A stay in Aarhus can combine nature, art and city history with activities on the water and by bicycle. The city offers a range of themes that can shape your stay.

Coastal Forest, Beach and Nature

One distinctive natural area is the Marselisborgskovene. The section proposed for Aarhus’ nature canon stretches from Oddervej in the north to Fløjstrup in the south and covers about 600 hectares. The coastal forests lie in hilly terrain with deep ravines and are part of the Giber Å, Enemærket and Skåde Havbakker Natura 2000 site. Ballehage Strand is a beach in Aarhus at the Marselisborgskovene.

Riis Skov offers a different setting: the forest covers about 80 hectares, is dominated by beech trees and features a wide variety of natural habitats. At Brabrand Sø, you can experience wildlife and nature. These are different nature-focused options in Aarhus for your plans—from coastal forest and a beach to a lake where nature watching takes centre stage.

Art, City History and Special Collections

ARoS is an international art museum in the centre of Aarhus. Its collection includes more than 8,000 works, including masterpieces by Danish and international artists. The museum has five galleries and an entire floor dedicated to installation art. Its art offering therefore encompasses both an extensive collection and a dedicated area for installations.

Den Gamle By presents the history of Danish market towns through four time periods: 2014, 1974, 1927 and 1864. It also features a toy museum with more than 5,000 toys. From April until the end of the year, visitors can meet people dressed, working and behaving as they did in earlier times. The Gæstgivergården restaurant serves hot and cold lunch dishes as well as smørrebrød based on historic cookbooks.

South of Aarhus, in the surrounding area, is Moesgaard Museum in Højbjerg, an archaeological and anthropological museum. Another distinctive feature of the city’s history is Aarhus Cathedral: it is 93 metres long and is Denmark’s longest church. These different places each have their own focus—art collections, the history of market towns, archaeology and anthropology, or church architecture.

More Activities and Getting Around

The Væksthusene in Aarhus Botanical Garden comprise four climate zones with plants from around the world. Stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and swimming are possible at Aarhus Havbane. If you prefer to get around by bicycle, Aarhus has cycle paths and many signposted cycling routes through and around the city. Tivoli Friheden is an amusement park in Aarhus with numerous rides and activities for the whole family.

Public transport in Aarhus and the Aarhus region includes buses, trains and the Letbane light rail. If you use these modes of transport, you must buy your ticket before travelling; check the current requirement again before your trip. When planning, you can weigh up different interests: museums and history, nature, cycling or activities on the water, complemented by public transport in the city and region.

Discover more destinations: Lystrup, Skæring, Skødstrup, Trige, Holme-Højbjerg-Skåde, Højbjerg, Brabrand, Gammel Løgten

For the higher-level travel overview: Aarhus Municipality.