Aarhus: top attractions & road trip guide
Aarhus is Denmark's second-largest city, a lively university town on the east coast of Jutland facing Aarhus Bay. It is known for the ARoS art museum with its rainbow rooftop walkway, the open-air history museum Den Gamle By, and a compact old town known as the Latin Quarter.
On a road trip through Denmark, Aarhus is typically reached after crossing the tolled Great Belt Bridge from Zealand to Jutland. The city sits directly on the coastal highway network, making it a convenient base for exploring both the surrounding fjord landscape and destinations further north or south in Jutland.
Top attractions
ARoS Aarhus Art Museum
A ten-story art museum topped by 'Your Rainbow Panorama,' a circular walkway of colored glass by Olafur Eliasson offering views over the city.
Den Gamle By
An open-air museum of relocated historic buildings that recreates a Danish market town across different periods, from the 1600s to the 1970s.
Aarhus Cathedral
Denmark's longest and tallest cathedral, a Gothic brick building dating largely from the 13th to 15th centuries.
Latin Quarter
A district of narrow cobbled streets in the old town center, lined with independent shops, cafes, and restaurants.
Moesgaard Museum
An archaeology and ethnography museum south of the city, known for its grass-covered sloping roof and prehistoric bog body exhibits.
Aarhus Ø
A redeveloped harbor district of modern architecture and waterfront promenades, including the striking stepped Isbjerget housing and the Dokk1 library.
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