Things To Do in Aarhus

For the best introduction to Århus, head for the town hall's tourist office, where a 2 1/2-hour sightseeing tour leaves daily at 10am June 24 to August 31, costing DKK80 ($14/£8) per person (free with the Århus Card).

In addition to the more major museums, you can visit two museums on the grounds of Århus University, Nordre Ringgade. One is Steno Museet, C. F. Møllers Allé (tel. 89-42-39-75; www.stenomuseet.dk; bus: 2, 3, or 4), which displays exhibits documenting natural science and medicine. You'll see beautiful 19th-century astronomical telescopes, a 1920s surgical room, and some of the first computers made in Denmark in the 1950s. Posters, models, and do-it-yourself experiments, including tests of Galileo's demonstrations of gravity and of electromagnetism, are also on display. In addition, you can walk through an herbal garden with some 250 historical medicinal herbs. There is also a Planetarium, with daily shows Tuesday to Sunday at 11am, 1pm, and 2pm, or Saturday and Sunday at noon and 2pm. Hours for the museum are Tuesday to Sunday 10am to 4pm (until 7pm Oct-Mar), costing an admission of DKK45 ($7.70/£4.50), with children 17 and under admitted free.

Also at the university is a Naturhistorisk Museum, Block 210, Universitetsparken (tel. 86-12-97-77; www.naturhistoriskmuseum.dk; bus: 2 or 3), filled with mounted animals from all over the world, some of which are displayed in engaging dioramas. The collection of Danish animals, especially birds, is unique within Denmark. Skeletons, minerals, and a display devoted to the evolution of life are some of the other exhibits. It's open daily 10am to 4pm (to 5pm July-Aug). It's closed on Mondays November to March. Admission is DKK50 ($8.50/£5) adults, and free for children 17 and under.

Nearby Attractions -- The summer residence of Denmark's royal family, Marselisborg Slot, at Kongevejen 100, less than 2.5km (1 1/2 miles) south of Århus's center (bus: 1, 18, or 19), is one of the most famous and symbolic buildings in Denmark. If you visit at noon on days Her Majesty and family are in residence, you can see the changing of the guard. It's announced on the local news and in the newspapers when Her Majesty is here. The royal family has used this white manor house since 1902.

It is not possible to visit the interior of the palace, but the castle grounds, even the Queen's rose garden, are open to the public admission-free 9am to 5pm when the castle is not occupied.

The setting is a large forest belt stretching for some 10km (6 1/4 miles) along the coast. The entire area is ideal for hikes, as nature trails have been cut through the forests. Bikers also like the terrain. Less than 1.5km (1 mile) from the royal palace on the main road south lies Dyrehaven (deer park), a protected forest area where you can see fallow deer, and even sika. The more elusive wild roe deer also live here, as well as wild boar, although you're unlikely to spot the latter. For more information visit www.kongehuset.dk.

Århus is the biggest shopping venue in Jutland, with some 400 specialty stores, each of them tightly clustered within an area of about 1.3 sq. km (1/2 sq. mile). The centerpiece of this district is the Strøget, whose terminus is the Store Torv, dominated by the Århus Domkirke. You might try a large-scale department store first. One of the best is Salling, Søndergade 27 (tel. 86-12-18-00), with some 30 specialty boutiques, all under one roof. A wide range of articles for the whole family is sold here, including body-care items, clothing, gifts, toys, music, and sports equipment. Magasin du Nord, Immervad 2-8 (tel. 86-12-33-00), is the largest department store in Scandinavia, in business for more than 125 years. The staff will assist foreign visitors with tax-free purchases.

"The greatest silversmith the world has ever seen," is the praise often used to describe Georg Jensen, Søndergade 1 (tel. 86-12-01-00). A tradition since 1866, Georg Jensen is known for style and quality, producing unique silver and gold jewelry, elegant clocks and watches, and stainless steel cutlery, among other items. A leading goldsmith, Hingelberg, Store Torv 3 (tel. 86-13-13-00), is the licensed Cartier outlet, and offers a wide selection of top-quality designer jewelry.

Galleri Bo Bendixen, Store Torv 14 (tel. 86-12-67-50), offers the brilliantly colored designs of Bo Bendixen, the famous Danish graphic artist. The shop also sells a wide range of gifts and garments for children and adults. Volden 4 Kunsthåndværk, Volden 4 (tel. 86-13-21-76), specializes in top-quality applied art, and glass made by some of the leading artisans of the country. Silver, copper, and brass ornaments are for sale, as are exclusive bronze candlesticks.

Bülow Duus Glassblowers, Studsgade 14 (tel. 86-12-72-86), is a working glass-blowing shop open to the public. At an attractive old house in the heart of the city, you can watch the fascinating work of glass blowing. Drinking glasses, candlesticks, bowls, and other items are for sale. For traditional Danish pottery, head for Favlhuset, Møllestien 53 (tel. 86-13-06-32).

