Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
4
Marvel at microcosmic Miniland at
Legoland
before jumping on a few rides
5
Enjoy the wind in your hair - and sails - while learning to windsurf at
6
Feel the weight of history at
Jelling
, the spiritual home of the Danish royal
family
7
Hop between beaches, theme parks and animal parks in the prime family-
holiday territory of
Djursland
AARHUS
Pop 310,000
Sure, Aarhus (
oar
-hus) may be Denmark's second-largest city, but it feels more like a re-
laxed and friendly big town, a little bashful in the shadow of its glamorous big sister,
Copenhagen.
The museums and restaurants are first-rate, while the sizable student population (around
40,000) enlivens Aarhus' parks and cobblestone streets (and fill its bars). There's a grow-
ing number of excellent festivals, and savvy travellers are coming to appreciate the city's
charms. Expect its stature to grow in the lead-up to 2017, when it is one of the European
Capitals of Culture (more information at
www.aarhus2017.dk
)
.
AARHUS VS ÅRHUS
In 2011, the city of Århus reverted to the old spelling of its name: Aarhus. The letter å was
officially introduced to the Danish alphabet in 1948 and represents the sound 'aa', pro-
nounced as the 'a' in the English 'walk'. You may still encounter Århus on a number of
signs, maps etc.
History
Due to its central seaside location, Aarhus has always been a busy trading town. Its name
comes from Aros, meaning 'place at the river's mouth'. Excavations from the mid-1960s
suggest the city was founded around 900 AD.
