Experience art, history and nature in Aarhus

Aarhus offers a range of options for a trip: international art, the history of Danish market towns, coastal forests, and activities on the water or by bike. If you’re looking for a hotel in Aarhus, first consider which sides of the city you’d like to explore during your stay. The places and activities below offer concrete starting points for culture, nature and exercise. This way, you can plan your days around the themes that interest you most.

Art, history and architecture

In the centre of Aarhus is ARoS, an international art museum. Its collection comprises 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. So, alongside the breadth of the collection, the different exhibition formats can also help you decide how to focus your art experience.

Den Gamle By tells the story of Danish market towns through the periods 2014, 1974, 1927 and 1864. The museum also includes a toy museum with more than 5,000 toys. From April until the end of the year, visitors can meet people there who dress, work and behave as they did in earlier times. This combines a portrayal of urban history with a vivid glimpse into everyday life in the past. At Den Gamle By, the Gæstgivergården restaurant serves hot and cold lunch dishes as well as smørrebrød based on historical cookbooks.

Aarhus Cathedral adds a church building to the museums, with dimensions that put it precisely in perspective: it is 93 metres long and Denmark’s longest church. South of Aarhus, in Højbjerg, is the Moesgaard Museum, an archaeological and anthropological museum. Together, these attractions offer a range of cultural experiences: art, the history of market towns, church architecture and archaeology.

Coastal forests, beaches and nature

The Marselisborg Forests are coastal forests in hilly terrain with deep ravines. They are part of the Giber Å, Enemærket and Skåde Havbakker Natura 2000 area. The section proposed for Aarhus’ Nature Canon stretches from Oddervej in the north to Fløjstrup in the south and covers about 600 hectares. Ballehage Beach is a bathing beach in Aarhus by the Marselisborg Forests.

Riis Skov offers another natural setting: the forest covers about 80 hectares, is dominated by beech trees and has a wide variety of natural habitats. At Brabrand Lake, you can experience wildlife and nature. Together, these places showcase different aspects of nature in and around Aarhus—from coastal forests and bathing beaches to woodland and nature experiences by the lake.

Activities and exercise

The Greenhouses in Aarhus Botanical Garden feature four climate zones with plants from around the world. Anyone interested in plants will find a dedicated attraction here among the city’s offerings. On the water, stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and swimming are possible at Aarhus Sea Lane. These activities provide a different focus for your stay than museum visits or nature experiences.

Aarhus has cycle paths and many signposted cycling routes through and around the city. Cycling is therefore one of the options you can consider when planning your trip. Tivoli Friheden is an amusement park in Aarhus with numerous rides and activities for the whole family. Whether you prioritise museums, exercise, nature or a visit to the park will shape the themes of your Aarhus trip.

Public transport and hotel planning

Public transport in Aarhus and the Aarhus region includes buses, trains and the light rail. If you use public transport in and around Aarhus, you must always buy your ticket before travelling. Check this requirement again before your trip. To compare hotels, you can start with the activities you plan to do and tailor your search to your own itinerary.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Brabrand, Norsminde, Harlev, Egå, Tilst, Ajstrup Strand, Ajstrup, Tranbjerg.

For the main travel overview: Aarhus Municipality.