Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Aarhus (OAR-hoos, sometimes spelled Århus), Denmark's second-largest city,
has a population of 243,000 and calls itself the “World's Smallest Big City.”
I'd argue it's more like the world's biggest little town: easy to handle and easy
to like. Aarhus is Jutland's capital and cultural hub. Its Viking founders settled
here—where a river hit the sea—in the eighth century, calling their town Aros.
Today, modern Aarhus bustles with an important university, an inviting café-
lined canal, a bursting-with-life pedestrian boulevard (Strøget), a collection of
top-notch museums (modern art, open-air folk, and prehistory), and an ador-
able “Latin Quarter” filled with people living very, very well. Aarhus, a pleas-
ant three-hour train ride from Copenhagen, is well worth a stop.
Aarhus lines up along its tranquil canal—formerly a busy highway—called
Åboulevarden, which runs through the middle of town. The cathedral and
lively Latin Quarter are directly north of the canal, while the train station
is about five blocks to the south (along the main pedestrianized shopping
street—the Strøget). The main museums are scattered far and wide: The ARoS
