Aarhus – A WELL KEPT SECRET OF DENMARK

Tucked down Denmark’s Jutland peninsula’s eastern coast, Aarhus is a brilliant gem long hidden from the world’s notice. Denmark’s second-largest city, this fascinating city has elegantly pulled off its cloak of anonymity and welcomed an incredible five million visitors in 2017. The impetus for this amazing metamorphosis is Aarhus’s esteemed title as European Capital of Culture 2017, bestowed upon Paphos, Cyprus.

Archaeological digs in the city’s rich tapestry of history expose a settlement from the early Viking Age, in the middle of the mists of time. Known then as Aros, meaning “river mouth” in the ancient tongue, this fledgling town sheltered by the junction of land and sea would remain unrecorded on maps until the middle of the 19th century. The growth of its harbour in 1850 gave the former Viking enclave fresh vitality and drove it towards its present ranking as Denmark’s top port for cruise liners and container ships.

With almost 40,000 migrants from an amazing array of 130 countries among its 300,000 residents today, Aarhus is a vivid tapestry of civilizations. A sizable Turkish community and Somali immigrants who fled their war-torn country decades ago add even more to the cultural mosaic of the city. This amazing variety distinguishes Aarhus from its Scandinavian counterparts and finds most vivid expression in the special Bazar-Veste shopping center, a real kaleidoscope of worldwide tastes and customs.

Aarhus is a city that naturally combines the old with the modern, the natural with the urban. Being the biggest city on the Jutland peninsula, it features roomy pedestrian areas that encourage relaxed discovery. The geographical blessings of the city are simply amazing; the sea’s azure expanse embraces one side while lush forests hide the other. This harmonic mix of natural beauty and urban sophistication adds to the very great quality of living experienced by its citizens.

Long loved as Denmark’s best-kept secret, Aarhus is now taking front stage and its appeal is hard to overlook. Among the city’s cultural treasures, none more importantly than the ARoS Museum of Fine Arts has been in helping to revive things. Olafur Eliasson, an Icelandic artist, created a masterpiece crowned by a closed promenade covered in a rainbow of colors. Comparably fascinating is the outdoor museum “Den Gamle By” (Old Town), a living tableau that carries guests across the decades of Aarhus’s legendary past, from the age of Hans Christian Andersen to the free-spirited 1970s. The “Tivoli Friheden” amusement park provides a fun diversion into a world of whimsy and wonder for people looking for more lighthearted activities.

The city’s 2017 coronation as European Capital of Culture was greeted with a remarkable inauguration on January 21. From the concert hall to the port, a procession of 5,000 souls carrying lanterns wound their way, their path lit by the harmonic voices of a thousand-strong choir and the energising melodies of a symphony orchestra. Designed by visionary British art director Nigel Jameson, this amazing show paid moving respect to Aarhus’s rich cultural legacy.

Aarhus hosted a cavalcade of world-class events over the year that enhanced its already outstanding cultural program. With their captivating performance of “Tree of Codes,” a joint masterpiece including Wayne McGregor’s inventive choreography set to the eerie melodies of Jamie xx, the Paris Opera Ballet blessed the city. “Distant Figure,” an artistic tour de force combining American director Robert Wilson’s talents with composer Philip Glass’s and choreographer Lucinda Childs’, was another highlight. Celebrated in great style with “Red Snake,” an amazing aquatic performance with 600 performers and acrobats under the direction of Oscar-winner Suzana Beer, the city’s Viking roots were honored.

These remarkable events have simply helped to accentuate Aarhus’s already active cultural scene, which has grown over the past ten years thanks to a rainbow of summer celebrations. With the “Spot Festival” in May highlighting the finest of Scandinavian talent and the well-known “Northside Festival” in June drawing worldwide stars like Frank Ocean and “The Kills,” music lovers are spoiled for choice. Jazz fans might lose themselves in the dulcet tones of the “Aarhus International Jazz Fest” or travel to Silkeborg, nearby, for the “Riverboat Jazz Fest.”

Certainly the “Aarhus Festuge,” a half-century-old custom among Scandinavia’s biggest cultural events, is the crowning gem in Aarhus’s festival crown. Under the evocative theme of “Bridging,” this festival turns the entire city into a live, breathing work of art with music emanating from every street corner, museum, and nightclub complemented by amazing dance and acrobatics. Families enjoy the many kid-friendly events, and foodies savor Scandinavian cuisine at the accompanying gastronomic festival.

Under the kind view of its royal patron, Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, Aarhus keeps savoring the afterglow of its year as European Capital of Culture. This royal support pays appropriate homage to a city that has not only safeguarded its rich legacy but also boldly embraced the future, rising as a shining beacon of culture, diversity, and innovation on the international scene.