Aarhus is a vibrant university town with many cultural attractions to offer. It has all the advantages and resources of a big city while keeping it to a manageable size. In Århus, everything is within biking distance. The various bars, cafés and restaurants make it the perfect destination for having a great time with friends.

Each year the town hosts several festivals and concerts including Aarhus International Jazz Festival in July and Aarhus Festuge in September - the latter being the largest themed festival in Scandinavia.

For a complete listing of the activities and events, visit the official Aarhus website.

Cultural events

Aarhus Theatre

The Aarhus Theatre is worth a visit if only to take a look at its decorative facade and interior. Located near the Cathedral in the centre of town, it has five stages and its own theatre troop which gives performances from September to mid-June.

Musikhuset

You might also want to check out Musikhuset, the city’s Concert Hall. A wide range of performances are presented all year round from international pop concerts to ballet to performances by the city’s symphony orchestra.

VoxHall

Another option for musical entertainment is VoxHall on Vester Allé showcasing music acts from around the world. A monthly program is distributed around the cafés in Aarhus.

www.voxhall.dk

Nightlife

Like many other university towns, Aarhus has a bustling nightlife. From Irish pubs to jazz cafés: you will most likely be able to find a café or bar that fits your taste.

Down by the canal in the city centre, a number of bars and cafes are located, but these tend to be a bit expensive (prices up to DKK 50 for a beer). For cheaper drinks, we recommend that you check out the numerous neighbourhood bars, residence hall bars or visit one of the Friday Bars at the University. You may also want to check the Aarhus Kulturguide for concert listings as bars often serve as musical venues.

Weather

Because of the warm Gulf Stream on the west coast, Denmark’s climate is relatively mild compared to its Scandinavian neighbours. Nevertheless, expect rain and wind all year round. While it does not tend to snow a lot during winter, heavy rains and strong winds are typical for this time of year. The temperature in the winter is often around freezing point and during the summer it is around 20 degrees Celsius.

Food Shopping in Denmark

No matter where you are from, almost everything in Denmark is expensive.  Food is no exception. In the following you will find some advice on how to shop cheaply for food and where to find ingredients for different dietary requirements.

In order to shop cheaply, use the supermarkets.  Internationally recognized budget supermarkets, such as Aldi, Netto and Lidl, can be found everywhere.  In Denmark that list also extends to Fakta (Danish) and Rema 1000 (Norwegian).  We suggest starting your weekly shopping at one of these. Although the quality varies, the basics will be very affordable. 

Next, you can visit the larger supermarkets, such as Føtex, Kvickly and Super Brugsen, for anything you can't find in the cheaper stores. These stock a much wider variety of products at a more consistent quality, but are comparatively more expensive than the budget stores.  This is the standard way to shop in Denmark and you will often find a budget supermarket and a larger supermarket in close proximity to each other.

Good quality vegetables, meats and fish can be found in individual shops such as green grocers, butchers, fish mongers and delis. Mostly, you get what you pay for, and these will be much more expensive than the supermarkets.

Local markets can be very reasonably priced and good fun to walk around.  In Aarhus don’t miss the following:

Bazar Vest in Brabrand contains over 100 shops, including a huge fruit and vegetable market; Turkish and Arab bakeries; and oriental grocers.  The shops are full of lentils, beans and spices that you cannot get elsewhere.  Prices are good and there are a lot of other non-food related shops here. More info at www.bazarvest.dk

Ingerslev Marked is held every Wednesday and Saturday from 7am until 2pm in the biggest square in Aarhus on Ingerslev Boulevard. There is a large selection of vegetables, fruit and flowers, as well as cheese, meats and handicrafts. You can find more information here (in Danish)

Being vegetarian or vegan is less common in Denmark and therefore harder than in many other European countries. People who don't eat wheat, however, will not fare too badly here with the abundance of rye bread and other alternatives, and most supermarkets have a wheat-free section. Supermarkets tend to be hit-or-miss for the lactose intolerant, although things are changing in this regard. Generally, the bigger the supermarket, the better your chances of finding the ingredients you need. Most big supermarkets will stock some soya products and maybe even rice milk and other alternatives. Sometimes you will find ready-made vegetarian food. Tinned beans, lentils, chickpeas and pulses are not widely available, even in big stores you may find one or the other of these, but rarely a whole selection. Dried pulses are much easier to find.

There are a number of halal butchers and grocers in Copenhagen and a few in Aarhus (including in Bazar Vest, see above).  These can also be good places to buy vegetables; delicacies like olives and hummus will be of good quality.

There are plenty of health food shops in Copenhagen, Aarhus and other large towns.  These tend to be very well stocked for any dietary requirement, and although more expensive, vegetarians and vegans will find some good products here.

Asian supermarkets are common in larger towns, where you can find all manner of interesting ingredients that are harder to find or cheaper than in the supermarkets, including soy products and tinned lentils, beans or chickpeas. You can also bulk buy dried pulses, bags of rice, nuts etc. very cheaply.   

Wherever you choose to buy your food, remember to bring bags with you! Smaller shops do not provide bags and the larger ones provide ‘bags for life’ which you must pay for.