It is the second largest city in Denmark, Copenhagen being the largest of course. I found myself in Aarhus by default - one of my closest friends got transferred there and I had to go see the town she was living in. I can now certainly say that a visit to Denmark is not complete without visiting Aarhus.
Places of interest
Den Gamle By
The famous author Hans Christian Anderson lived here for a while in his childhood. The town has flourished from the early 1900s. If you want to see how the Danish lived back in the day, this huge open air museum is a must see. Here you will get an opportunity to taste the freshly baked cakes baked by the old baker's daughter and also the Danish rye bread at the old merchant's house. Don't miss the licorice and hard candy store.
AROS Art Museum
One of the largest and most popular 'kunst' (art) museums of Northern Europe, Aros is a spectacular sight for all, and is not purely restricted to art lovers. Its newest addition is the 'Rainbow Panorama' by an artist named Olafur Elliason. From this rooftop walk, you can view the city in all its different shades, literally! The gift shop inside houses some amazing books, posters and post cards amongst other interesting artefacts.
City Hall
Located in downtown Aarhus, the city hall tour is a good one to begin with. There is a view point at a height of 60 metres from where you can see all the major landmarks of the city. The guide here will also give you all the basic information with regards to the history and architecture of Aarhus. The city hall overlooks a beautiful park so do walk around if you have some time to spare.
Aarhus Cathedral
Locally known as the Domkirkepladsen, this cathedral is the tallest in Denmark and adorns the Aarhus skyline. It is also the longest one in the country as you'll see in the picture below.I've heard the interiors are beautiful too but sadly we were walking there on a rainy day and its gates shut by the time we reached. The entrance door however was a sneak preview into what lay inside.
Aarhus Theatre
The Aarhus theatre is as the name suggests - a theatre. It is open to entertain public for 6 evenings in the week. It is the largest provincial theatre in Denmark and has been constructed using a romantic style of architecture.
Segworld
This one's a must if you have time to spare in Aarhus. Most of you have probably not been on a Segway before. This is your time to try it. An indoor park where you can experiment with a Segway and then enjoy riding it for anything between 15 minutes to an hour, this is the first indoor Segway amusement park in the world.
Others
Amongst other attractions in Aarhus are the Concert Hall, the Moedgaard Museum and the amusement park - Tivoli Friheden. Aarhus is a beautiful city so with lovely areas to walk around. Do take a walk by the harbor. Do sit in the cafes by the canal and have a glass of wine or a coffee. And do look around and take in the sculptures and the architecture 'coz this city's full of them.
Climate
I'm not going to fool you into believing that the country of Denmark has a summer. With average summer temperatures resting at 15 degrees, this cannot be called a summer for any Indian. You can also expect the unexpected - untimely rain showers and sudden bouts of chills. However the silver lining to all of this is the 18 hours of daylight. So if the sun is out, you can make the most of your time and take nice, long walks all the way up to midnight.
The country hibernates in winter with its eight hours of daylight and minus temperatures so please don't even think about visiting during that time. The summer months of May and June are undoubtedly the best time to visit Aarhus.
Food
Aarhus is extremely cosmopolitan and you will get Thai, Italian, American and Mediterranean food here in addition to Danish. Walk by the canal near Stroget to find some amazing restaurants and cafes that serve delicious food. One word of advice - be sure to reach the restaurants before 6pm or they will close. There are very few places that will serve you food beyond 6pm however, they will all serve alcohol into the wee hours of the morning if that will fill you up! Taste different kinds of Danish beers at Bodegaen. Have a late night dinner at Grappa or Cross Cafe. I had the Salmon Pizza which was lipsmacking.
Shopping
Aarhus is brimming with top class handicrafts as well as industrial art pieces in the dozens of design boutiques it has. From furniture to clothes to little, quirky gift items, Aarhus has it all and stands at the forefront of Danish design which might I add, is extremely superior. For one of the best gift stores in Aarhus, head to Designertorvet. A store named after it's founding designer Bo Bendixen is also great for funky tshirts, posters, mugs, etc.
Expenses
Denmark is an expensive country. And even though Aarhus is a student city, it isn't any cheaper. Almost anything is bound to cost you 100 Dkk - a meal, a hard drink at a nice bar, the entry to Gamle By or AROS, Fifteen minutes on a Segway and just about anything else you can think of. Don't let this scare you away though - it's definitely worth every penny!
How to get there
By air
The best idea would be to fly into Copenhagen from India. There are daily flights available on various airlines from Mumbai or Delhi. While there are no direct flights into Copenhagen, you will find plenty of connections through neighboring European countries like Germany. You can also fly into Billund which is another international airport however flights into Billund are more expensive and in lower frequency than those to Copenhagen.
Once in Copenhagen or Billund, you can take a train or a bus to Aarhus.
By rail
All of Denmark is very well connected by the railway network. The DSB from Copenhagen to Aarhus takes around three hours and costs around 400 Danish Kroners (that's 4000 INR). Sounds pricy I know but the train is comfortable and probably the fastest way to get across.
By road
The distance between Copenhagen and Aarhus is around 190 miles and the road journey could take four hours (even slightly more if traffic is heavy). If you plan to rent a car when in Denmark, driving would be a good option, otherwise I wouldn't really recommend it. You can also catch a bus into Aarhus from Billund and this would take around 1.5 to 2 hours.
Go to Denmark for sure and go to Aarhus for a day atleast. Unless you're going for less than 10 days, in which case, read my other posts for better things to do with your time in this country.
(Source: Rashi Goel, www.terrainspotter.com)
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