Free things to do in Aarhus

21 places in Aarhus with free entry or no charge, based on guide listings and map data.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

See
Aarhus Botanical Gardens
Botanisk Have
Founded in 1873 as a research garden for students at Aarhus University, nowadays the Botanical Gardens have been repurposed as a pleasant outdoor park for citizens to enjoy during the warm months. However, for laypeople who may be interested in botany, there are still thousands of different species of plants on display throughout, all labelled in Latin and Danish. The bulk of the park is hilly open lawns, ponds, and landscaped gardens. Facilities include a large outdoor children's playground, an amphitheatre, toilets, and a big covered Greenhouse complex. At the Greenhouses you can experience plants from all around the world, including the tropics, and there's a café serving coffee, cake, ice cream, and light lunches.
Daily 24 hoursFree
See
Aarhus Domkirke
Aarhus Cathedral
The beautiful cathedral is more than 800 years old, and the longest and the tallest in Denmark. It took 100 years to build and it is the oldest building in the city, still standing. Concerts are sometimes arranged and the tower offers a good view. Behind the church is Aarhus Cathedral School, also with an 800-year history.
Daily May-Sep 09:30-16:00; Oct-Apr 10:00-15:00Free (a fee for the tower)
See
Aarhus Forestry Botanical Garden
Forstbotanisk Have
Established in 1923, this arboretum at the north end of the forests is small (5 ha) but packed with over 900 species of trees and bushes from all over the world. It's a pleasant place to take a load off, but it's prohibited to disturb any of the plants, and falling tree branches are a persistent danger in windy weather.
Free
Buy
Bazar Vest
An international bazaar of 110 small shops where you can buy all kinds of imported items and ethnic food. Get yourself a meal, a haircut and your shoes fixed or what about a hookah, a real Persian carpet and a specially designed Arabian perfume? Many cuisines, from Greek and Turkish to Somalian and Indian. Good shawarmas, falafel and sweet Arabian delights. Sometimes events such as market days with special discounts or concerts with Middle Eastern artists or world music. Large parking lots.
Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00Free
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DGI-huset
DGI-Huset is a sports centre of about 5,000 m² in the city centre where you can engage in many kinds of indoor sporting activities. If you're not a member of a team, you can still play badminton or football, or pay by the hour to tackle one of the large climbing walls. Children are welcome and accommodated with a special play area, and there's also an onsite café. Weekends and holidays often see discounts on admission.
Free entry, courts kr 100 for an hour
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Den Gamle By
The Old Town
Open-air museum village comprising a collection of 75 original Danish buildings from 1597 to 1909, gathered from all corners of the country. There are historical shops and eateries, most true to the period. A few staff members and volunteers dressed up in historic clothes adds to the ambience, and sometimes events are arranged. You can buy a round-trip horse and carriage ride through the museum's cobblestone streets or through the outside park. A new addition to the complex showcase Danish town culture and buildings from the 20th century, including a bakery, several stores, a poster museum, and a jazz club. As well, for the European Capital of Culture celebration in 2017, the museum inaugurated new permanent exhibitions focusing on local history and classic Danish jewellery from the 20th century. You can easily spend a whole day, exploring the town, its life, and the underground exhibitions. After regular opening hours, you can still stroll the streets (free of charge), but there is no access to exhibitions and buildings. Be sure to also spend some time in the large surrounding Botanical Garden and the Greenhouses.
kr 205 (discount for students), free for children. Botanical Garden and Greenhouses are both free
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Den Japanske Have
Located in Lisbjerg on Aarhus' northern outskirts, this is a large, authentic Japanese garden laid out in traditional chisen kaiyu style designed for promenading. While the garden is only open for random visitors in late spring and summer, larger special events, such as concerts, are occasionally arranged in the winter by the event company Park13. The garden shows some signs of neglect, and outside events, it has few visitors. Even though visits are free of charge, call the park in advance if you plan to visit.
Garden May-Sep: Thu Fri 09:00-15:30Free
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Den Permanente
Public and private bathhouse in a shared building. One section is open year round for the public from dawn till dusk, while the popular inner beach - complete with changing rooms, showers, public toilets, and lifeguards - is only accessible for the public in June and August. The tiny sandy beach immediately south of the bathhouse structure has been designated as a nudist spot, but welcomes everybody. Small kiosk nearby, open in the summer, serving ice cream, hotdogs, beverages, and various snacks. If you are ready for a more substantial meal, the historic inn Sjette Frederiks Kro, just up hill in the forest, is the place to go for a nice brunch or evening dinner after your swim. The sea bath opened in 1933, but half of it was destroyed in a storm in 1966. In 2023-24, the bathhouse was rebuilt to its original grandeur, reopening in June 2024.
Free
See
Dokk1
Dock-one, Dokken, Urban Media Space
This large state-of-the-art public library and culture centre at the harbourfront is the largest public library in northern Europe, and is designed as a public meeting place for all kinds of activities. Enjoy the peculiar and futuristic architecture or engage in the library's many activities. Guided tours are arranged at regular intervals. Good café and an interesting four-section outside playground (adults may try the slides too). There is a specialized toddlers' play section inside. Large subterranean robotic car park below the building. Great for kids and adults alike. The whole building is accessible to people who use wheelchairs.
Mon-Fri 08:00-22:00; Sat Sun 10:00-16:00; Staff available Mon-Thu 10:00-19:00; Fri 10:00-17:00Free
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Food markets
