Århus Off The Beaten Path

'Agnete og Havmanden' (Agnete and the Merman) is a beautiful fountain just in front of the Radhuset in the Park Allé avenue. It was created sculptor by Johannes Bjerg in 1941. The story behind the statue is a women called Agnete, falling in love with a Merman. Nice off the beaten tourist attraction.

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Åboulevarden is said to be the most beautiful street in Århus and so it seemed to me as well. It is a street by the side of a small river-canal that goes until the harbour. There are numerous posh shops, cafes and galleries on both sides of this street. For those visiting the city, a leisurely stroll by this boulevard, preferably at night when it is well lit up, is recommended. This is also the favorite boulevard of the local people here and therefore a great place to meet the locals.

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Maybe it sounds strange, but the northern graveyard is really worth a visit. It is an oases of silence located above the city, looking out on the harbour. There is much green grass and trees, you can stroll along the graveyard and relax. Don't let the fact it is a graveyard scare you.
There are some nice statues on some graves. But most of the graves are simple. The real attraction here is the peace and silence and the green surrounding.

Directions:
From the cathedral go north on the Mejlgade, left into the Molsgade, right into the Knudrisgade. Cross the Ostboulevarden en climb the stairs up to the graveyard.

The Deer Park The deer park lies only 2 miles south of the city centre. Sika deer, fallow deer and wild boar live in natural surroundings under the green beech trees. I passed it on my bike last week on the way to the beach and I saw some cute wild boars, although nobody else thought they were cute:-)

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Egeskov is another great place to visit as a day-trip from Arhus. Egeskov is a lovely water-castle south of Odense and it includes the biggest collection of vintage-cars, firebrigades and motorcycles in Danmark. That collection is really quite unique and includes even a giant motorhome of 1920. A famous Danish painter used it to travel through Europe with it. For children the park around Egeskov offers a giant tree-house, a small zoo and a lot more.
You need the whole day for an excursion from Arhus to Egeskov : Go on the highway to Odense first and take then the road in direction to "Langeland". Egeskov is about 20km south of Odense.
The train from Odense takes 23 minutes to Kvaerndrup, 4 km from Egeskov.

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Skagen is a special place at the "tip of Danmark" - looking on the pic to your left is the North Sea - it would normally be the rough Sea, big differences between ebb and tide at many places, rough weather and high seas while going up to Iceland - - but here, at the tip of Danmark it is quite calm and almost no waves at all...
And on this photograph to your right is Skagerak - and it would normally have no or just very smooth waves - - but here it was rather rough and steady heavy waves are reaching the shores...
And in my understanding these strong waves would normally shovel away this sandy beach within a day - - but it stayed the same all centuries and makes the very northern Tip of Danmark.

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Ribe is one of my favorite places in Danmark, it used to be the first capital of Danmark and first of all you will realize that the church is a bit oversized for such a small town. the old prison was recently transfered into a modern hotel and many of the old half-timbered houses have stork-nests on top, although only a few are inhabited still. When I visited Ribe during my childhood, all of them were occupied and it was sad to learn during my last visit in Ribe, that almost all of the storcks had searched for different nests.
Take a walk through Ribe and you will see a big variety of great oldfashioned doors.
Ribe is about 100 km south-west of Arhus. Take the highway E45 to Kolding and change to E20 in direction Esbjerg.Ribe is about 20km south of Esbjerg.

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Odense is the brithplace of Hans Christian Anderson and it certainly makes a great day-excursion from Arhus. The old part of the town of Odense looks partly like out of a fairytale, too. A lot of really tiny houses could be seen there and a museum dedicated to Hans Christian Anderson, the most famous son of Odense. You may see his statue in front of the townhall (my 3rd picture).
Driving from Arhus to Odense will take 2-4 hours on the highway and by train you will have lots of direct trains needing 1:45 hours one way !!
A daytrip to Odense may be combined with Egeskov, but it is in a distance of 4 km from the next trainstation :Kvaerndrup (+23 minutes)

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Dronninglund makes a perfect daytrip from Arhus and you may combine it easily with a visit in Skagen.
Dronninglund is the castle / palace, where the Danish royal family came from and today their palace is used as a luxury hotel. Also the nearby church looks very interesting with great wooden decorations, frescos and paintings.
When you start early in the morning from Arhus Dronningslund might be a good place for an early lunch, before you drive on northwards in order to get to Skagen at the tip of Danmark, where the Sakgerrak meets the Kattegat...
Take the highway E45 to the north. Dronninglund is about 80km south of Skagen

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Over Randlef is just a small village and another place of importance in the history of the danish part of my family.WE were searching for tomb-stones of the Rassmussen-family there (but the old part of the cemetery was taken away some time ago.
YOU might be interested in the giant farmhouse next to the small church of Overrandlef. Just enlarge my pictures and see that great half-timbered house that is partly even thatched by straw. Everything looks so clean and beautiful and you may walk through the courtyard freely and without restrictions, the building is obviously used by the church today.
Overrandlef / Over Randlef is just a few km south of Arhus : Take the road #451 to Odder, Overrandlef is the next village south of Odder.