What to See in Aarhus - Top Sights and Attractions

Museum in Aarhus, Denmark. Den Gamle By, or The Old Town in English, is an open-air town museum located in the Aarhus Botanical Gardens, in central Aarhus, Denmark. In 1914, the museum opened as the world's first open-air museum of its kind, concentrating on town culture rather than village culture, and to this day it remains one of just a few top rated Danish museums outside Copenhagen, serving more than 400,000 visitors pr. year. Today the museum consists of 75 historical buildings collected from 20 townships in all parts of the country. The town itself is the main attraction but most buildings are open for visitors; rooms are either decorated in the original historical style or organized into larger exhibits of which there are 5 regular with varying themes.

The museum buildings are organized into a small town of chiefly half-timbered structures originally erected between 1550 and the late 19th century in various parts of the country and later moved to Aarhus during the 20th century. In all there are some 27 rooms, chambers or kitchens, 34 workshops, 10 groceries or shops, 5 historical gardens, a post office, a customs office, a school and a theatre. There are several groceries, diners and workshops spread throughout the town with museum staff working in the roles of town figures i.e. merchant, blacksmith etc. adding to the illusion of a "living" town.^[1]

Modern art in vast contemporary venue. The ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum is an art museum in Aarhus, Denmark. The museum was established in 1859 and is the oldest public art museum in Denmark outside Copenhagen. On 7 April 2004, ARoS Aarhus Kunstmuseum opened with exhibitions in a brand new modern building, 10 stories tall with a total floor area of 20,700 m² and designed by Danish architects Schmidt Hammer Lassen. Today, ARoS is one of the largest art museums in Northern Europe with a total of 980,909 visitors in 2017.

Apart from the large galleries with both permanent and changing exhibitions, the ARoS building features an arts shop, a dining café and a restaurant. The architectural vision of the museum was completed in 2011, with the addition of the circular skywalk Your rainbow panorama by Ólafur Elíasson. The installation has helped boost the museum's attendance, making it the second most visited museum in Denmark, just behind the well-known Louisiana Museum in Humlebæk.^[2]

Internationally themed botanical garden. Aarhus Botanical Gardens is a botanical garden in Aarhus, Denmark. It is located north of the Old Town open-air village museum and was founded in 1875. Nowadays it covers an area of 21.5 hectares, with 5 hectares for the Old Town.

The park was originally created primarily as a botanical and academic study-ground in relation to Aarhus University and provides an attraction of interest to those who wish to inspect the thousands of plant species on display here. All are labelled in both Latin and Danish. The landscape is quite varied and includes a large greenhouse center; originally from 1970 by C. F. Møller Architects, but with a newly added tropical hothouse. The gardens have an open-air amphitheatre, two small ponds, a children's playground and the large lawns are popular with picnics, gatherings and events of all kinds year round.

The greenhouses has been heavily renovated from 2011 to late 2014 and a large tropical dome was added, amongst other facilities. The project was budgeted at 65 million DKK and realized in a cooperation between Aarhus Municipality, Aarhus University and Realdania, with C. F. Møller Architects as architectural designers.^[6]

Manor house. Moesgård is a former manor house and a listed building in Aarhus Municipality. The current buildings were completed in 1778 and was listed in the Danish registry of protected buildings and places by the Danish Heritage Agency on 17 July 1918.

The manor and estate is situated in the district of Højbjerg, 10 kilometers south of the city centre of Aarhus. Administratively it belongs to the Mårslet Parish and is today owned by Moesgård Museum. The museum cooperates with the School of Culture and Society from Aarhus University on the subjects of history, archaeology, anthropology and oriental studies with most teaching and lectures being held in the manor buildings. In 2013 the university took over the buildings when a new museum building was completed and most activities related to the museum moved there.^[7]

Museum in Aarhus, Kingdom of Denmark. The Natural History Museum in Aarhus is a Danish museum specializing in natural history.

The Natural History Museum is an independent institution financed with contributions from the Ministry of Culture, Aarhus Municipality, Aarhus University and revenues from visitors. The museum is situated in the Aarhus University campus in the district Midtbyen, but also operates a field laboratory and education centre, the Molslaboratoriet, in Mols Bjerge National Park on Djursland. The Natural History Museum is controlled by a board of directors composed of representatives from Aarhus University, Aarhus Municipality, the Natural History Society for Jutland, the local business community and the employees. The museum conducts research in a number of areas with focus on entomology, freshwater ecology, earth biology, fauna and bioacoustics.^[12]

Mølleparken is a park in the city of Aarhus located in Midtbyen. Mølleparken was constructed in 1926 where the, by then obsolete, mills of the city had been situated by the river since 1289. Today the park lies by the Aarhus River and the ARoS Art Museum and functions as a section of a pedestrian arterial from ARoS to the Latin Quarter.

Mølleparken was extensively redesigned in 2006-2008, as part of the opening of the Aarhus River and now contains large areas for public recreation and facilities for street sports, including basket ball, panna, table tennis and concrete board game tables for playing chess, backgammon and checkers.

