Things to Do in Aarhus: A Guide to Denmark’s Second City

I will admit that I came to Aarhus with modest expectations. Copenhagen gets most of the attention, but I had heard that Denmark’s second city was worth a look, so I booked a few days. I am glad I did. Aarhus turned out to be a compact, friendly university town with a young energy, a creative food scene, and history that reaches back a thousand years. Here is how I spent my time and what I would do again.

Step Back in Time at Den Gamle By

One of my favorite stops was Den Gamle By, which translates to the Old Town. It is an open air museum that has gathered historic Danish houses, shops, and workshops and brought them together on one site. I walked through streets dressed in different eras, from the 1700s with its half timbered buildings to a more modern quarter with a pharmacy and cute apartments. Costumed guides were at work in several buildings, baking bread, printing newspapers, and answering questions. It is easy to spend half a day here, and I found it far more entertaining than a standard history museum.

See the Rainbow Panorama at ARoS

For a different kind of view, head to ARoS, Aarhus’s big art museum. The building itself is worth the trip, but the real draw is the Rainbow Panorama, a circular glass walkway that rings the very top of the building. I walked through it slowly, and the tinted glass turned the entire city below into a series of colored landscapes as I moved from red glass to yellow to blue. It is a simple idea that makes a genuinely memorable experience. Inside the gallery you will find a collection that ranges from Danish Golden Age paintings to modern installations, so plan to spend a couple of hours.

Walk the Waterfront and the Latin Quarter

Aarhus is a city you can easily explore on foot. I started at the harbor, where the old industrial port has been turned into a modern waterfront with cultural buildings and places to sit by the water. From there I wandered into the Latin Quarter, the old part of town, where the streets are lined with independent shops, coffee roasters, and small restaurants. I stopped for a coffee and a cinnamon roll in a courtyard cafe and watched the afternoon pass. The area is small enough to cover without a plan, which is exactly how I like to enjoy it.

Climb the Cathedral and Moesgaard Museum

The Aarhus Cathedral is one of the tallest in Denmark, and for a small fee you can climb its tower for a wide view over the red rooftops of the city center. I did this on a clear afternoon and it was well worth the stair climb. A short bus ride outside the centre, the Moesgaard Museum is another highlight, built partly into a hillside with a sloping grass roof you can walk up. Its permanent exhibition tells the story of human history in the region, and the famous Grauballe Man, a well preserved bog body thousands of years old, is one of the most striking things I saw in Denmark.

Eat Like a Local

Aarhus has earned a strong reputation for food, and I found plenty to enjoy without spending a fortune. The city is famous for its street food hall, where sailors once unloaded cargo, and now vendors serve everything from Danish open faced sandwiches to tacos and fresh juices. In the evening I tried a smorrebrod, the classic rye bread topped with herring and cured fish, at a place that gave it a modern twist. For something sweet, the city’s bakeries do excellent pastries, and I made a habit of picking up a fresh one each morning.

See the University Quarter and Dokk1

I spent one morning in the university quarter, where the campus is dotted with older red brick buildings and green commons. Just beyond it, I visited Dokk1, the striking modern library and civic center built beside the water. It is not the sort of place I would normally seek out, but it turned out to be one of the liveliest public spaces in the city, full of families, students, and people working beside the large windows. A huge outdoor amphitheatre cascades down toward the harbor, and I sat there for a while in the sun. It was a good reminder that some of the best experiences in Aarhus are about everyday life rather than a list of monuments.

Plan Your Visit Well

Aarhus is easy to reach by direct train from Copenhagen, a ride of about three hours, and it is well connected by flights for those coming from farther away. Summer is the liveliest time, with the street food stalls and outdoor cafes at their best, but the city has plenty of indoor appeal to keep you busy in the cooler months. Two to three days is enough to see the main sights without rushing. I came expecting a quiet stopover and left impressed, and I would happily plan a longer trip to this corner of Denmark.