Memoirs of a Traveling Ex-Linguist: Year 19: Jaunt to Jutland: Den Gamle By

One of the most enjoyable things we have seen and done in our trip to Denmark was to visit Den Gamle By, or The Old Town, in Aarhus. Den Gamle By is an open-air town museum, opened originally in 1914. It is essentially an old town, as its name suggests, consisting of more than 70 historical buildings that were collected from various parts of the country. Visitors can not only explore the town, but also the buildings, since most of the buildings are open and act as exhibition spaces. Hence, by visiting each of the buildings, you learn something about Danish life and culture from the past.

There are several sections of the museum, focusing on different time periods. We concentrated on the oldest section, though we did visit some of the newer buildings as well. Overall it was a fun experience, as we also saw period demonstrations. There was a functioning bakery for example, where we could buy and eat bread and pastries that were made in the style of the 18th century.

The interior of the buildings show you how life was like back then. At times it could be very tough, and I am glad actually that I have had the chance to live in the 21st century, knowing what it was like a few centuries ago.

There are some sections of the museum which are slightly more modern, but we didn't spend much time in these areas. Nevertheless, we visited some of them, which showed us how life was like in Denmark during the 1960s and 1970s. It was interesting to be in a gynaecological clinic, a hair salon, and an immigrant family's apartment, as well as in an underground bar.