An outdoor farm and artisan market with fresh vegetables, fruit, bread, fish, meat, cheese, and some prepared foods sold by local producers. There's also a small permanent café here with good coffee. is an indoor food market in the city centre near the central station, offering a culinary world tour ranging from Korean bowls, Turkish grill, and luxury salads to pad thai, fish & chips, and Afro-Caribbean barbecue. The food court is open every day of the week 11:30-21:00. is another indoor food court from early 2023, located in the building complex Nicolinehus in the new harbourside district of Aarhus Ø. Stylish interior, yet with relatively low budget prices and self-help service. The food offered here is also of a broad cultural diversity and the food stations are also open every day from 11:30-21:00. opened in 2024 at the central square at the Aarhus Cathedral. Clean and stylish interior. It is the smallest of the three food courts.
Wed Sat 08:00-14:00Free
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Godsbanen
A centre for cultural productions of all kinds: theatre, concerts, performance, film, art exhibitions, finders-keepers markets, and more. There is a restaurant and café here too. Even if you are not interested in participating in anything in particular, Godsbanen is worth a visit for its strange and unique architecture, including the DIY commune known as Institut for (X) behind the main buildings. Here people tend gardens, play football, skateboard, play street sports, party and even live. The vibe is a friendly, inviting take on the anarchist "free town" — you'll find none of the decadence of Christiania here.
Mon-S 8-22; S 8-18Free
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Havnebadet
Aarhus Havnebad
Large floating bathhouse in the northern parts of the harbour, part of the developing docklands district, designed by renowned architecture company BIG. The open-air bathhouse has several pools, including child friendly paddling pools. It is open to the public from June through August. The surrounding area is still under development, but a number of small shops offers coffee, drinks, ice cream and some food.
Jul-Aug: daily 11:00 to 19:00Free
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Kunsthal Aarhus
An arts centre promoting contemporary art. Built in 1917, it is one of the oldest arts centres in Europe. Nice café.
Tue-Sun 11:00-18:00; Wed 11:00-20:00 (closed Mondays)Free
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Marselisborg Deer Park
Marselisborg Dyrehave
This is an enclosed section of the forests with free roaming deer; a sort of low-key zoo or safari park. The landscape is beautiful, hilly, and less thickly-forested than the surrounding forests. There is an extra closed facilty with wild boars in the far northern end. The deer park is open from dawn to dusk year round, but for safety's sake it's best to avoid visiting during mating season in the autumn (Sep-Nov), and in the early summer when the does are nursing their calves (June-July). Don't feed the animals.
Free
See
Mindeparken
Marselisborg Mindepark, Memorial Park
This memorial park offers a panoramic view of the Bay of Aarhus. Many larger events are held here and when the weather permits, citizens flock to relax in the park area. The park is centred around an extensive lawn but has several interesting sections of different designs, including a grove of Japanese cherry trees and a flower and sculpture garden. It also contains the largest World War I memorial in the country, commemorating 4,000 dead Danish soldiers.
Free
See
Moesgaard landscape
The Moesgaard landscape in the southern part of the Marselisborg Forests contains a marked history trail, The Prehistoric Trail, running from the Moesgaard Museum (q.v.) right down to the beach, with reconstructed Stone, Iron, and Viking Age houses and tombs, runestones, etc. If history isn't your thing, just enjoy the beautiful and varied nature of this place; in the spring and summer, it is worth a visit just for that. If you want to eat or drink, start your tour with a meal at the museum, at the nearby Aarhus Golf Club restaurant, or drop in later at the old watermill of Skovmøllen in the woods. You can also bring your own supplies and have a picnic lunch at any spot of your choice; the grassy fields at the Moesgaard Beach is popular for that.
Free
See
Museum of Ancient Art
Antikmuseet
Operated by Aarhus University, the focus of the Museum of Ancient Art's collection falls on Classical-era artworks and artifacts from Ancient Greece, Rome, Egypt, the Near East, and elsewhere in the Mediterranean area. Their collection of Ancient Greek coins is one of the largest in Europe.
Sun-Thu 12:00-16:00Free
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Salling Rooftop
Impressive skyline view of Aarhus from the stylishly designed rooftop of the Salling department store in the city center. Walk around to enjoy the different vistas on your own, or find a secluded corner to enjoy a cup of coffee. There is also a good eatery, bar, and café here and sometimes small concerts and other events are happening. Check the website for details.
Ma-Fr: 10-20; Sat 10-19; Sun 10-18Free
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Sea swimming course
Aarhus Havbane
Not a beach but a 500-metre-long sea swimming course along Aarhus Ø marked by with yellow and orange buoys. No vessels are allowed within the buoys. Some winter bathers use the short boardwalk for a quick dip. Also a good place for snorkling around the big granite boulders placed in the water.
Free
See
Vor Frue Kirke
Church of Our Lady
Medieval church with an interesting crypt church in the basement. The crypt church, built around 1060, is one of the oldest stone churches in Scandinavia. Through a door on the left inside the main church you can enter a former priory with an atrium garden.
Free
Do Not mapped
Aarhus Festuge
The whole city is decorated for partying and filled with music, theatre, food, experimental architecture, film, literature and other events during this 10-day festival held every year in late August and early September. It is the largest multicultural festival in Northern Europe. * Aarhus Arkitekturløb is a recurring casual running event around architecturally interesting areas of the city. * Aarhus Cykeltour is a new annual recreational cycling event to be held for the first time as part of the 2026 festival. The ride will start and finish near Pier 3 on Aarhus Ø harbourside and offers several route options, including a short family-friendly route for children.
Free

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Aarhus (CC BY-SA 4.0).