen the king's power in the regions and guard against attack. They included
Koldinghus, Riberhus,
Copenhagen Castle,
Næsbyhoved Castle near Odense,
Sønderborg Castle and
Nordborg on the island of
Als,
Tårnborg near Korsør,
Nyborg,
Gurre Castle and
Søborg in the north of Zealand,
Aalholm and
Ravnsborg on Lolland and many more. In 1330, Christoffer II pawned Riberhus to Gerhard III, Count of Holstein. In 1383, it was finally reacquired by Valdemar Atterdag. After the Swedish wars in the 17th century, the castle lost its military importance and fell into disrepair. The last
lensmand of Riberhus was Otte Krag (1655–1658). Bricks and other building materials from the castle were later used for the renovation of local churches and other construction projects in the area. In 1662–1793, Riberhus leant its name to . In 1940–41, the National Museum excavated and restored the site of the grounds. ==Today==