Aarhus – between coastal forests, culture and water

Aarhus combines impressive nature with museums, historical insights and activities on the water. Those looking for a holiday apartment or holiday home in Aarhus can therefore plan their stay around very different interests: between coastal forests and beaches, art and urban history, cycling routes and experiences for the whole family.

Coastal forests, beaches and nature

The Marselisborgskovene are a defining natural area. The section proposed for Aarhus’ Nature Canon stretches from Oddervej in the north to Fløjstrup in the south and covers around 600 hectares. The Marselisborgskovene are coastal forests in hilly terrain with deep ravines and are part of the Natura 2000 area Giber Å, Enemærket and Skåde Havbakker. Ballehage Strand is also located in Aarhus at the Marselisborgskovene and is a bathing beach.

The Riis Skov offers a different forest landscape. It covers around 80 hectares, is dominated by beech trees and features a great diversity of different natural habitats. At Brabrand Sø, visitors can experience wildlife and nature. Those who would like to discover the world of plants will find four climate zones with plants from around the world at the Væksthusene in Aarhus Botanical Garden.

Art, history and special places

ARoS, an international art museum, is located in the centre of Aarhus. The 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. This allows a stay in Aarhus to be enriched by different forms of experiencing art.

Den Gamle By conveys the history of Danish market towns through the periods 2014, 1974, 1927 and 1864. The site also includes a toy museum with more than 5,000 toys. From April until the end of the year, visitors can encounter people dressed, working and behaving as they did in earlier times. At the Gæstgivergården restaurant, hot and cold lunch dishes as well as smørrebrød are served according to historical cookbooks.

In the area south of Aarhus lies the Moesgaard Museum, an archaeological and anthropological museum in Højbjerg. Aarhus Cathedral is 93 metres long and is Denmark’s longest church. Such diverse destinations give your trip a cultural breadth without requiring every day to follow the same pattern.

Water, activity and family experiences

Stand-up paddleboarding, canoeing and swimming are possible at Aarhus Havbane. Aarhus also has cycle paths and many signposted cycling routes through and around the city. When planning your stay, you can therefore alternate between a day on the water, a cycling tour and a cultural visit. Tivoli Friheden is an amusement park in Aarhus with numerous rides and activities for the whole family.

The right base for your trip

When looking for accommodation in Aarhus, it is worth deciding first what you would like to focus on. If the trip is primarily about art and urban history, ARoS, Den Gamle By and Aarhus Cathedral take centre stage. For nature and water experiences, the Marselisborgskovene, Ballehage Strand, Brabrand Sø and Aarhus Havbane are the obvious points of interest. Those who want to combine several areas can choose the location of their holiday apartment or holiday home according to which destinations are particularly important in their personal daily itinerary.

Public transport in Aarhus and the Aarhus region includes buses, trains and the Letbane light rail. Anyone using public transport must always purchase a ticket before starting their journey. This rule is just as much a part of trip planning as deciding whether to explore Aarhus by bicycle, by public transport or differently depending on the day’s destination.

More destination pages for trip planning: Norsminde, Ajstrup Strand, Solbjerg, Hasselager, Skæring, Løgten, Tranbjerg and Højbjerg.

For the higher-level travel overview: Aarhus Municipality.