ARHUS MAP
Arhus (ORE-hoos; pop. 280,000), Denmark’s second-largest city, bills itself as “the world’s smallest big city.” With small-town charm and a lively downtown, many find that this laid-back student and cultural center fits just right.
TRANSPORTATION AND PRACTICAL INFORMATION. Trains run from Arhus to: Aalborg (l%hr. 2 per hr. 138kr); Copenhagen (3hr. 2 per hr. 273kr); Fredericia (lhr. 2 per hr. 105kr); and Frederikshavn (2V6hr. every hr. 180kr). All major buses leave from the train station or from outside the tourist office. To get to the tourist office, exit the train station and go left across Banegardspl, then take the first right on Park Alle. They book private rooms (200-300kr) for a 25kr fee and sell the Arhus pass, which includes unlimited public transit and admission to most museums and sights (1-day 97kr, 2-day 121kr). If you’re not going to many museums, consider the 24hr. Tourist Ticket (50kr), also available at the tourist office, which offers unlimited bus transportation. (89 40 67 00; www.visitaarhus.com. Open mid-June to early Sept. M-F 9:30am-6pm, Sa 9:30am-5pm, Su 9:30am-lpm; May to mid-June M-F 9:30am-5pm, Sa 10am-lpm; early Sept.-Apr. M-F 9am-4pm, Sa lOam-lpm.) The main library, on Vesterg. 55 in Molleparken, has free Internet access. (Open May-Sept. M-Th 10am-7pm, F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-2pm; Oct.-Apr. M lOam-lOpm, Tu-Th 10am-8pm, F 10am-6pm, Sa 10am-3pm, Su noon-4pm.) After hours, try Boomtown NetCafe, Aboulevarden 21, along the canal. (89 41 39 30. Open Su-Th 10am-2am, F-Sa 10am-8am. 20kr per 30min. 30kr per hr.) The post office, Banegardspl. 1A, is next to the train station. Postal Code: 8000.
ACCOMMODATIONS AND FOOD. Popular with backpackers, Arhus City Sleep-ln , Havneg. 20, is lOmin. from the train station and in the middle of the city’s nightlife. From the train station, follow Ryesg. which becomes Sonderg. all the way to the canal. Take the steps or elevator down to Aboulevarden, cross the canal, and turn right; at the end of the canal, turn left on Mindebrog. then left again on Havneg. ( 86 19 20 55; www.citysleep-in.dk. Bikes 50kr per day; deposit 200kr. Kitchen available. Breakfast 40kr. Sheets 40kr; deposit 30kr. Laundry 25kr. Key deposit 50kr. Internet 20kr per hr. Reception 24hr. Dorms 105kr; doubles 320-360kr. Credit card surcharge 4.75%.) Hotel Guldsmeden , Guldsmedg. 40, has gorgeous rooms in the center of town. The annex in the back has the cheapest rooms. From the tourist office, continue along Park Alle, which becomes Immervad, and veer left onto Guldsmedg. at the intersection of Vesterg. ( 86 13 45 50; www.hotel-guldmeden.dk. Breakfast included. Reception daily 7am-midnight. Singles 495-895kr; doubles 745-995kr.) Blommehaven Camping , 0meredevej 35, is a camper’s resort located in the Marselisborg forest south of the city, near the beach. In summer, take bus #19 from the station to the grounds; off-season, take bus #6 to H0rhavevej. (86 27 02 07; info@blommehaven.dk. Reception daily 8am-noon and 2-10pm. Open Apr.-Aug. 62kr per person, 20kr per site. Add 80kr without camping card.) Frederiksgade has a few restaurants with all-you-can-eat buffets. Get groceries at Netto, in St. Knuds Torv. (Open M-F 9am-8pm, Sa 8am-5pm.)
