From Old Town to Contemporary Art: Things to Do in Aarhus

Aarhus Canal is crossed by bridges and lined with restaurants and bars.

Aarhus is Denmark’s second biggest city, second to Copenhagen.  Aarhus is a city with many faces.  Aarhus has industrial areas around the harbor and train station, a shopping and dining area along the canal, a city center with historic buildings, and one of Denmark's prettiest street.  When planning our travels to Denmark, I had a hard time deciding if we should visit Aarhus or not.  We were already going to Copenhagen and I didn’t know if we really needed to visit another big city, as I was more interested in quaint towns and pretty countryside.   Aarhus’ most well-known site is ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum of contemporary art, which is not always my favorite.  But I had this nagging feeling that if we skipped Aarhus we might be missing out.  Now I know we made the right decision adding Aarhus to our Denmark itinerary.  If you’re wondering what there is to do in Aarhus, here are our favorites.

Things to Do In Aarhus

Den Gamle By

The colorful half-timbered buildings of Den Gamle By.

Den Gamle By was the world’s first open-air museum for urban history and culture when it opened in 1909.  Den Gamle By is a collection of homes rescued from various towns across Denmark and brought together in Aarhus.  The homes are grouped into time periods.  The largest section portrays the 1700s and 1800s, though it does contain buildings going back to the 1500s.  A smaller section portrays 1927, another 1974, and a final section is currently being constructed to represent 2011 through 2014.

Den Gamle By's brewers make and serve their beer at the Den Gamle By brewery.

There are 70 points of interest in Den Gamle By.  These include a distillery, a brewery that actually serves old recipe beer, a bakery with baked goods, a textile mill, a post office, a tobacco mill, and more.  The inside of the buildings, most half-timbered, can be toured, many displaying period pieces and some occupied by period actors.  The displays are well done and the period actors will even serve visitors with desserts, beer, and other treats.  Some not to be missed buildings include the Mayor’s House, Denmark’s best-preserved Renaissance merchant complex built in Aarhus in 1597 and rebuilt in Den Gamle By in 1909.  Another highlight is the Mintmaster’s Mansion, built 1683 and the only major structure to have survived from “New Copenhagen.”

Den Gamle By's Mayor's House and Mintmaster's Mansion.

Plan to spend no less than three hours in Den Gamle By, but a half-day or more is far better.  Be sure to buy a guidebook with your ticket.

Aarhus Cathedral

Aarhus Cathedral is Denmark's longest church.

Aarhus has a special cathedral, Aarhus Domkirke.  Aarhus Cathedral was started in the 12th Century and was completed in 1350.  Aarhus Cathedral is the longest church in Denmark, at 93 meters. 

The largest of Aarhus Cathedral's uncovered frescoes.

But what makes Aarhus Cathedral really special is its frescoes.  At one time many of Denmark’s churches were decorated with frescoes.  But then the Reformation happened and all frescoes were whitewashed over.  Aarhus Cathedral’s frescoes were painted between 1470 and 1520, except for one which was painted in the 1300s, and the Reformation hit just 16 years after the frescoes were completed.  Of all the churches in Denmark to which this happened, Aarhus Cathedral has the largest total area of walls and arches covered by frescoes which have been uncovered and are incredibly well-preserved.  One fresco representing St. Christopher and St. Clement is the largest in Denmark at 220 square meters. 

Aarhus Cathedral's Votive Ship "Unity."

Another special feature in Aarhus Cathedral is the Votive Ship “Unity.”  Ships hang from the ceilings in many Denmark churches.  According to the Aarhus Cathedral website these ships “symbolize man’s ‘navigation’ from cradle to grave.”  The Votive Ship “Unity” dates back to the early 1700s and was created as a model in Holland and was shipped to the Russian Tsar.  The ship carrying the model was wrecked at sea, but the model drifted to shore practically undamaged.  The ship was purchased at auction by some fishermen from Aarhus and donated to Aarhus Cathedral.  It is the largest votive ship in any church in Denmark.

Mollestien

Mollestien looks like no other street in Aarhus.

Mollestien will only take a few minutes to visit, but should definitely not be missed.  Mollestien is the prettiest street in Aarhus.  Mollestien is a cobblestoned street bordered by pastel homes built in the 1700s.  While walking down the street keep a lookout for “street spies” like the one seen on the blue house above.  These mirrors are used by homeowners to see what is going on outside from inside their homes.

ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum

We planned our travels to Kauai using The Ultimate Kauai Guidebook Kauai Revealed from my favorite series of guidebooks by Andrew Doughty.  As the author lives in Hawaii the guidebook always contains up-to-date information as well as very detailed maps which are useful while driving around and finding trails. 

What are your favorite things to do in Kauai?