We awoke to the sun streaming into our windows in Aarhus. And we made it a relaxing morning – Nespresso at the Airbnb, a beautiful sunny view and simply enjoying the morning.
But of course we had plans to explore this city. This time we left the Donkey’s where they were and made the short walk to town. Aarhus is so walkable! There’s really no reason to need other modes of transportation unless you want to do something outside of the city. Which we didn’t.
Nothing opened prior to 10 am so of course we went for another coffee and a warm pastry on this somewhat chilly and windy morning. This was our second time to Espresso House – which is a chain coffee shop. Normally we avoid chains and also avoid going to the same place twice but it looked warm and inviting and we wanted to try a cardamom bun. Gaby said theirs were good so why not.
Yep – very, very good! I’m getting into this cardamom in sweets thing. Like the Danes know something we don’t right? This one was more savory than the croissant but the cardamom croissant from Hart Bageri reigns as my favorite of the trip – so far!
Because we’d had so much fun at the Viking Ship Museum and also because the Vikings founded this city, we took some time to go to the Viking Museum in Aarhus. The Viking Museum is a very small underground museum that is fascinating because it sits on the very site of the excavations contained in the exhibit. So when you look at the human skeleton displayed in the museum, it was actually found there as well. Pretty cool.
Time to shop! Why – well, because we were cold. That and I just can’t pass up an H&M. That and the shopping area of Aarhus is just too cute. Similar to the one in Copenhagen, but not as long, it contains boutiques, department stores, cafes and bars. And again the people watching is great.
We were finally on our way to Den Gamle By – the Old Town Museum. This was the number one thing on my list to see in Aarhus. It is a living history museum! Essentially, it’s a town that has been recreated to represent 3 different periods of Danish history. Buildings have been brought to this museum from all over Denmark and been set up as a separate town. The periods represented are: the time before 1900, modern times (1927) and welfare and freedom (1974). So you can go through a Danish house from the 1700s AND you can go through a Danish house from 2014.
This place was so cool and is really a must-do! They have shops and vendors and the buildings from the times and even the staff dressed up per the period of history represented. For example there was a photography store from 1984 and everything inside was from that period. Wicked!
On our way back to our Airbnb we passed by the Havnebadet – the Harbor Bath in Aarhus. I haven’t mentioned this yet but harbor baths are a big thing in Denmark. What is a harbor bath? Good question – I sure didn’t know before booking this trip! It is a free and free-floating public swimming pool, typically located in a harbor. The Danes are extremely proud of the fact that their water is clean enough to swim in and they do so – frequently. And even in the winter.
Honestly this is something I’ll regret not having done BUT there’s still time. And it’s just been so cold! Anyway, back to the Harbor Baths in Aarhus. They are right next to Aarhus Watersports Complex which is a cable ski park. Right?! So cool! Basically a cable is pulling you instead of a boat. And there are floating islands where you can do tricks on a waterski or wakeboard. It’s so fun to watch people do this – I’m sure it’s also fun to do but, did I mention, it’s just been so cold! And I’m not sure I have the guts to try that.
So far we’d tried all of the food halls that we’d encountered and here was another one so why not? There was an outdoor food hall less than a mile from our Airbnb and we really wanted to save a little bit of money. Also, every time we passed by we smelled the yumminess within.
Called Torv Streetfood, it was much smaller than the others we’d been to. But the options were still decent – although a few stalls were closed on a Tuesday. But pizza, pitas, falafel, burritos, crepes – there was definitely enough to choose from. And this was THE FIRST TIME during our trip where a local initiated a conversation with us! It felt so good! Of course it was while we were getting drinks. But the two young bartenders actually asked us where we were from and how we liked Aarhus. As all of you know, these interactions with other people are the reason I love to travel so it made me so happy!
One of the joys of having an Airbnb is that there’s a place to relax when needed. And we did! A little Netflix and chill was just what the doctor ordered. That and a (pretty) good nights sleep.