SIGHTS AND ENTERTAINMENT. The Arhus Kunstmuseum, on Vennelyst-parken, houses modem Danish art. (86 13 52 55. Open Su and Tu-Sa 10am-5pm, W until 8pm. 40kr, students 30kr.) Just outside town is the Moesgard Museum of Prehistory, Moesgard Alle 20, which chronicles Arhus’s history from 4000 BC through the Viking age and displays the famous mummified HGrauballe Man. Take bus #6 from the train station to the end. (Open Apr.-Sept. daily 10am-5pm; Oct.-Mar. Su and Tu-Sa 10am-4pm. 45kr, students 35kr.) The Prehistoric Trail is a beautiful walk that leads from behind the museum to a sandy beach (3km). In summer, bus #19 -S’ – % ast bus 10:18pm) returns from the beach to the Arhus station. West of the town center, the open-air Den Gamle By, Viborgvej 2, re-create traditional Danish life ‘. I with actors in authentic garb and original ! but relocated) Danish buildings. From the center, take bus #3, 14, 25, or 55. (86 12 31 88. Open June-Aug. daily 9am-6pm; off-season reduced hours. 75kr; students 60kr. Grounds free after hours.) The exquisite rose garden of Marselisborg Slot, Kongevejen 100, Queen Margrethe IFs summer getaway, is open to the public. From the train station, take bus #1,18, or (Palace and rose gardens closed in July and whenever the Queen is in residence. Changing of the guard daily at noon when the Queen is in residence.) To get to Tivoli Friheden, Skovbrynet 1, a smaller version of the amusement park in Copenhagen, take bus #4 or 19. fm 86 14 73 00; www.friheden.dk. Hours and dates vary, but usually open May to mid-Aug. l-9pm. 35kr admission; unlimited rides 160kr.)
Arhus hosts an acclaimed jazz festival (July 10-17, 2004; www.jazzfest.dk). The Arhus Festuge (a 89 31 82 70; www.aarhusfestuge.dk), from the last weekend in August to early September, is a rollicking celebration of theater, dance, and music. Throughout the year, Aboulevarden, in the heart of town, hops with trendy cafes and bars. Waxies, Frederiksg. 16, is a popular pub with a young crowd. (Open Su-W llam-2am, Th-Sa llam-5am.)
DAYTRIP FROM ARHUS: BILLUND. Billund is best known as the home of liLegoland, an amusement park filled with spectacular sculptures made from over 50 million Lego pieces. “Lego” is an abbreviation of the Danish leg godt (“have fun playing”), and young and old will have no trouble doing just that. Don’t miss the bone-rattling Power Builder, most intense ride in the park. ( 75 33 13 33; www.lego-land.com. Park open July to mid-Aug. daily 10am-9pm; June and late Aug. daily 10am-8pm; Apr.-May and Sept-Oct. reduced hours. Day pass 170kr, under-13 150kr. Free entrance 30min. before rides close.) To get there, take the train from Arhus to Vejle (45min, every hr.), then take bus #912 (dir.: Grinsted) to the park.
SILKEB0RG AND RY
Closest to Jutland’s wilderness, Silkeborg and Ry both offer a prime base for canoeing, biking, and hiking. Silkeborg (pop. 38,000) is a bit bigger with a bit less charm, but offers more conveniences. The Silkeborg Museum boasts the Tollund Man, a 2500-year-old body found preserved in a local bog. (Open May to late Oct. daily 10am-5pm; late Oct. to Apr. M-Tu and Th-F 10am-5pm, W and Sa-Su noon-4pm. 40kr.) Trains run from Silkeborg to Arhus (2 per hr. 39kr) and Ry (2 per hr. 25kr). Visit the tourist office for more info on outdoor activities. (86 82 19 11; www.silkeborg.com. Open mid-June to Aug. M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9am-3pm, Su 9:30am-12:30pm; Sept. to mid-June M-F 9am-4pm, Sa 9am-noon.) The Silkeborg Van-drerhjem (HI) O is near downtown and the water. (86 82 36 42. Breakfast 45kr. Sheets 40kr. Laundry. Reception daily 8am-noon and 4-8pm. Dorms June-Aug. only 75kr. Quads 440kr; 6-person rooms 660kr.)