Eleven busts of notable Danish authors line the northern section of the park, namely Steen Steensen Blicher, Marie Bregendahl, J. P. Jacobsen, Johannes V. Jensen, Jakob Knudsen, Thøger Larsen, Jacob Paludan, Henrik Pontoppidan, Johan Skjoldborg, Harry Søiberg and Jeppe Aakjær. The bronze sculpture of "Elskovskampen" (the lovemaking battle) by Johannes Berg from the original park is still on display and in 2014, the kinetic sculpture Snake by Phil Price was placed here too, after acquisition by the city council. The council bought the sculpture after it received the highest rating from guests at the Sculpture by the Sea, Aarhus 2013 art festival in Tangkrogen.^[19]

The Occupation Museum in Aarhus, Denmark is a history museum dedicated to present the history of Aarhus during the German occupation in the Second World War. The museum is situated in the historical centre, the Latin Quarter, in Midtbyen and shares the building of the Women's Museum. The building is a listed structure and it is the former city hall and police station of the city, constructed in 1856-57. In the later part of the war it served as the Gestapo headquarters for Jutland after the university buildings - where the Gestapo previously resided - were destroyed during an air raid by the Royal Air Force.

The focus of the museum is major events in Aarhus during the war especially the Aarhus Air Raid, the 1944 explosion in the Port of Aarhus, the activities of the prolific informant Grethe Bartram and the resistance movement in general. The museum exhibition make use of the history of the building as a place of interrogation and torture to tell the story of the events of the war. The cells are furnished with original items and equipment and the torture implements used at the time are on display. The exhibition features an extensive array of items from the 1940-45 period such as uniforms, weapons, mines, tools, passes and German, English and Danish propaganda.

The Occupation Museum is run by volunteers and the only revenue comes from ticket sales and donations from private individuals and organizations. In 2003 the museum went into a partnership with the museum Bymuseet and in 2008 the museum administrations were merged. In 2010 Bymuseet moved to The Old Town. From 2018 till late August 2020, the museum was closed while going through a thorough renovation and renewal. The new museum focusses on the ethical dilemmas everyday citizens were faced with during the occupation, but presented in a way that engages the visitor.^[21]

Park in Aarhus, Denmark. Aarhus University Park or the University Park is a public park in central Aarhus, Denmark. The University Park is at the centre of Aarhus University's main campus.

As the university campus, the University Park is situated in the neighbourhood of Vesterbro in Midtbyen close to Trøjborg, and the park bounded by the streets of Nørrebrogade, Nordre Ringgade, Langelandsgade, Kaserneboulevarden and Høegh Guldbergs Gade. The park forms part of the Aarhus University campus and figures in the Danish Culture Canon for its landscape design. The combined park and campus has received international recognition for its aesthetic values, and the University Park has been protected by law since 1993, in order to conserve its unique design.

The University Park was established in 1933 in conjunction with the university. The campus master plan competition was won in 1931 by the collaborative scheme of Danish architects Kay Fisker, C. F. Møller and Povl Stegmann in collaboration with landscape architect Carl Theodor Sørensen who designed the park.

The park is encircled by the university buildings, including the Natural History Museum and dormitories. It is constructed across an undulating landscape in parts of an old moraine valley stretching from Katrinebjerg in Vejlby, in the north, to the Bay of Aarhus in the east. The park is characterized by its oak trees, two artificial lakes, home to water fowl and amphibians, and large open, grassy areas. A small stream runs north-south in the bottom of the valley from the amphitheatre to the lakes. The adjoining Vennelystparken to the south, contrasts the University Park with a different terrain and fauna and mixed tree growth.

In 1949, an amphitheatre was added below the main building of the university and it has become a central element in recreational activities in the park. Annually a boat race is held in the lakes between the faculties of the university, which has become a public event.^[22]

The Concert Hall Park is a public park in central Aarhus, Denmark. The park is laid out in front of the Aarhus Concert Hall main entrances in the Indre By neighborhood of the inner city. It is bordered by the street Frederiks Allé to the east, Thomas Jensen's Allé to the south and Vester Allé to the north, behind the historic buildings of the former Vester Allés Barracks. The park is named after the Aarhus Concert Hall which is situated prominently immediately west of the park. The Concert Hall Park forms a center-point between some of the most prominent buildings in the city, the ARoS Aarhus Art Museum, Vester Allé Barracks, the concert halls, and Aarhus City Hall in view behind the City Hall Park across Frederiks Allé. The Concert Hall Park was designed by the landscape architect Sven Hansen as a parterre garden, and it was established in the 1980s.

