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places—lens on aarhus

LENS

Words JAMES CLASPER

ON

Photography BENJAMIN LUND

AARHUS

The streets of Aarhus are literally in the “here and now”. Across Denmark’s second-largest city today, you can spot paving stones that bear
the slogan “Aarhus 2017”– a reminder of its status as this year’s European Capital of Culture. Not that anyone needs reminding of course.
Aarhus has quickly become one of Europe’s hottest destinations – an alternative to the cool capital, Copenhagen, and for good reason.
Aarhus seems to have it all; cobbled streets and cathedral spires, cutting-edge architecture and dazzling design, world-class museums
and first-rate restaurants – including three with a Michelin star. No wonder they call it the City of Smiles. Many visitors arrive in Aarhus
by train (for such a small city its airport lies strangely far away), but the railway station provides a useful compass point for exploring the
city – which, I discovered, is easily done on foot. Aarhus is a compact city – and much smaller than Copenhagen – so much so that even
the tourist board notes that “When we say walking distance, we really mean walking distance”. Hence Aarhus’s other nickname, perhaps:
the World’s Smallest Metropolis. What makes Aarhus especially charming, I soon learnt, are its contrasts. Aarhus is a city steeped in
history but with a young, energetic population – it is home to no fewer than 40,000 students – a city with medieval courtyards hiding
cutting-edge New Nordic restaurants, a city where you can cycle through a forest in the morning and go for a dip in the sea in the evening.

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