Karup

Karup is a small urban municipality in central Jutland, Denmark, situated in the Central Denmark Region on the northeastern edge of the Himmerland Peninsula. It lies approximately 20 kilometres southwest of Aalborg and about 110 kilometres north of the capital, Copenhagen. The town serves as the administrative centre of Karup Municipality, which was established on 1 January 2007 during Denmark's municipal reform that merged several smaller units. The population of the urban area was about 4,000 inhabitants in 2023, while the wider municipality has a population of roughly 11,000 residents.

The earliest recorded mention of Karup dates back to the 14th century, and the name is thought to derive from the Old Norse word for road or highway, reflecting its historical role as a local trading post. The main street, Gammel Højby, hosts a number of historic buildings, including the 15th‑century stone church of St. Peter. In the 19th century, the construction of the main railway line between Aalborg and Copenhagen, which passes through Karup, stimulated industrial development and led to the establishment of a local ironworks and later a mill.

Today Karup's economy is diversified with a strong emphasis on retail, healthcare, and logistics, partly due to its proximity to the highway network (Highway 12 and the Rødbyhavn–Aalborg Bus line). The town hosts an annually held folk festival and maintains several parks and nature reserves. Educational facilities include a primary school, a lower secondary school, and vocational training courses specialised in construction and logistics. Karup remains a regional hub for commerce, transportation, and cultural events within the central Jutland area.