Aarhus - Culture 

Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark with approx. 265.000 inhabitants, situated on the Eastern coast of the Jutland peninsula. By air, the City is connected to Copenhagen (the Capital of Denmark), London, Stockholm (Sweden), Stavanger (Norway) and Oslo (Norway).

The history of Aarhus goes back more than a thousand years and people have lived in Aarhus ever since the Vikings settled here, where the river flows out into the bay.

Actors Portray Vikings on horseback during the Viking Festival at Aarhus.

Aarhus has an outstanding location. The Vikings who chose Aarhus for their settlement and their home port certainly made a good choice. Lined with woods and by beaches the city lies in its shielded spot inviting you to enjoy its many attractions.

Best known and treasured is probably the open-air museum "the Old Town'' with more than 60 half-timbered houses, all carefully removed from their original sites throughout the country and now restored here in Aarhus with loving care. In the forest south of Aarhus, you will find another 3-star attraction, the Prehistoric Museum of Moesgaard. It contains the ethnographical and archaeological collections from the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age, and the Viking Age.

Visitors walk down a cobblestone street in Gamie, a restored 15th century village in Aarhus.

But it is not necessary to go to museums to sense the atmosphere of the past in Aarhus. Surrounding the cathedral, which is an attraction itself, you will find the old part of Aarhus. Little narrow streets and alleys where many of the old houses are converted into art shops, pottery workshops, galleries and cafes. Also surrounding the cathedral is the main shopping area, where you will find all kinds of shopping possibilities, ranging from general stores and warehouses, to small specialised shops. Tax-free services are available in many shops.

Scattered around the City you will find many restaurants, suited for all kinds of budgets. The restaurants are of high standards and you will find many ethnic restaurants (including of course the Danish cuisine).

Aarhus is the city where the Danish Royal family spends many of its holidays. Of course the Queen resides in Copenhagen, but when the Dannebrog - the Danish Flag - flies over the Marselisborg Palace, everybody knows that the Queen is in Aarhus, and she often is. The Danish people presented Queen Margrethe's grandfather, King Christian X, with the Marselisborg Palace as a national gift for his wedding. With a magnificent view of the Park, the Bay of Aarhus, and the Marselisborg Woods the site was carefully chosen as one of the best in Denmark. Aarhus University have had the privilege to have both the Queen and the Crown Prince as students at the university.

Aarhus has a rich cultural life all year round in which theatre, music and visual arts play a prominent part. The beautiful Concert Hall, inaugurated in August 1982, adds new dimensions to the wide choice of cultural events. It emphasises that Aarhus is above all the City of Music.

Aarhus' thriving cultural atmosphere is to a great extent due to the city's large student population. Aarhus University, splendidly situated in the beautifully undulating park, is the largest institution of higher education in the city, and the second largest university in Denmark with approx. 16,000 students.

Aarhus has a very fine-grained public transportation system, covering the whole town, making it possible to reach any place in short time. The buses run at least twice every hour during ordinary working hours, and at least once an hour during off-work hours. Special conference tickets, covering the whole conference period and unlimited usage, can be made available at very low price (approx. 1 US$ per day).

In short, Aarhus is an educational and cultural centre, and its very soul is a charming blend, combining the atmospheres of a provincial town and an active city, which will make you feel welcome and at home.

In the countryside, several interesting places must be mentioned. West of Aarhus (approx. 40 kilometres) you find Denmark's most beautiful lake district around the city of Silkeborg with interesting museums and an old steamer boat touring the lakes. And south-west of Aarhus (approx. 100 kilometres) the famous Legoland is located (amusement park with models of landscapes and cities, built in toy bricks, Lego-bricks).

The weather in Denmark in August is usually sunny with temperatures around twenty degrees Celsius, and with occasional showers.