Aarhus, Denmark

Ever since I watched Scandimania by Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall, I’ve been hankering to visit one (or all) of the Scandinavian countries. Why wouldn’t I – they’re said to be home to the happiest people on earth. It’s where the term Hygge, meaning feeling of contentment and wellbeing, originates. As luck would have it, Craig’s brother lives just outside Aarhus in Denmark, so when he invited us over, we jumped at the chance.

In my mind, Denmark has always been about beer, bacon, pastries and Lego – not exactly the winning formula you’d expect for health, happiness and wellbeing. But I found those stereotypes to be dated and not remotely reflective of Denmark today.

1 – Family orientated

Denmark struck me as having a particularly strong focus on the family unit. The stunning greenery that lines the footpaths to school stood out in a good way. As did the conveniently positioned play parks which were interspersed along the route.

Mealtimes are family times for Danes and subtle hints of ‘kids are welcome here’ emanate from buildings, restaurants and communal spaces.

2 – Green and clean

I found Denmark to be a clean and green city. I think their environmentally friendly ethos is more advanced than we have in the UK. The streets were noticeably tidy and litter-free, and cycle routes and bus lanes were in abundance.

What also impressed me is the sense of communal action to share and preserve. Hot water is pumped from a central supply to every residence in the suburb to reduce waste!

In Hjortshøj, an area just outside Aarhus lies a sustainable village called Andelssamfundet. Residents live holistically with ecological, economical and social aspects of life as focus. It’s the collective movements just like this that position Denmark as leading the way on environmental developments.

Dokk1 

Dokk1 was built in 2015 and is more than just a library. The modern, angular, heptagonal-roofed structure also houses government facilities, cafés, theatre, halls, study areas and playgrounds. It overlooks the industrial waterfront which is undergoing significant renovation.

The recreational features of the building create a perfect meeting point for locals and tourists alike. Whether it’s to chill out in the seating area, study in the library, play in the playgrounds or game on the arcade machines – there’s fun to be had by adults, kids, and big kids too!

We spent a few pleasant hours wandering around and soaking up Dokk1. The library was dark and plush with colourful books offering splashes of vibrance. The underground carpark was a real showstopper too. We drove into a metal ‘cage’ which then automatically transported the car down to the lower levels of the building for safe-keeping until our return – swift, convenient and a technological feat. (Overall rating 90/100)

ARoS Aarhus Art Museum

ARoS Art Museum is one of the largest museums in Europe. Its striking multicoloured rooftop halo gives the building a unique look and style. It also provides a rainbow-coloured circular walkway with 360 degree panoramic views of Aarhus.

The building exterior is a dark maroon square, yet inside it’s light, airy and contemporary with white spiralling walkways right to the top. I’ll eat my hat if the design of this place wasn’t inspired by the Guggenheim museum!

Exhibitions and art installations are located across all floors and Mapplethorpe was a stand out favourite for us. The piece-de-resistance though was the ‘Rainbow Panorama’, our walk around the sky-high viewing platform was psychedelic and invigorating! (Overall rating 92/100)

City streets

The city architecture reminded me of that in eastern Europe. With red industrial brickwork, tall thin dwellings, copper-green rooftops and countless spires, we could have been anywhere in the east of our continent. The curved river walkway offers a romantic and cosy setting by night. Lights illuminate the water and tall curved buildings and homely bars add real character.

We wandered by some very cool buildings during our four hour daytime stroll. The brutal, concrete city hall and architecturally stunning Dokk1 signify a quirky city that’s still very much in the making. I’m looking forward to see a finished waterfront with the completed new rail infrastructure and redeveloped customs house all in place. (Overall rating 90/100)

Street-food markets

We visited two street-food markets. The first was an open air market located outside a public services building. Given the big foodies we are, we couldn’t resist the opportunity to nosey around all the stalls, if only to inhale the delightful spicy aromas wafting past us.

The second street-food experience was to a large indoor market which offered an impressive and vast array of mouth-watering fodder. Situated in an old bus garage, not far from the old station, lies Aarhus’s bustling street-food market. The hollow, industrial structure reminded me of an aircraft hangar – it was huge. The range of food and buzzing atmosphere makes this place an uplifting and delicious eating house. The hanging rows of lightbulbs, seductive aromas permeating the vast space or the chanting sound of diners all added to our experience and we loved our visit here. (Overall rating 91/100)

A Hereford Beefstouw

During our stay we celebrated Paul’s ‘special’ birthday at a fine restaurant in the heart of Aarhus – A Hereford Beefstouw.

This charming eatery has food quality right at the top of its agenda and boy it showed. Eight of us ‘smorged’ over a candlelit table to a predominantly meat-based menu. Whilst I didn’t try every dish on the table, the impeccable quality of food and drink was indisputable. (Overall rating 95/100)

Aarhus Airport

Aarhus Airport is tiny. That said, I guess it’s as big as it needs to be. For us it made a pleasant change to land and take off from something as small as a lego model! The single runway was compact, the arrivals area is tiny and the de-commercialised building was a breath of fresh air. Set in a green-built area, Aarhus Airport felt original.

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Date of visit: 16 September 2016 to 19 September 2016, and, 16 March 2018 to 18 March 2018