During Viking times, the wetlands around Vejle had to be crossed at the Ravning Bridge, a nearly half-mile wooden boardwalk, west of the current city.

Archaeological digs near St. Nicolai Church in downtown Vejle have shown that there were residences in the area as far back as 1100.

During the Middle Ages, Vejle was a prominent market town, it developed slowly only having small setbacks by the black death during the 14th century.

There had been multiple buildings in the castle, the oldest of these being seemingly made of wood,and possibly burning down, later making one of stone.

During an excavation in 1912, there was found multiple sets of pottery from the Rhine, one with a very distinctive face of a bearded man.

[6] In a country where the highest natural elevation is only about 170 m (558 ft) above sea level, Vejle is known for the forested hills that rise to the north and south of the town and fjord.

Vejle was the first city in Denmark, which had its own official architecture policy to set high standards for the urban development.

Historically speaking, industry has been very important for the city's development, while today more weight is placed on business and service, as well as high-tech firms.

[5] In 1993, the Social Democratic dynasty was broken, when a candidate from a coalition of opposition parties, Flemming Christiansen, became mayor.

However, the station is currently the subject of political debate, due to a desire on the part of some politicians to reduce train travel time between Odense and Århus to one hour.

[17] Vejle is home to the headquarters of University College Lillebælt, which is a merger of several educational institutions in East Jutland and Funen.

Adult and professional education is available in Vejle through the Region of Southern Denmark, the Folkeuniversitet (Adult Education Centre), the Vejle Idrætshøjskole (Athletics Professional College), and Skolen for Gastronomi, Musik & Design (School for Gastronomy, Music, and Design).

Today, Vejle Boldklub is in a ramping-up period, with the goal of bringing the club back to the top of Danish football.

In the past, the facility has housed several high-profile events, including the European Women's Handball Championship and the Danish Open in badminton.

In the early and mid-20th century, Vejle had several popular cultural destinations such as Trædballehus in the western part of town and the Munkebjerg Casino south of the fjord.

Trædballehus, an inn and music venue, which burned down in 1954, got its big breakthrough in the mid-1930s when it was featured on Danish National Radio in connection with the opening of the old Little Belt Bridge.

1933 Hotel Munkebjerg boasted Europe's longest wooden escalator, carrying guests from the fjord-side beach up to the hilltop casino.

Vejle Mill, located on top of the cliff at Søndermarken, is a well-known landmark because of its visibility, and is often used as a symbol of the city.

The Old Jail House in Vejle, which is connected to the Town Hall, was rebuilt in 1984 and received a prize for beautification.

[citation needed] Vejle's oldest extant building, St. Nicolai Church, was built in the mid-13th century.

Another feature of the church are 23 spherical indentations on the north transept – legend says these are imprints of the skulls of executed robbers from the woods that surround Vejle.

[citation needed] Among the city's cultural institutions is the renovated and expanded Vejle Museum of Art.

The Socialists' former stronghold in Vejle, The Building, is today placed under glass in what used to be the shopping center "Mary's", and houses restaurants, cafés and two venues for e.g. jazz concerts.

Vejle is situated close to several Jutland attractions such as the original Legoland and the Viking Age royal capital of Jelling.

Jelling's archaeological artifacts are considered a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and include two 10th century rune stones and two burial mounds, as well as a new exhibition centre.