We opened the drapes and looked beyond our balcony to see a delightful harbor and, wait, wait, great weather. We were docked in Aarhus, Denmark.
Aarhus is Denmark’s second-largest city and lies on the east coast of Jutland, northwest of Copenhagen. Its roots go back to the Vikings. It was established near the mouth of the Aarhus River in the 8th century. By the Middle Ages, it had become a religious and trading center, and today it is a lively university city. What makes Aarhus especially interesting is the way medieval streets, old churches, half-timbered houses, modern waterfront buildings, and contemporary design all seem to occupy the same space.
Visible from the pier was the Dokk1, a modern waterfront library and civic center.
Dokk1
And, following a coffee and Danish, we were off for a stroll through Aarhus. Aarhus is a combination of old and new. From the harbor, we were able to see modern new construction.
Harbor view
Harbor view, wall art
We followed the crowd, following the path of one of the city’s canals, in the direction of the neighborhood known as the Latinerkvarteret, or Latin Quarter. As we went we left modern paved streets behind and began passing over cobblestones. The area is certainly pedestrian friendly.
Canal on left, walking in direction of the Latinerkvarteret
The Latinerkvarteret
On our way, we came to the Aarhus Cathedral. Construction began on the cathedral in the 12th century and it is dedicated to the patron saint of sailors, Saint Clemens. It is the longest and tallest church in the country.
Aarhus Cathedral
The cathedral is simple but, at the same time, elegant.
UpperAltar & stained glass window, Aarhus Cathedral
The upper portion of the altarpiece was especially elaborate. It depicts the Coronation of the Virgin Mary, with Christ placing a crown on her head while holding the orb of the world in his left hand. With its two side panels open, it is one of the most striking pieces in the cathedral.
The Virgin Mary being crowned Queen of Heaven by Christ
Interior, Aarhus Cathedral
This monument, a baroque memorial to one of Aarhus’ most powerful families can be found in the Marselis Chapel. Its black and white design fits in wonderfully with the overall palette of the church and stands in stark contrast to the white wall against which it is placed.
Marselis memorial monument
A street market was up and running, and there were a number of interesting “treasures” available. All one had to do was look around.
Aarhus street market with Aarhus Theatre in background
Top: Betty Boop on left and camera on right
Bottom: Flower stall
Aarhus has a number of canals passing through, all of which were very picturesque. We crossed more than one as we were making our way through the city toward lunch.
Aarhus canal
On our way, we came upon a large group of people, all staring at a car and driver. Out of curiosity, I stopped and asked one of the bystanders what they were waiting for and was told the Queen of Denmark was inside a nearby beauty salon. I did not have time to wait for royalty, but I did manage to scurry to the front of the group and take a picture of the Bentley hybrid and its driver. Nice car. The Queen travels in style.
Queen’s limousine
It was approaching noon and we decided to lunch at Mefisto Restaurant and Garden. It’s on Volden in the Latinerkvarteret. The streets where we were walking were cobblestone and bendy and twisty.
Streets in Latinerkvarteret
When we arrived at Mefisto we were informed that without a reservation there we no tables available inside and that we would have to sit in the garden. While we would have preferred inside the garden area was delightful.
Top: Menu and bread
Bottom: JoAnn on left and garden sculpture on wall with flowers on the right
We enjoyed our meal and were happy with our choice of establishment. Funny thing, when we returned to the ship and looked at some of our pre-travel planning, we found we had a reservation at Mefisto, but forgot about it when we were out and about that day. The inside looked nice and it was busy. I wonder what table was ours?
Mefisto
Then we were on our way to the ARoS Art Museum. On our way we crossed canals and passed interesting and photogenic sites that I attempted to capture. I hope you enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed taking them and sharing them with you.
Wall art, Aarhus
Left: Canal
Right: Man with bike
On our way, we passed this interesting sculpture rotating in the wind. It sits in a park where children play and others stroll and is just across the street from the museum.
Free wheeling sculpture, Aarhus
The ARoS Art Museum is one of the largest in Northern Europe. Its signature attraction is “Your Rainbow Panorama,” a circular installation on the roof of the museum which provides a 360° view of the city with multicolored glass panels that move from red to orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet.
ARoS Art Museum
Design-wise, the interior is also interesting. The curving stairs put me in mind of the Guggenheim Museum in New York City. We did not have time to take in the entire collection, but several works caught my attention.
Interior stairs
The following photo is a painting of three women, all in black with gray hair. Perhaps they are at a funeral and the one sitting just lost a loved one. I like the composition and the black against gray.
Three women in black
The blues in the next painting are vibrant and deep. The little bit of orange sunset is a perfect contrast to the clouds and the sky. I can just make out a figure, perhaps a monk, dressed in brown in the foreground.
Landscape in Blue with a figure in the foreground
The orange sunset contrasted against the blue-green of the clouds struck me. Again, as with Landscape in Blue, the orange is so vibrant it comes alive!
Orange sunset
Next is a sculpture by Ron Mueck entitled “Boy.” This sculpture is an enormous figure. If the boy was standing up he would be almost 15 ft. tall. Yet, as you look at him for all his size, there is apprehension, perhaps even fear, in his eyes as he gazes out. This is a powerful piece that is promoted by the museum as one of its most significant and outstanding pieces.
Boy
From Boy, it was up to the roof for us. From there, we had a panoramic view of the city spread out below us.
View from roof of ARoS museum
View of freewheeling sculpture
Looking toward the harbor; Majestic Princess in background
And then up another floor to Your Rainbow Panorama.
Your Rainbow Panorama
Your Rainbow Panorama
The museum was our last stop before returning to the ship. Aarhus had given us a little of everything: harbor views, old streets, a cathedral, a market, a good lunch, unexpected royalty — or at least a royal automobile — and a museum crowned by color. It was a very different city from Copenhagen, less grand perhaps, but lively, approachable, and full of surprises. As we made our way back to the port shuttle, I took one last photo of a young girl holding a balloon and watching us pass by.
Girl with Balloon
Fabulous pictures!!
I feel like I was there!
Carl— you definitely have a talent with your photos and comments!!
Sharon
Thanks, Sharon. As always, your comments are greatly appreciated. Keep reading there is more to come.