Smaller and more charming, Ry (pop. 4,800) is an excellent, if less developed, base for exploration. Rent canoes from Ry Kanofart, Kyhnsvej 20, and bikes from Ry Mosquito Cykel Center, Skangerborgvej 19. (Kanofart 86 89 11 67. 60kr per hr. full-day 300kr. Open May-Aug. daily 9am-6pm. Cykel Center s 86 89 14 91. Open M-Th
WHO LET THE BOGS OUT At the beginning of the Iron Age, one quarter of the area that is now Denmark was comprised of bog-an ominous no-man’s-land where algae and mist devoured unsuspecting visitors. In these good ole days, these feared quagmires were revered as divine. Accordingly, the early Danes made human sacrifices to appease the bog. Unbeknownst to the Danish ancestors, all bogs contain a sugar compound called sphagnan, which turns skin into a leathery-type substance and can ultimately preserve entire bodies almost completely unscathed. Thus two men sacrificed 2500 years ago, both discovered in the 1950s, are so well-preserved that many of their internal organs are still intact. Visit the Grauballe Man in Arhus and the Tollund Man in Silkeborg. Eerily, the bog also preserved the noose with which the Tollund Man was hung.
8am-5:30pm, F 8am-6pm, Sa 8am-noon.) The helpful tourist office sells maps, including one to Himmelbjerget Tower, one of Denmark’s highest points. ( 86 89 34 22; www.visitry.com. Open July M-F 6:15am-4pm, Sa 10am-2pm; June and Aug. M-F 6:15am-4pm, Sa 10am-2pm; Sept.-May M-F 6:15am-4pm, Sa lOam-noon.)
FREDERICIA
Now known primarily as a major railway junction, Fredericia (pop. 49,000) was built between 1650 and 1657 by King Frederik III following his defeat in the Thirty Years War. Convinced the country needed better protection, Frederik outfitted the town with moated and cannon-strewn ramparts. In the Battle of Fredericia in 1849, the ramparts helped the Danes ward off enemy troops from the south with sweet vindication. For a great view, climb the White Water Tower, across the street from the tourist office. (Open late June to mid-Aug. daily 10am-4pm; May to late June and mid-Aug. to Sept. llam-4pm. lOkr.)
Trains go to Arhus (l%hr. 105kr) and Copenhagen (2hr. 241kr). To get to the tourist office, Danmarksg. 2A, go left across the plaza, and then turn right on Vest-erbrog, and right again on Danmarksport. (75 92 13 77; www.visitfredericia.dk. Open mid-June to Aug. M-F 9am-6pm, Sa 9am-2pm; Sept. to mid-June M-F 10am-5pm, Sa lOam-lpm.) The library, on the comer of Danmarksg. and Prinsesseg, has free Internet access. (Open M-Th 10am-7pm, F 10am-5pm, Sa 10am-2pm.) Fredericia Vandrerhjem and Kursuscenter (HI) 0, Vestre Ringvej 98, is situated on a beautiful lake. From the station, go across the plaza, turn left on Vejlevej, go under the bridge, turn right on the first road past the lake, walk for lOmin. then take the path on the right. ( 75 92 12 87; www.fredericia-danhostel.dk. Breakfast 45kr. Sheets 55kr. Reception daily 8am-noon and 4-8pm. Dorms 118kr; doubles 420-472kr. Credit card surcharge 4.75%.) Postal Code: 7000.
