Aarhus is the second largest city in Denmark and is located on the east coast of Jutland. You're asking, "What's Jutland?". I like to say it's the part of Denmark that "jutes" out of Germany. It's a quick and easy 3 hour train ride from Copenhagen, complete with lovely Danish scenery. And if you're not into quaint scenes of Danish countryside there is also free WiFi on the train.
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| Train Views |
If I had done some research before our trip I would have found out that Aarhus is #13 on New York Times "52 Places to Go in 2016".
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| The playground at Dokk1 |
One of the sights listed in the New York Times article is Dokk1. It's a new library and cultural center located in the old industrial harbor. Though calling it a library does not do it justice. Dokk1 has an expansive balcony that includes multiple playgrounds, each based off a different continent. Inside there is a cafe, vintage arcade games, playrooms, games and oh yeah, books. Head down the escalator and outside to watch the cars get parked. Seriously, the parking garage has car elevators that whisk the cars away, we weren't the only ones standing around to watch.
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| THE Gong |
But by far my favorite part was The Gong. The Gong, is well a gong, hanging in one corner of the library. Besides the fact that its quite beautiful hanging in front of the windows over looking the harbor, the gong rings when a baby is born in Aarhus. Apparently, new born parents have the opportunity to activate the gong from the hospital. Needless to say if I ever have children I will be giving birth in Aarhus.
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| The quiet streets of The Old Town |
From the futuristic library we headed to Den Gamle By or The Old Town. Den Gamle By is an open air museum and it feels a bit like you are on a field trip in the 5th grade, learning how people lived in centuries past. The highlight of the museum is the newest addition, a recreation of a building from the 1970's. It includes a family apartment, gynecologist office and a collective. The 1970's portion of the museum is a big upgrade from the rest of the museum. The exhibits are hands on and interactive with working phones, videos and a mirror where you can try on clothes from the 70s.
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| What I'd look like in 1974. Damn Good. |
We ended our day in Aarhus at our friends collective. A collective is just a group of people living together, but actually living together. They have meetings, clean, cook dinner and eat together almost every night. This communal way of living is far different than anything I've experienced in America, where every inch of fridge space is divided up. Our friends collective has been around the 1970's and you could tell it was old and lived in, in all the best ways. It was the perfect way to end a chilly day in Aarhus, champagne soup (it's a thing!) in a warm, old, friendly Danish house.
The run down on Aarhus:
Get there: Around 3 hours from Copenhagen, easy and cheap by bus or train
Eat there: Il Mercatino, Mejlgade 18. Great for lunch, delicious paninis to go.
See there: Dokk1, Free
Den Gamle By, prices vary by season
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