If you haven't found what you're looking for after all that, head for Inspiration Buus, Ryesgade 2 (tel. 86-12-67-00), which sells top-quality gifts, kitchenware, tableware, and toiletry articles, much of it of Danish design.

The city of Århus has the richest and most varied cultural life in Jutland. Its chief attraction, and a major venue for cultural events, is the Musikhuset Århus . The Århus Symphony Orchestra and the Danish National Opera perform here frequently, among other attractions. For a look at what's happening here and in other venues, pick up a copy of the monthly booklet What's On in Århus at the tourist office.

Cultural Århus

You'll have to speak Danish to enjoy most productions at the Århus Theater, Bispetorv (tel. 89-33-23-00), which has five stages with a total of 1,200 seats. It was designed by Hack Kampmann and opened in 1900. Local actors and visiting stars entertain in a wide repertoire early September to mid-June.

Svalegangen, Rosenkrantzgade 21 (tel. 86-13-88-66), presents an up-to-date repertoire, the latest in Danish drama, music, cabaret, modern dance, and guest artists. The company stages about 40 productions annually. Entré Scenen, Grønnegade 93B (tel. 86-20-15-36), is an experimental feature of Århus's dramatic life. A varied range of performances, often by foreign artists, appeals to a wide spectrum of ages here. Guest opera and dance theater productions are also staged at Gellerupscenen, Gudrunsvej 78 (tel. 86-25-03-66).

Opened in 1982, Musikhuset Århus, Thomas Jensens Allé (tel. 89-40-90-00), is the home of the Århus Symphony Orchestra and the Danish National Opera. Tickets for most events range from DKK50 to DKK1,000 ($8.50-$170/£5-£100). Programs are presented on the great stage, the small stage, and the cabaret stage, as well as in the amphitheater and on the foyer stages, where free performances are presented year-round. The foyer, open daily 11am to 9pm, is the site of the box office, an information desk, a cafe/restaurant, and souvenir shops.

Dance Clubs

The most popular, charming, and fun dance club in town is Train, Toldbodgade 6 (tel. 26-12-58-00), where a crowd that's under 35 or 40-ish dances on any of three floors of what used to be a warehouse down beside the waterfront. The top floors feature disco music from the '70s and '80s; the middle and lower levels are devoted to an English-style pub and louder, more jarring techno. The site is also a venue, at irregular intervals, for live concerts. There's sometimes, but not always, a cover charge that can range from DKK45 to DKK80 ($7.70-$14/£4.50-£8), depending on what's on that night.

Barhopping

Århus abounds in bars and taverns, most of which charge no cover unless there's live music on special nights. The oldest hostelry in town, Thorups Kælder, Store Torv 3 (tel. 86-12-04-14), was founded by Cistercian monks in the 13th century. Here you can quench your thirst in historic surroundings. You'll find us at our favorite bar and cafe, Café Under Masken, Bispegade 3 (tel. 86-18-22-66), next door to the Royal Hotel. This is the creation of a well-known local artist, Hans Krull, who designed the iron sculptures adorning the gateway to the hotel. If Salvador Dali were alive and could see the decor, he would call it surreal. Krull and some of his patrons apparently picked up the flotsam and jetsam of the world for decor. The only Aussie bar in Århus, The Billabong Bar, Skolegade 26 (tel. 86-13-27-15), is a typical Outback-style bar, its raw edge adding to its charm. There's live music every weekend, and sports fans gather here to watch major events on TV, all the time sipping Australian beverages. Gyngen, Mejlgade 53 (tel. 86-19-22-55), is the venue for rock, techno, and the like.

Bryggeriet Skt. Clemens, Kannikegade 10-12 (tel. 86-13-80-00), is a combined brewery and public house which offers freshly tapped, frothy draft beer brewed in coppers in the cellar, matured, and served in glasses. The bartender's special is a 1-liter kwak glas (a round-bottomed glass held upright on a wooden stand). Regardless of which beer you select, this glass is designed for massive consumption. In addition to the pub, you can also order various Danish dishes here if you decide to stick around and dine.

Gays and lesbians gather to dance and enjoy the cafe at Pan Club, Jægergårdsgade 42 (tel. 86-13-43-80). The cafe is open Friday and Saturday 10pm to 6am; the dance club is open Friday and Saturday 11pm to 5am. Cover is DKK60 ($10/£6) after midnight.

An Amusement Park

Tivoli-Friheden, Skobrynet (tel. 86-14-73-00; www.friheden.dk; bus: 4), is a pale imitation of the Tivoli in Copenhagen; the scale is much smaller here, but there is some of the same sense of fantasy. Set in a forest about 3.5km (2 1/4 miles) south of Århus, it's bright and modern, appealing to families and couples from the city and the surrounding communities. Entertainment includes an open-air theater, art shows, concerts, clowns, rides, and a scattering of restaurants. The park is open only mid-April to mid-August. Although the park opens every day at noon, the rides and attractions don't open until 2pm. Everything closes down at 11pm. Admission is DKK65 ($11/£6.50) adults, DKK45 ($7.70/£4.50) children 4 to 11.