RIBE
Aware of their town’s historic value, the government of Ribe (pop. 8,000) forged preservation laws in 1899 forcing residents to maintain the character of their houses and to live in them year-round. The result is a magnificently preserved medieval town, beautifully situated on the salt plains near Jutland’s west coast. For a great view, climb the 248 steps through the clockwork and huge bells of the 12th-century cathedral tower. ( 75 42 06 19. Open July to mid-Aug. M-Sa 10am-5:30pm, Su noon-5:30pm; May-June and mid-Aug. to Sept. M-Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-5pm; Apr. and Oct. M-Sa llam-6pm, Su noon-4pm; Nov.-Mar. daily llam-3pm. 12kr.) Next to the Radhus, Von Stsckens Plads, a former debtor’s prison, houses a small museum on medieval torture. (76 88 11 22. Open June-Aug. daily l-3pm; May and Sept. M-F l-3pm. 15kr.) Follow the night watchman on his rounds for an English and Danish tour of town beginning in the Torvet. (35min.; June-Aug. 8 and 10pm; May and Sept. 10pm. Free.) South of town, the open-air Ribe Vikingcenter, Lustrupvej 4, re-creates a Viking town, complete with a farm and a marketplace. ( 75 41 16 11. Open July-Aug. daily llam-4:30pm; May-June and Sept. M-F llam-4pm. 60kr.) Take bus #711 to the Vadehavscentret (Wadden Sea Center), Okholmvej 5 in Vestervedsted, which gives Mand0bus tours of the marshes on the nearby island of Mando. (Sea Center 75 44 61 61. Open Apr.-Oct. daily 10am-5pm; Feb.-Mar. and Nov. 10am-4pm. 50kr. Tours 75 44 51 07. May-Sept. daily. 50kr.)
Trains run to Bramming (25min. every hr. 30kr) and Esbjerg (40min. every hr. 50kr). The tourist office, Torvet 3, books rooms for a 20kr fee. From the train station, walk down Dagmarsg.; it’s on the right in the main square. ( 75 42 15 00; www.ribe.dk. Open July-Aug. M-F 9:30am-5:30pm, Sa 10am-5pm, Su 10am-2pm; off-season reduced hours.) Access the Internet at Gamer’s Gateway, Saltg. 20. (76 88 03 37. 25kr per hr. Open M-Tu 3pm-midnight, W-Su noon-midnight.) Ribe Van-drerhjem (HI) O, Set. Pedersg. 16, offers bike rentals (60kr per day). From the station, cross the Viking Museum parking lot, bear right, walk down Set. Nicoljg. to the end, then turn right on Saltg. and immediately left on Set. Petersg. ( 75 42 06
20. Breakfast 45kr. Sheets 42kr. Laundry 45kr. Reception daily 8am-noon and 4-6pm. Open Feb.-Nov. Dorms 90kr; singles 250kr; doubles 325kr. Credit card surcharge 4%.) Ribe Camping , Farupvej 2, is 1.5km from the town center. Take bus #715 (every lVkhr.) from the station to Gredstedbro. ( 75 41 07 77. 65kr per person; 2-person cabins 325kr.) Seminarievej is home to a number of supermarkets. Restaurants cluster around the cathedral. Postal Code: 6760.
VIB0RG
Sights cluster around the cobblestone center of this well-preserved provincial town (pop. 30,000). The mid-19th-century granite Viborg Cathedral, Set. Mogensg. 4, is covered with spectacular, colorful frescoes. (Open June-Aug. M-Sa 10am-5pm, Su noon-5pm; Apr.-May and Sept. M-Sa llam-4pm, Su noon-4pm; Oct.-Mar. M-Sa llam-3pm, Su noon-3pm.) A short trip outside of Viborg is the ESMonsted Kalkgru-ber, Kalkvaerksvej 8, a beautiful limestone cave shaped by subterranean rivers. Though there is no direct public transportation, the visit is worth the trek. Take bus #28 (every l-2hr. 20kr) from Viborg to M0nsted and follow the signs for
I.5km. (Open daily Apr.-Oct. 10am-5pm. 45kr.)
