Aarhus’ Tropical Paradise – the Botanical Gardens

Autumn in Aarhus is a gorgeous thing to behold and there’s no better place to observe its splendour than at the Botanical Gardens. Located next to Den Gamle By (the Old Town), it is a gorgeous expanse of green, perfect for walks, picnics and taking a breather from the city. Given the waning sunshine hours, I thought it best to sneak in a visit before it got too dark and cold to appreciate it. So on this particular day, still warm and sunny enough to not need a jacket and still don sunglasses, and stuffed from a hearty brunch at our trusty favourite, The Lazy Wombat, we strolled over to the Botanical Gardens for a wander. First stop was a unique trip around the world via the Tropical Houses. My friend had warned us that it was going to get quite hot, literally, and we soon realised she wasn’t kidding. Buttons were loosened and layers were abandoned as we moved the various sections of the world, the Amazon rainforest section, the deserts, the African jungle with butterflies flitting about the place. It seemed such an incongruous setting to see such variety of plants on offer, but so fascinating at the same time. Leaving the tropics behind, we went for a stroll about the gardens. It was a really soothing experience, time being of no consequence as we wandered through the seemingly endless maze of green, stopping off occasionally to feed the ducks, climb trees and play with the fallen autumn leaves. In the summer, the gardens are the perfect venue for picnics, sunbathing and a good ol’ grill session. People were still out in force, soaking up what was quite possibly the last warm autumn day. Scouts were gathering for a jamboree and we even witnessed people travelling in a traditional horse-drawn carriage. As much as I’m looking forward to the cosiness of the autumn and winter to come, I did mentally kick myself for not making more of the gardens during the glorious summer that just went by. I guess I’ll make up for it with frequent visits to the Tropical Houses when winter really begins to bite. Aarhus Botanical Gardens, Midtbyen, 8000 Aarhus C www.sciencemuseerne.dk/en/botanical-garden