Aarhus

With its approximately 350,000 inhabitants and vibrant city life, Aarhus is Jutland’s uncrowned capital.

The city at the mouth of the river
The history of Aarhus can be traced back to the Viking Age and the city rests on the remains of houses and workshops that date back to the 8th century. Originally, the town was called Aros which means mouth and refers to the town's location at the mouth of the River of Aarhus. The town was surrounded by ramparts and a moat and the oldest streets in the Latin Quarter of Aarhus still have names such as ‘The Rampart’ and ‘The Moat’.

In 1201, the foundation stone was laid for Aarhus Cathedral and the Cathedral came to play an important role in the development of the city up to the time of the Reformation. Arhus quickly became a flourishing commercial centre. However it was not till the 19th century that the city overtook towns such as Randers and Aalborg and became Jutland’s most important commercial centre.

From commercial centre to centre of knowledge
In the 20th century, Aarhus developed fast and the University of Aarhus was founded in 1928 as the first university in Jutland. Today, the University of Aarhus has more than 20,000 students and the city is characterised by its active student and research environment. The University of Arhus has also started a fruitful collaboration with many of the large businesses in the area which with their grandiose IT and environmental technology projects are helping to put Denmark on the international map.

The Aarhus of today
Aarhus is Denmark’s youngest city – approx. every fifth inhabitant is a student at one of the city’s research or educational establishments and this contributes to a lively city with many cultural activities and events. The city offers exquisite restaurants, an exciting cafe environment and musical life which includes such well-reputed institutions as Aarhus Symphony Orchestra and Den Jyske Opera as well as niche music in the smaller venues dotted around the city centre. The city also offers a wide range of specialist museums such as Den Gamle By and Moesgård Museum as well as a wide and exciting array of shops to bring a smile to the lips of even the most discriminating power shoppers.

The modest size of the city, the beautiful landscape along the coast and a historical city centre with cobblestones and old timber frame houses give Aarhus a unique atmosphere and create a picturesque framework for this miniature metropolis.