Trip Report: Bergen to Aarhus Denmark Sept 2026

Aarhus Denmark, Sept 23rd: Drive to Skjoldborg.

Overcast skies this morning but no rain. Walked 15min to the Europcar rental agency, picked up my Nissan Qash Qai and began the 2hr drive to Skjoldborg. After leaving the city it was mostly rural farm land with beautiful waterways along the way.

Skjoldborg is a small Parish with a cluster of homes and a few businesses spread out along the main road that is only 3/4 of a mile long. There are a handful of side streets off the main road but found the church and cemetery. As I was parking my car, an older gentleman drove into the parking lot so I approached him and began talking but soon realized he spoke very little English. I showed him my ancestry paperwork with my grandfather’s name and pointed towards the cemetery. He thought for a moment but shook his head "no" but then said "Kallerup" and motioned me to follow him in my car. We drove to the end of Skjoldborg and crossed the road to the Kallerup church and cemetery 1 mile away. I used Google translate to explain in Danish that I was looking for my grandfather’s family graves. He took me into the small church cemetery and after walking amongst the graves he showed me a headstone with the Skallerup-Jensen name who was born in 1928 and who died 2008. This could be one of my relatives but I will need to investigate when I return home.

We drove back to Skjoldborg, he went to his home and I drove back to the cemetery. I went inside the church and took photos then I began walking around the cemetery taking photos of every grave marker not knowing if they might be related to my family. Another older gentleman came onto the grounds and spoke to me in Danish but I replied English? Yes, he said and indicated he was there to tend to his father's grave.

He thought I was creating some sort of cemetery grave photo archive but I explained I was looking for my grandparents family graves. I showed him the Ancestry paperwork with my grandfather’s name Jensen-Skallerup and he recognized it but said you won't likely find any grave markers because the cemetery removes them after 30 years to make room for others. He said in some cases the bones are removed then the grave is dug deeper, the bones put back in, then the next “resident” is put on top. He joked, so much for "rest in peace ". He went on to say he didn't like the current grounds keeper because he didn't maintain the grounds well and is very aggressive when it comes to removing 30 year old grave markers.

He lived in Skjoldborg and discussed his family’s history and the challenges locating information and mentioned that sometimes family names were hyphenated with name of the parish or village they lived in. He suggested I visit the nearby parish of Skallerup just across the river so I planned to go there on my way back to Aarhus. He put his name and number in my phone and said that he would look at his list and get back to me with any info.

After spending a few hours it started raining so I left Skjoldborg and headed to Skallerup where I found another church and cemetery. Took photos of the church and grave markers just in case and then headed back to Aarhus and returned the rental car at 5pm.

Stopped at the Aarhus Street Food pavilion which formerly was a bus garage and is very popular and packed full. Spoke with a younger guy visiting from Portugal and a older engineer who was hosting a Danish work party who mistook me for a colleague from the USA. I had some chicken masala from the Mount Everest food cart along with a beer from Ølbaren which has 32 beers on tap. Walked back to my hotel after a long but interesting day.

Aarhus Part 3: Thursday Sept 24th,
Copenhagen arrival Friday Sept 25th

On Thursday did some sightseeing around Aarhus not too far from my hotel. Danish people get around on their bicycles much like in Amsterdam so you have to pay attention when crossing the bike lanes. Some wear helmets, some don't. Smoking is more popular here than I expected, smaller bars allow smoking inside which also surprised me.

Walked over to the Salling department store which has a huge rooftop garden and patio with multiple levels, along with a scary extended platform hanging 6 stories above the street below. The weather was nice, warm with sun and broken clouds.

Went back down to street level, then headed further down the pedestrian zone to the Occupation and Resistance museum. The museum gives a somber experience of the dark times during WWII when the Nazi's occupied Aarhus and is the actual location where interrogations and torture of the Danish resistance fighters occurred.

The museum caretakers described the period in history before you enter the rooms with many detailed displays along with a lifelike victim of the torture who can be heard crying out in pain. There are several audio stations where you learn about the difficult times as things went from bad to worse. It also highlights the people involved in the resistance movement and their heroic acts.

Went back to my hotel for a break then visited the Aros art museum with it's amazing architecture and many fascinating dislays including the rooftop colored walkway high above the city. Ended the day back at the Salling department rooftop bar for a great sunset view along with a huge Caesar salad and a beer. Tomorrow I take the train to Copenhagen for 4 nights.

Train to Copenhagen, Friday Sept 25: I packed up and took the 12:20 train for the 3 hour journey to Copenhagen. Arrived on time and checked into my Motel One room 15min from the train station.

Later I ventured out into the streets and somehow stumbled upon a Tap House with over 60 beers just 3 blocks away. Met a gentleman and his daughter from England whose English dialect was so unique that I could barely make out what they were saying but they did give me some sightseeing tips.

The streets of Copenhagen are jammed full of people out enjoying this beautiful Friday evening, what an amazing lively city. Found a really good fried chicken sandwich with fries along with a tall 1664 brand beer at the Cocks and Bulls restaurant. Amazing fast service, no sooner had I placed my order and there was my beer and minutes later my food arrived. A nice end to this long day.