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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.

Address: Viborgvej 2
Getting there: at the Botanical Gardens
Price: kr 205 (discount for students), free for children. Botanical Garden and Greenhouses are both free
Website: dengamleby.dk (opens in a new tab)

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Listing from Wikivoyage: Aarhus, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Updated 28 Sept 2026. Something wrong? Tell us.

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Museum Aarhus

A permanent exhibition within the Old Town Museum opened in spring 2017. The museum displays Aarhus' history with a focus on the last 150 years, the period when it expanded from a small provincial port town to its current status of second-largest city.

Helsingør Theatre

A reconstructed historic theatre building from the town of Helsingør north of Copenhagen, now at The Old Town museum complex and still a working theater with room for an audience of 220. Throughout the year, you can catch summer operas, intimate classical concerts and occasional plays here. Not the most active theater in Aarhus, but certainly an interesting visit especially for aficionados of period architecture.

River canoeing

In the summer from early May through September you can rent canoes at the central community centre of Folkestedet and paddle along the Aarhus River for short or extended journeys.

Voxhall

A good, tightly planned schedule of mainstream rock and pop concerts, occasionally dipping its toes into other genres, Voxhall is Aarhus' venue of choice for big-name acts from abroad. A relatively small stage, but room for many people. The associated venue Turkis is just as active, but mainly focuses on other genres, including world music and folk. Tickets are usually bought at the door, but if you're going to a major concert, buy beforehand! Nice wine and tapas bar in the same building complex at Pica Pica.