On my second and final Study Tour, my Bicycle Urbanism class ventured to Aalborg (the fourth biggest city in Denmark) and Aarhus (the second biggest city in Denmark). This Study Tour FLEW by, and we did so much! I loved this Study Tour because we only used trains, bikes, and our feet to get around. Walking and biking continuously prove to be the best forms of transportation around cities to see and experience as much as possible.
Some highlights:
- Biking for 6 hours and seeing ALL of Aalborg!
On Tuesday, my class and I spent the entire day with our tour guide Mike around Aalborg! Mike works for the Bicycle Federation of Aalborg and explained his perspectives about cycling in the city. Our class has focused thus far on infrastructure of cities and how certain lanes, signs, and markings impact the effectiveness of certain transportation routes. We’ve discussed how Copenhagen successfully transformed the city into a biking city by creating the correct infrastructure and accessibility for cyclists, pedestrians, and public transport. Although our 6-hour bike tour was extremely tiring and I was dead by the end, it was the BEST way to see all of Aalborg and I really enjoyed hearing from a local and his thoughts about the infrastructure of the city.
- Beach day in Aarhus and going to a deer park!
After our 6-hour bike day, we traveled to Aarhus the next morning for a relaxing beach day! We picked up our bikes after we arrived and were on our way again. We biked through beautiful green spaces with the tallest trees I’ve seen in Denmark and it felt like pure bliss. On our way, we stopped at a deer park and got SO CLOSE to deer! They were so cute and not scared of us at all. It was incredible. When we got to the beach, we jumped in the clear, cool water and I felt so free. I’m not sure how to explain it, but biking through the bright green shady trees and warm air and jumping in the water after a hot day made me feel so peaceful.
- Jazz Night
Another surprising highlight of our trip was a jazz concert! We had the night on our own for dinner, and one of my classmates heard some jazz music. We went to check it out, and the band was amazing. It had cooled down some from the day and the sun was starting to set, so it was perfect weather to enjoy the night. People were dancing and everyone there was having a great time and enjoying the music. Although it wasn’t something that was planned, it was great to experience Aarhus culture and do something locals would go to!
- ARoS Museum
We ended our study tour at the ARoS museum. I love contemporary art museums, and we had a private tour of a few paintings and sculptures. The ARoS Museum has many levels, and it was interesting to hear about the architecture. One of my favorite levels was the Rainbow Level where the circle at the top is made of glass and is tinted so all the walls are rainbow. This put me in the best mood.
Even though our Study Tours couldn’t be in different countries this year due to the pandemic, it has been so exciting to travel around Denmark. While I’ve been abroad, I’ve found it hard to create time in our busy schedules to see other parts of Denmark on my own. But with our Study Tours, it’s been so fun to be guided through the country’s hidden gems outside of Copenhagen.