Byvandringer i Aarhus

Vestergade, West Street, is one of the oldest streets in the city of Aarhus. It dates back to the Viking Age around 900 AD.

The street was then outside of the city walls and the city within the walls was mainly a royal fortification, naval base and a port for shipping goods to far away ports. Presumably the oldest building in Aarhus, Vor Frue Kirke, The Church of Our Lady, with its crypt dates back to around 1,000 AD and it is located in Vestergade. During the middle ages it became part of a Dominican convent, or a Black Friar convent, as it was also called. It became the hospital for the leppers of the city in the middle ages.

Between the 16th and the 19th centuries Vestergade became the centre for trade in Aarhus with a total of 17 merchant houses in Vestergade alone, the highest concentration of merchant houses in any street in Aarhus at the time. Some of these half-timpered buildings are preserved to this day and on this walk we will go into their hidden and picturesque back yards, where you can still see traces of their original purposes and of the uses of later times, where there were artisan shops and factories in the back yards of the inner cities. 

The walk takes 1-2 hours according to your preferences and shorter tours of Vestergade is also available.

Frederiksgade, Frederik's Street, named after a Danish King is one of the oldest streets in the city of Aarhus and it dates back to the middle ages.

Along the street there was in the middle ages a Carmelite convent and only a few years ago archaeologists discovered its cemetery in the back yard of no. 78. In front of that same adress was the town gate towards Brobjerg, which was then the country side.

Also buildings from the 17th to the 19th century are still preserved in the street and this tour will show you their interesting back yards where you can still see what some of them were used for in the past. The street is also renowned for its many beautiful cast iron gates.

This historic walk can last 1-2 hours according to your wishes and shorter versions are also available.

I will introduce you to mysterious persons from Aarhus in an attentive and informal way. I guarantee you will have an exiting city walk through central Aarhus.

Christian Jacobsen Drakenberg was said to be 140 years old when he died in 1772, Holy Niels was the son of King Knud and two white ladies both died because of love.

I'll tell you the captivating legends from the treasure chest containing mysterious Aarhus stories. The centre of Aarhus with the cathedral and the square, where punishment and executions took place in the Middle Ages is the keep of a lot of stories. I'll introduce you to the stories in combination with facts of what we see.

We can pass the Cathedral, the Teatre of Aarhus, the Church of Our lady, The Square and the river of Aarhus where the Vikings settled 1200 years ago. You have a say too where to go – just let me know.

Visits to the Cathedral and the small Viking museum can be arranged during weekdays.

The Cathedral must be booked 2 weeks ahead.

The Viking Museum is open Monday – Friday 10.15 – 17.00

Walking might involve cobblestoned streets. I recommend good shoes.

Guided food toor in Aarhus offers a huge variety of many specialty food shops within the Aarhus city centre. I guide you to my own favourites.

We walk in Aarhus centre and visit some of the most interesting specialty food shops. Where possible we accept to taste some of their many delicious products made in Denmark or being imported.

The tour finishes at Aarhus Street Food, which has a vaste number of food stalls selling sandwiches and local specialities from many different countries.

Book a guided tour of the palace gardens of her majesty Queen Margrethe's summer residence, which are open to the public, when the Royal family is not in residence.

The gardens were landscaped in English style while the palace was being built in 1902. A lot has happened since, and the gardens have been extended and modified several times.

Queen Alexandrine (1879-1952) contributed to designing the gardens, as botany and landscaping were her special interests. Her granddaughter, our queen Margrethe II, took over the palace in 1967 and has put her artistic touch to the gardens. For this reason the park today contains a large number of sculptures including some by HRH Prince Henrik, the prince consort.

Let me introduce you to the history, the garden and the residents of Marselisborg Palace over the years, and see the garden's many works of arts including some of the latest additions, like the sculpture "3 Lions And 9 Hearts", which was the 70th birthday present to HM the Queen by the city of Aarhus. I will also show you the Rose Garden, which holds a number of old Danish roses.