Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

INFORMATION

      Emergency Number: 112. The police can be reached at 114 in non-emergency situations.

      Police: The police headquarters in Aarhus can be found near Dokk1 (Ridderstræde 1; 87 31 14 48; open daily 9:30am-9:30pm and 24hr for emergencies).

      Rape Crisis Center: The Center for Rape Victims can be found in the emergency department of Aarhus University Hospital (Nørrebrogade 44; 78 46 35 43; open daily 24hr).

      Hospitals: The main hospital in Aarhus is Aarhus University Hospital. In an emergency, call 112. In urgent, non-emergency situations, call the emergency doctor service at 70 11 31 31. Emergency Department (Nørrebrogade 44; open daily 24hr).

      Pharmacies: Pharmacies (called apotek in Denmark), can be found on main streets. Løve Apoteket is located near Aarhus Cathedral and is open 24hr (Store Torv 5; 86 12 00 22).

       ACCOMMODATIONS

       CITY SLEEP-IN ($)

      Havnegade 20; 86 19 20 55; www.citysleep-in.dk/en; reception open M-F 8am-11am and 4pm-10pm, Sa-Su 8am-11am and 4pm-11pm

      This place is truly a budget hostel; the dorm rooms are cramped, top-bunk ladders are a bit rickety, and, much like your grandfather’s old house, there’s sometimes a subtle hint of stale cigarettes. It’s not the Ritz, but you knew that already. Luckily, the kitchen and dining area are clean and well-equipped. There’s an outdoor courtyard with ample seating, and the lobby and hallways are covered with charming murals to add a homey touch. Expect to encounter some families and more than a few random old hostel guys (you know the type), but it’s a small price to pay for… well, a small price to pay.

       i Dorms DKK 190, doubles DKK 460; reservation recommended; BGLTQ+ friendly; wheelchair accessible; Wi-Fi; linen DKK 50; laundry facilities DKK 40; breakfast DKK 70

       SIMPLEBED HOSTEL ($$)

      Åboulevarden 86; 53 23 21 89; www.simplebedhostel.com; reception open 24hr

      This is a very basic, small hostel with a great location right on Åboulevarden, one of Aarhus’s main streets. The entire hostel is an apartment with just a few rooms: one six-bed dorm, a small kitchen, a common room, and a single bathroom. There’s also a double with a private bathroom, but don’t expect to see much of whoever is staying there. The bunk beds are huge (near to queen-size), and are fitted with mattress toppers, which guarantees you the best night’s sleep of your trip.

       i Dorms DKK 250, private doubles DKK 550; reservation required; cash only; BGLTQ+ friendly; no wheelchair accessibility; Wi-Fi; linens and towels included

       SIGHTS

      CULTURE

      ÅBOULEVARDEN

      Åboulevarden; venue hours vary

      Åboulevarden, named for the Aarhus River (Aarhus Å in Danish) that it follows, is one of the busiest streets in the city, all day and all night. The pedestrian-only street is lined with establishments from shawarma shops, to dawn-to-dusk café-bars and full-on, weekend-only nightclubs. Tables line the buildings and waterfront, equipped with enough heat lamps when the sun goes down to make up for the savings of that sustainable Danish energy sector. Meals on Åboulevarden can be somewhat pricey and the nightlife a bit more exclusive, but even if you don’t want to dress up or pay out, it’s still a great place to people watch and remind yourself that you really don’t need to spend half a day’s paycheck on brunch.

       i Venue prices vary; limited wheelchair accessibility

       MUSIKHUSET

      Thomas Jensens Allé; 89 40 40 40; www.musikhusetaarhus.dk/en; foyer open daily 11am-6pm, box office open M-Sa noon-5pm

      Musikhuset Aarhus is the largest concert hall in Scandinavia, with over 1600 seats in its largest hall. It’s home to the Danish National Opera, the Aarhus Symphony Orchestra, and Comedy Zoo Aarhus, an organization for Danish stand-up which, despite the promising name, is sorely lacking in squirrels, monkeys, cats, and other similarly funny animals. There are events every week, including concerts, operas, theater performances, and comedy shows, and, while most will be out of reach on a backpacker’s budget, Musikhuset also puts on several free performances (mostly concerts) each month.

       i Show prices vary; wheelchair accessible

      LANDMARKS

       AARHUS CATHEDRAL

      Store Torv; 86 20 54 00; www.aarhusdom-kirke.dk/english; open M 9:30am-4pm, Tu 10:30am-4pm, W-Sa 9:30am-4pm

      Aarhus Cathedral has changed its look more often over the years than Britney Spears has changed hers. Since construction began in the twelfth century, the cathedral has been built up, burned down, expanded, restyled between Romanesque, Gothic, and Baroque numerous times, always adding to its collection of tombs of old white men. The vast interior is packed with everything you’ve come to expect out of an old cathedral: paintings, statues, gravestones, gold leaf, and pipe organs (yes, plural). Tall windows provide natural light to illuminate the vaulted Gothic arches, decorated with white-based murals that can only be described as minimalist when compared to other great cathedrals of Europe.

       i Tower admission DKK 20; wheelchair accessible

       DOKK1

      Hack Kampmanns Plads 2; 89 40 92 00; www.dokk1.dk/english; open M-F 8am-10pm, Sa-Su 10am-4pm

      Dokk1 is a cultural hub in Aarhus—an incredibly Danish place where art, architecture, and of course, blond children, come together. This modern behemoth of a building sits on the harbor, clad in steel, glass, and concrete. Inside, Dokk1 serves many purposes: it’s home to the city’s public library and tourist information center. It also houses a café and small performance hall. Outside, it’s practically a playground, with slides and climbing walls that resemble sculptures more than toys. All these attractions draw all kinds of people, from coffee-chugging students working in private study rooms to stroller-pushing soccer moms to children running everywhere. Stop for a drink, grab a book, or watch somebody’s dad make a fool of himself on the playground. Seriously, whose mans?

       i Free; wheelchair accessible

      MUSEUMS

       AROS AARHUS KUNSTMUSEUM

      Aros Allé 2; 87 30 66 00; www.en.aros.dk; open Tu 10am-5pm, W 10am-10pm, Th-Su 10am-5pm

      Start in the basement with a gallery called The 9 Spaces (an allusion to Dante’s Inferno), containing works from a seemingly-infinite room composed of mirrors to a simulation of a whole day compressed into eight minutes. From there, ARoS stretches high with ten floors of concrete, steel, and glass, culminating in Your rainbow panorama, a circular rooftop skywalk with rainbow-tinted walls that affords vast, if a little green, view of the city. Exhibitions range from Human Nature, which asks the viewer to consider the difference between nature and landscape to No Man is an Island, which has a 4.5 meter-tall, hyper-realistic statue of a crouching boy to another statue simply titled, Fucked. You don’t even need to own a turtleneck; there’s something here to interest even the casual art critic.

       i Admission DKK 130, students under 28 DKK 100, under 18 free; wheelchair accessible

       MOESGAARD