A
relatively relaxed day today with a simple journey into Aarhus by bus. We had a
choice of buses to catch and within a few minutes we were on our way, passing an
impressive new tram system under construction. We headed for the Viking Museum
cunningly hidden under a multi-storey business building. The museum is small
but free and well worth a visit. The reason for its location is that a Viking site
was discovered when foundations were being excavated for a new Nordea Bank
building. Viking Aros has been buried by modern Aarhus and these excavations
uncovered part of its ramparts. The town was established by 770 AD but it was
in a poor position for defence, so in 934 a rampart was added and it was
strengthened in 980 by Harald Bluetooth – that man gets everywhere! On display
here, in its original position, is part of the plank causeway behind the
rampart showing the wheel tracks of the carts.
We
walked the short distance to the cathedral of Aarhus dedicated to St. Clemens,
the Danish patron saint of seamen. It was built approx. 1300 AD, is the longest
cathedral in Denmark and, like all of the Danish churches that we have visited,
has a very simple interior but with lovely carved wood and some impressive wall
paintings uncovered after having been whitewashed over for many years.
Photos:
It would be easy to walk straight past the museum without realising that it was
there; The Viking town of Aros; A soapstone showing a carving of the god Loki with
sewn lips (see Ribe 23rd June), used by a blacksmith in his hearth; The
fantastically detailed altar screen carved in 1479 by Bernt Notke from Lubeck;
A rather good gravestone from inside the cathedral.
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