Country: Denmark
Language: Danish
Currency: Danish Krone
Disembarking: Disembarking in Aarhus was an informal experience. There was no cruise terminal to go through so when you leave ship that’s it, you’re free to go about your day.
Public Transport:
Aarhus is Denmark’s second largest city so as you would expect, there’s a reasonably good public transport system. Buses run throughout the city and there’s a bus stop a short walk from the port. If you use the bus, you need to buy a ticket before you board and if you don’t you can receive a fine.
I visited Aarhus on a Sunday and was told the buses were running but on a reduced timetable so I decided to walk rather than wait for a bus. I found the city to be very easy to navigate but it is a long walk to get to tourist attractions.
Things to do:
When you disembark in Aarhus it’s clear that this is a city that is primarily about industry rather than tourism. The port is one of the largest industrial ports in Europe and unlike some other ports where cruise ships dock, they haven’t built gift shops and the like at the port. However, there are still tourist attractions if you’re willing to venture a bit further from the ship.
I wanted to visit some churches but as we were docked on a Sunday they weren’t open to tourists. I spent the day at Den Gamle By (the Old Town in English). It’s an open air museum which is set up like a town with buildings from various time periods. There is so much to explore that I literally had no time to do anything else while I was there. However, there are other museums in the city including a natural history museum, an art museum and a museum about the German occupation of Denmark. If you want to travel a bit further out there’s a palace, hiking trails, a beach, and an amusement park.
Embarking:
Embarking was as straight forward as disembarking had been. There was no security to go through on shore and it was only the cruise ship staff who checked my cruise card before I boarded.
Autistic Friendly?
There were aspects of Aarhus that were autistic friendly like the fact it was easy to avoid crowds and the port area was quiet and didn’t overwhelm with lots of gift shops and people trying to sell you excursions. For me, the city was accessible because it was quiet. Even in public places with lots of people it wasn’t loud. I later found out (from a Danish friend) that in Denmark it can be considered rude to even speak loudly when out in public and this can make Aarhus (and other parts of Denmark) inaccessible to some autistic people.
Travel Autistic 