Aarhus is a Danish city that is famous for its students, bike-friendliness and great things to do, to see and to eat while here. 2017 is the year when the city is the European Capital of Culture. We have collected out favorites from Aarhus and present you with our guide to Aarhus. Pick and choose what you like or visit them all!
Table of Contents
What to do in Aarhus
There are many things to explore in Aarhus and we are still to explore the rest of the city. However, here we list our favorite things to see and to explore while in the Danish city.
Den Gamle By
This is a must-see while in Aarhus. Learn more about Denmark’s history and way of life during the last centuries. Stroll around and watch all the old buildings. They are all brought here from all over the country and rebuilt at this spot. A lot of the houses are open for you to visit. Inside you can have something to eat and shop for some souvenirs. And if you are here during Christmas, make sure to check out the Christmas market at Den Gamle By. Read more about Den Gamle By here.
ARoS Art Museum
The highlight for a lot of people is to get to the top of the ARoS museum and enter the rainbow panorama. This place will allow you to get one of Denmark’s best selfies and you will literally be covered in color. But there is so much more to see inside ARoS than the rainbow Panorama. My personal favorite is the Boy – an art installation that is a realistic replica of a boy. The statue is huge but so realistic that it is almost scary. And there is also the Valkyrie, a huge art piece made out of fabric. More information on ARoS is found here.
Kvindemuseet in Aarhus
A museum that is dedicated to women. This is one of its kind and there are not many museums in the world that has the focus of women. This is very interesting and a good learning experience. I enjoyed it a lot and it made me reflect on the fact that I am a woman. I am happy to be born in Scandinavia where I do have great rights. Looking at the walls of the museum that lists all the countries and when women got the right to vote was scary. Read all about our visit to the Kvindemuseum here.
Dokk1 Library
The library in Aarhus is ranked as one of the best libraries in the world and it is not hard to figure out why. With all sorts of television consoles and games that you can play it’s a great hang around for teenagers that want to play. There are board games and amazing views for all the people wanting to read a book. If you bring your own food you have a kitchen where you can prepare your meal. Yes, all that and more in a library. Read more about Dokk1 here.
Aarhus Theatre
The theatre in Aarhus is located in the city center and it’s a beautiful building. Inside there are lots of paintings and details in the ceiling, perfect to look at while waiting for your show to start. On their website, aarhusteater.dk, you can see the program and what they will be showing for the next several months. It is a beautiful building so make sure to check it out while in Aarhus.
Where to Eat and Drink in Aarhus
There are more restaurants and cafés than bikes in Aarhus. Ok so maybe not true but in all honesty, there are lots and lots of places where you can eat great food. Here are our favorites that we recommend while visiting Aarhus.
Restaurant Domestic – A rising star!
This restaurant does not yet have a Michelin star but mark our words – it soon will! This is a great restaurant where you will get a culinary experience out of this world. The one thing I learned at this place is that you can stuff a gooseberry. There was some sort of cheese or other goodies inside the gooseberries. Make sure to find this hidden gem and get the food experience of a lifetime! Read more about our visit to Domestic here.
Aarhus Central Food Market – High quality “fast food”
Buy your vegetables and food to prepare at home or pick one of the places inside the food market where you can eat. This is a somewhat high-end place that serves sandwiches and some great drinks. They pride themselves in serving the best Gin and Tonic in the world. This is like several stores and restaurants all in the same building. Make sure to visit. Read about our trip to Aarhus Central Food Market here.
Aarhus Street Food – where you can eat cheap
This place is for all the people that want to eat something without spending a lot of money. Choose between different sorts of meals and then sit together and eat. This place has food from all over the world and benches in the middle so that you can enjoy your dinner with your party even if you all chose different food places. With so many students in Aarhus with a limited budget, this is a great place for them to eat. Read more about Aarhus Street Food here.
Restaurant Substans – A Michelin star place
There are three restaurants in Aarhus that have gotten Michelin stars. Restaurant Substans is one of them and it is easy to guess why they got the star. A high quality of local and ecological products in their kitchen makes this place a winner. The environment you eat i is impeccable. Simple without tablecloths but oh so nice! Read about our visit at Restaurant Substans here.
Frøken Koch – The restaurant where you will be full!
If you like Danish traditional cuisine than this place is a must for you. The portions are out of this world. The starter was bigger than most restaurants serves as the main course. You are guaranteed to leave the restaurant stuffed like after a Christmas meal or a Thanksgiving dinner. For starter, we got a shrimp sandwich that was amazing! I love restaurants where you can really eat until you burst and this was definitely a place like that. Read all about our experience of Frøken Koch here.
La Cabra – If you hunger for fantastic bread
This is a great place to start your day at. Get a cup of coffee and order some amazing homemade bread. The butter that was served with the bread was no ordinary butter. It was so fluffy and good that you really don’t need anything else to put on your sandwich. The coffee was also really good and it is a really cozy place to sit at. They are coffee roasters but I do believe that they shall pride themselves on their great bread too. Address: Graven 20, 8000 Aarhus C, Danmark.
ART Café at ARoS – The Best Cheese!
Grab a lunch while visiting ARoS. The Art Café serves some of the best cheese I have ever tried. This is a perfect break while walking around at the art museum. Cheese and nuts with some jam must be the best combination of all times. Read more about the Art Café.
Great Coffee – One of the best baristas in the world
The place where you will learn the difference between coffee and coffee. I love coffee so this was almost like heaven for me. I tried several different coffees and sure enough – their coffee is amazing! The way they brew their coffee is also really special and fun to see. If you want you can also buy your own brewing machine, but in all honesty – I am not sure that it will taste as amazing when you make the coffee yourself. On the walls of the coffee place, there are several diplomas and trophies to show how good the barista actually is! Read more about Great coffee here.
Mikkeller Bar – Get your beer right!
I am no beer drinker and often I only try it and then Mini finishes it. While at Mikkeller, I told the bartender that I do not fancy beer and he said that he knew exactly what to give me. I got a beer that smelled lovely and tasted somewhat like passion fruit. I loved it even though it did not taste like a beer. Mini chose a beer that had the aftertaste of coffee. If you want the same experience as us you order number 3 and number 6 from their draft beer. The passion fruit is number 6 (called natures candy) and the coffee number 3 (called Hope Geek Breakfast). Address: Jægergårdsgade 61, 8000 Aarhus C, Danmark.
Where to stay in Aarhus
Hotel Comwell
This hotel is in central Aarhus. It is the tallest building in the city and has a great location. You can reach many of the main attractions by foot from the hotel. The breakfast that is served is amazing. You can even get a shot of ginger and lemon if you are feeling a bit tired. Comfortable beds with designer interior make this place a good place to stay while in Aarhus. Read all about our stay at Comwell hotel by clicking here.
How to get to Aarhus, Denmark
You can fly to Aarhus or get there by car, bus or train. Everything is depending on from where you are traveling. One thing that is good to know is that the airport in Aarhus is outside of town. Taking a taxi to the city center will cost you about 700:-DDK (2016). But I am sure that there are buses leaving for the city center as well and that will be cheaper.
Getting around in Aarhus
This is truly a walk- and bike friendly place. The major attractions are mostly within walking distance within the city. You can rent a bike and ride around, walk or take a taxi or a bus if you prefer that. The logistics in Aarhus work without any problem so it is really easy to get around in the city.
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