Denmark's adventure playground: why the Aarhus region is a must-visit for outdoor-lovers
Can you be outdoorsy in a city? Aarhus says you can. From its numerous biking routes to its royal hunting forest, not to mention its harbour, Denmark's second city has a lot to offer.
The city's harbour baths, floating swimming pools in the clear, clean harbour, are a great place to start. Opened in 2018, they quickly became a popular hangout on a sunny day, and incorporate a range of different pools, sundecks and diving platforms. It's all free – just bring a swimsuit and a towel.
There are plenty of other water-based activities to try in Aarhus, too. At La Sauna, you can try the Danish tradition of saunagus. It's a combination of sweat, scent oils, music and low lighting, with a saunagus master on hand to guide you through three intense sessions over the course of about an hour.
Surf Agency, also in the city, offers paddleboard trips and kiteboarding options, led by certified teachers. You don't have to have any experience of these sports as there are courses suitable for all levels. The calm waters around the Aarhus coastline offer ideal conditions for paddleboarding in particular, so it makes for an unforgettable day out that the whole family can share.
Beyond the water, head to Marselisborg Forests just outside the city centre for walks under beech trees and a 16-mile mountain bike trail. The 550-hectare forest has a deer park, campsites, old watermills and even an amusement park among the trees. Locals love the True Forest, a favourite picnic spot and hiking and running area.
Funny you should ask: Djursland, 40 minutes' drive north-east of Aarhus, happens to be the area's unofficial adventure playground. Much of it is given over to Mols Bjerge national park, a beautiful, diverse area of landscape that includes forests of ancient trees, little harbours, swathes of sandy beaches and pastures. It's also home to the very pretty town of Ebeltoft, where you can pick up the ingredients you need for a picnic.
Mols Bjerge is renowned as a great place to go hiking – the 50-mile Mols Bjerge mountain trail is one of the best known – and you'll find everything from castle ruins to troll forests in the ice-age scenery along its route.
Beyond the national park, there are some lovely coastal cycling routes in this gentle scenery. As well as paths that wind in and out of woodlands and small villages, there are a number of routes along old railway lines and, near Ebeltoft, an established mountain bike route.
Much of the scenery in this area is harmonious and gentle – rolling hills that sink down to gently shelving beaches. Karlby and Sangstrup Cliffs are a neat counterpoint to all of this: two rather unusual sandstone cliffs three miles long and 17 metres high on the northern part of Djursland. On the rocky beaches beneath them, you're likely to find fossils, including petrified sea urchins, and even stone-age flints. Look out for porpoises just offshore.
An hour's drive to the north-west of Aarhus, Viborg offers more adventures in Danish nature. It's the starting point for one of Denmark's most ancient routes: the Hærvejen, or the ancient road, which runs down the spine of Jutland. The full 620-mile route can be done on foot or by bike, staying at little hostels along the way. A bit like the South West Coast Path in the UK, it can be broken up into distinct sections so you do it over multiple trips, exploring forests and lakes and towns established by the Vikings. The main stage is from Viborg to Jelling, along which you can discover some of Jutland's most beautiful scenery, from heather-clad hills to quiet paths winding past large dolmen and burial mounds. You'll end your journey at the Jelling Stone, one of Denmark's most significant Viking sights.
Viborg may be inland, almost equidistant from Jutland's east and west coasts, but there's still lots of water to enjoy. At the Viborg lakes Nørresø and Søndersø, you can swim, fish for carp or go paddleboarding. A bike ride around the lakes shows the town off from all its angles. It's also a good place for a troll hunt: scrapwood artist Thomas Dambo has hidden one of his many trolls in the Viborg area.
The river delta at Randers, 45 minutes' drive north of Aarhus, is the ideal location if you like to canoe. The country's longest river, the Gudenåen, flows through the city and from there you can pick up a number of extraordinary canoeing adventures, suitable for all abilities, where you can travel across broad lakes, paddle past old mill villages and explore the natural wildlife as you go. Kingfishers flit across the water and the peace and quiet you'll discover is magical. It's easy to do it as a day trip from the city.
Beyond the river, Randers offers plenty of space to breathe, notably along the Randers Fjord, where reed beds grow, ready to be used in thatched roofs, and yachts sail gently by. For wildlife lovers, Naturpark Randers Fjord is not to be missed. This stunning nature reserve encompasses the area where the fjord meets the saltwater of the Kattegat, the strait joining the Baltic Sea and the North Sea, and tidal flats and salt meadows fringe the water. It's a lovely area for hiking and birdwatching – eagles have been spotted – as well as boating. In the summer, the area's many shelters offer a chance to sleep out under Denmark's wide, starry skies.
Discover the outdoor soul of Denmark in the Aarhus region
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