Being from Aarhus myself, I have been looking forward to create this article for a while. On the list below, you'll find some of my personal favourites which include Den Gamle By, The Infinite Bridge, ARoS, as well as the Discover Aarhus tour.
But first, I'll share a couple of fun facts from the city.
The Happiest – and Youngest City
It's easy to see why Aarhus is considered the ‘Happiest City.’ The city’s excellent management and lifestyle create a unique quality of life. In Aarhus, we cherish our proximity to nature without detaching from modern comforts. The locals value peace, learning, and giving back to nature, embodying a lifestyle that is both serene and progressive.
Aarhus is also Denmark's youngest city, thanks to its very large university with close to 40.000 students. This is a lot in a city with 300.000 inhabitants in total – which also makes it the second-largest city in Denmark, after Copenhagen.
The Name Aarhus
The name "Aarhus" has its roots in the Old Norse name "Árós," which translates to "river mouth." The Old Norse word "á" means "river," and "ós" means "mouth," referring to the city's geographic location where the Aarhus River meets the sea.
The modern name, Aarhus, was adopted for practical reasons, as international keyboards lack the Danish letters ‘å’ and ‘ø’. The transition to ‘aa’ happened during my childhood and I remember a huge backlash back then – now it's just how we spell it. The internationally renowned art museum of ARoS is named after the old name of the city.
Aarhus and its Relation with the Vikings
One of the most exciting aspects of Aarhus is its Viking heritage. Recent excavations have revealed one of Denmark's oldest Viking settlements, dating back to 770 AD. The findings, including longhouses, glass pearls, and fire pits, offer glimpses into the lives of the Vikings who settled here. Despite their reputation as raiders, the Vikings also built sturdy walls, known as the ‘Viking Ring Fortress,’ to protect their community.
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