Trains run to Arhus (llhr. every hr. 97kr.). To get to the tourist office, Nytorv 9, from the station, go straight across the rotary and onto Jemebaneg. turn right onto Set. Mathiasg. go through part of the shopping area, and turn left into the main square. (87 25 30 75. Open mid-June to Aug. M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9am-2pm; mid-May to mid-June M-F 9am-5pm, Sa 9:30am-12:30pm; Sept. to mid-May M-F 9am-4pm, Sa 9:30am-12:30pm.) Alongside a lake lie the Youth Hostel (HI) and Viborg S0 Camping , Vinkelvej 36. Take bus #707 from the station to Vinkelvej and continue walking along the road for lOmin. (Hostel 86 67 17 81; viborg@danhos-tel.dk. Kitchen available. Breakfast 45kr. Laundry. Reception daily 7:30am-noon and2-10pm. Dorms lOOkr. Camping 86 67 13 11; viborg@deu.dk.) Pick up groceries at Netto on Vesterbrog. (Open M-F 9am-8pm, Sa 8am-5pm.)
AALBORG
Modem Aalborg (OLE-borg; pop. 160,000) is a laid-back student haven located near the remains of the earliest known Viking settlement. Lindholm Hoje, Vendilavej
II, is the site of 700 ancient Viking graves and a museum detailing life in Viking times. Take bus #6 or 25 (13kr) from outside the tourist office. (96 31 04 28. Graves open 24hr. Museum open mid-Apr. to Oct. daily 10am-5pm; Nov. to mid-Apr. M and W-Sa 10am-5pm, Tu 10am-4pm, Su llam-4pm. 30kr, students 15kr.) The Budolfi Church, on Alg. has a brilliantly colored interior. From the tourist office, turn left onto 0sterag. and right on Alg. (Open May-Sept. M-F 9am-4pm, Sa 9am-2pm; Oct.-Apr. M-F 9am-3pm, Sa 9am-noon.) At the comer of Alg. and Molleg. an elevator descends to the ruins of the Franciscan Friary. (Open in summer daily 10am-5pm; off-season Su and Tu-Sa 10am-5pm. 20kr.) For a more exhilarating drop, head to the roller coasters at Tivoliland, on Karolinelundsvej, a smaller cousin of Copenhagen’s famous amusement park. (Open July-Aug. daily lOam-lOpm; Sept. and Apr. daily noon-8pm; May-June daily noon-9pm. Entrance 50kr. Rides 10-40kr.) Centuries ago, untamed Aalborg was beyond the northern reach of the king’s soldiers and considered “north of law and justice” at night, watch Aalborg’s students carry on the city’s wild past in the bars along Jomfru Ane Gade.
Trains arrive from Arhus (l%hr. every hr. 140kr) and Copenhagen (5hr. 2 per hr. 300kr). From the station, cross J.F.K PI. and turn left on Boulevarden, which becomes Osterag. to find the tourist office, Osterag. 8. ( 98 12 60 22; www.visitaal-borg.com. Open July M-F 9am-5:30pm, Sa 10am-4pm; late June and Aug. M-F 9am-5:30pm, Sa lOam-lpm; Sept. to mid-June M-F 9am-4:30pm, Sa lOam-lpm.) The library has free internet access. (99 31 44 00. Open June-Aug. M-F 10am-8pm, Sa 10am-2pm; Sept.-May M-F 10am-8pm, Sa 10am-3pm.) After hours, try Net City, Nytorv 13a. (Open Su-Th llam-3am, F-Sa llam-8am. 20kr per hour.) Aalborg Van-drerhjem and Camping (HI) , Skydebanevej 50, has private cabins and hostel dorms alongside a beautiful fjord. Take bus #8 (dir.: Fjordparken) right to the door, or take bus #2 or 9 and walk. (98 11 60 44. Laundry 20kr. Reception daily mid-June to mid-Aug. 7:30am-llpm; mid-Jan. to mid-June and mid-Aug. to mid-Dec. 8am-noon and 4-9pm. Dorms 85-100kr; singles 250-398kr; doubles 325-398kr. Camping 49kr.) Ved Stranden is lined with cheap eateries. Postal Code: 9000.
