If Copenhagen is Denmark’s showstopper, Aarhus is its cooler younger brother: friendly, modern and just sharp enough to be interesting. Handily for cruise days, the whole city strings together nicely from DOKK1, the big, handsome library by the harbour that doubles as the city’s front door.

Start at DOKK1: the harbour's entrance point

From the shuttle drop or pier it is a short stroll to DOKK1, Scandinavia’s largest public library and a poster child for airy Danish design. Trams slide through the building, there’s a harbour square out front, and yes, a giant bell rings for new babies that are born in town. It is an easy landmark to navigate back to later, so pick a meeting point here and set your watches. 

Rainbow first: ARoS and the city in colour

Walk 15–20 minutes inland to ARoS, the city’s major art museum. The prize is on the roof: Your rainbow panorama, Olafur Eliasson’s circular walkway of tinted glass with a full sweep over the skyline. It is 150 metres of colour therapy and a neat way to get your bearings before you head down into the galleries. On busy days, go straight to the top, then loop back for a hit-list of exhibitions. 

Getting there: From DOKK1, you can also hop the light-rail one stop to Skolebakken and walk up, but most people enjoy the leg stretch. 

The shortcut to old Denmark: Den Gamle By

Aim west for Den Gamle By, the open-air “Old Town” museum where streets jump between eras. One lane smells faintly of carbolic soap and 19th-century baking; another has 1927 shopfronts and gable adverts; turn a corner and you are in 1974 with Formica, vinyl and a whiff of hairspray. It is all very photogenic and surprisingly absorbing, especially if you have teenagers who think history is a filter. The walk from DOKK1 is about 1.5–2 km, or you can ride bus 15 from the library in roughly ten minutes. 

Canal coffee, Aarhus-style

On the way back, follow the water. The Aarhus Å canal threads through the centre with a run of cafés along Åboulevarden. Pick a riverside table, order something strong and Scandinavian, and watch the city glide by on bicycles that cost more than your first car. If the Danish weather is performing, the outdoor seats become the best theatre in town. 

A route you can follow from DOKK1

• DOKK1 → ARoS: 15–20 minutes on foot; faster via Skolebakken light-rail stop if you prefer.
• ARoS → Den Gamle By: about 15 minutes on foot through the parkland, or bus 15 direct from DOKK1 if you are timing lunch.
• Den Gamle By → canal cafés → DOKK1: amble back via the Botanical Garden paths to the canal, then follow the water to the harbour and your landmark library.

Cruise-day reality check: larger ships sometimes berth at the eastern harbour with a shuttle into town, but once you are near DOKK1 the city’s highlights sit comfortably within walking distance. Leave a cushion for sail-away and you will get rainbow views, time travel, and a coffee with the locals, all without breaking into a trot.