The Concert Hall Park is divided geographically in two separate sections. The main section between Frederiks Allé and the Concert Hall entrances is designed as a parterre garden. The more secluded northward section is fit in between the concert halls and the ARoS art museum on a steep slope, and includes an amphitheatre and outdoor stage. The Concert Hall Park and the adjacent City Hall Park is separated by the Frederiks Allé road and have very different designs. Whereas the City Hall Park has winding paths, dense growth and an organic, sort of haphazard, design, the Concert Hall Park has an ordered, tight expression with straight paths, cropped hedges and diagonal axis' mirroring planning and order. In the central areas where paths join there are a number of fountains and benches.

The amphitheatre and outdoor stage of the Concert Hall Park is used for various events and concerts, including the SPoT Festival and Aarhus Festuge. It can accommodate 5-6000 people, depending on the setup.^[23]

Park in Aarhus, Kingdom of Denmark. Vennelystparken is the oldest park in the city of Aarhus, constructed in the years 1824 to 1830 between the streets Vennelyst Boulevard and Nørrebrogade. Through the 19th century up to the Second World War the park was a social focal point in Aarhus hosting revues, circusses, plays and concerts in changing venues. The park is now part of the Aarhus University campus in Midtbyen. The park no longer has any venues but is frequently used for open-air concerts and protests and functions as the local park of the neighborhood Øgadekvarteret.

Vennelystparken contains large undulating, grassy areas with a lake and stream cutting through, and is characterized by beech and chestnut trees.^[28]

Art institute in Aarhus, Kingdom of Denmark. Kunsthal Aarhus is a contemporary arts centre located at the heart of the city of Aarhus in Denmark.

The institution initiates, commissions, produces and presents art at an international level to local, regional, and international audiences. Kunsthal Aarhus has its focus on cutting edge art in a broad context and to a wide audience, as part of a sustainable approach. It provides a research based participatory, collaborative and transdisciplinary platform for artistic experimentation and critical engagement. Kunsthal Aarhus strives to be an inclusive, transparent, dynamic and flexible institution that fosters the culture of appreciation and values diversity of contributions.^[29]

Christians's Church is a church in Aarhus, Denmark. The church is situated in the northern Christiansbjerg neighbourhood on Frederikshaldsgade. It is a parish church, and the only church in Christians Parish, under the Diocese of Aarhus and within the Church of Denmark, the Danish state church. The church serves some 14.000 parishioners in Christians Parish and holds weekly sermons along with weddings, burials and baptisms.

The present Christians's Church was inaugurated on 2 March, 1958. The congregation in Christiansbjerg had for some years made do with a crypt, built during the Second World War, which had doubled as a temporary church. The crypt church replaced an older Christian's Church which had been in use since 1913 to 1946. The old church was found too small with just 90 seats, and an architects' contest was established in 1937 to find a design for a new church. The contest was won by Aage C. Nielsen. A committee led by the bishop of the Diocese of Aarhus started raising funds for the new church but war and occupation delayed the project. The funds were used to build the crypt church which had to double as a church until the 1950s.

Minister of Ecclesiastical Affairs Bodil Koch made the project a priority and construction on the new church began in 1957. The resulting church was characteristic with sharp lines and a hexagonal church tower. The porch is low and leads into a large, tall church room which can seat 500 people. The church room stretches to the roof with the aid of buttresses which gives the otherwise modernistic church a gothic element. The south wall is one large window which is the main source of light. The church exterior is made of red brick.^[32]

Building in Mårslet, Denmark. Vilhelmsborg is the National Equestrian Centre of Denmark and a listed building in Aarhus Municipality. The main manor building was completed in 1842 and was listed by the Danish Heritage Agency on 3 March 1945. The manor lies 10 km. south of Aarhus, by Beder-Malling in Mårslet Parish, and is today owned by Aarhus Municipality along with 288 hectares of adjoining land.

In the 19th century H. C. Andersen lived on the Vilhelmsborg estate on several occasions and some of his fairy tales are said to have been inspired by the view of Mols from his window. Johan Skjoldborg also frequented the estate and his novel Gyldholm depicts the hardships of farm hands by the end of the 19th century.^[33]

Park in Aarhus, Denmark. Skanseparken is one of the oldest parks in the city of Aarhus. It is situated in the neighborhood of Frederiksbjerg in Midtbyen. Skanseparken was constructed in the years 1901 to 1902 between the streets Strandvejen, Marselisborg Allé and Heibergsgade. The park is typical of the parks in the city with large, open areas bounded by beech trees, raised flower beds and playgrounds. It is a popular area for festivals, concerts and other cultural events.

The name of the park refers to the sconce erected by Albrecht von Wallenstein on the site when he occupied the city and used it as a base for raids throughout Jutland in 1627 during the Thirty Years' War. In 1898 the area was bought by a developer in Marselisborg and subsequently annexed by the city. Two large residential complexes known as Skansen (The Sconce) and Skansepalæet (The Sconce-mansion) overlooking the small park in the north, both refers to the former sconce here.

Skanseparken contains a bust of Hendrik Pontoppidan by the sculptors Vilhelm Bissen and Rasmus Andersen.^[34]