FREDERIKSHAVN
Despite noble efforts to woo tourists with its hospitality, Frederikshavn (pop. 35,000) is best known for its ferry links (277). The tourist office, Skandia Torv 1, is inside the Stena Line terminal south of the rail station, f 98 42 32 66; www.fre-derikshavn.dk. Open July to mid-Aug. M-Sa 8:30am-7pm, Su 8:30am-5pm; June and late Aug. daily 8:30am-5pm; Sept.-May M-F 9am-4pm, Sa llam-2pm.) From the tourist office, walk left to reach the bus and train stations. To get from the station to the Youth Hostel (HI) O, Buhlsvej 6, walk right on Skipperg. for lOmin. then turn left onto Norreg. and follow the signs. (98 42 14 75; www.danhostel.dkfrederik-shavn. Reception in summer daily 8am-noon and 4-9pm. Call ahead. Closed Jan. Dorms 70-90kr; singles 150-200kr; doubles 210-270kr.) Postal Code: 9900.
SKAGEN
Perched on Denmark’s northernmost tip, sunny Skagen (SKAY-en; pop. 10,000) is a beautiful summer retreat amid long stretches of sea and white sand dunes. With houses painted in vibrant “Skagen yellow” and roofs covered in red tiles with white edges supposedly decorated to welcome local fisherman home from sea Skagen is a colorful and pleasant vacation spot. In nearby Grenen, the powerful currents of the North and Baltic Seas violently collide. Stand with one foot in each ocean, but don’t try to swim in these dangerous waters; every year people are carried out to sea. To get to Grenen, take bus #99 or 79 from the Skagen station to Gammel (12kr) or walk 3km down Fyrvej; turn left out of the train station and bear left when the road forks. About 13km south of Skagen is the spectacular and enormous Raberg Mile (MEE-lay; sand dune), formed by a 16th-century storm. The vast faux-desert migrates 15m east each year. Take bus #79 or the train from Skagen to Hulsig, then walk along Kandestedvej. From here, you can swim along 60km of beaches. Skagen has a large annual music festival the last weekend in June.
Nordjyllands Trafikselskab (98 44 21 33) runs buses and trains to Frederikshavn (lhr.; 42kr, with Scanrail 21kr). Biking is by far the best way to experience Skagen’s charm, including Grenen and the Raberg Mile; rent bikes at Skagen Cykeludlejning, Banegardspl. next to the bus station. ( 98 44 10 70. 5kr per day. 200kr deposit. Open daily 8am-8pm.) The tourist office is in the station. (98 44 13 77; www.skagen.dk. Open July-Aug. M-Sa 9am-6pm, Su 10am-4pm; Sept.-May M 9am-5pm, Tu-Th 9am-4pm, F 9am-3pm, Sa 10am-lpm; June M-Sa 9am-5pm, Su 10am-6pm.) The only Internet access is at the Skagen library, Set. LaurentVej 23. (Free. Open M and Th 10am-6pm; Tu-W and F l-6pm, Sa 10am-lpm.) The Skagen Ny Van-drerhjem , Rolighedsvej 2, is popular among vacationing Danish families. From the station, turn right on Chr. X’s Vej, which becomes Frederikshavnvej, then left on Rolighedsvej. (98 44 22 00; www.danhostelnord.dkskagen. Breakfast 45kr. Kitchen available. Sheets 50kr. Reception daily 9am-noon and 4-6pm. Open Mar.-Nov. Dorms 115kr; singles 250-400kr, doubles 300-500kr. No credit cards.) Bus #79 passes several campgrounds. Get groceries at Fakta, Chr. X’s Vej.
