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Photo: Nils Jepsen /user:Nico, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons
This lovely stretch of white sand south of town benefits from a stunning location nestled against the hilly greenery of the Marselisborg Forests, yet within easy walking distance of popular sights like the Varna Palace, the circular pier Den Uendelige Bro, and the Marselisborg Deer Park, as well as a number of restaurants. Popular with swimmers, sunbathers, and picnickers, Ballehage boasts calm and clean waters, as well as amenities such as toilets and changing areas.
Ballehage Beach is an urban, public beach in the southern parts of Aarhus, Denmark and since 1929 it has been one of the oldest sea baths in Denmark. Ballehage Beach is situated in the Marselisborg Forests on the Bay of Aarhus in the suburb of Højbjerg, south of Marselisborg Yacht Harbour and the Aarhus River mouth. Helgenæs lies across the bay to the east, a bit inland to the west is the Marselisborg Deer Park and to the north is the Varna Palace. The beach area is some 1,000 metres long and between 10 and 30 metres wide. It is a white sandy beach with occasional rows of boulders extending into the sea, for coastal erosion protection. Ballehage Beach is popular for sunbathing and swimming due to the shielding effect and scenic view of the nearby forest on the steep hillsides to the west. The beach has a single jetty extending some 20 metres into the sea, offering a platform to jump from or relax on. There are outdoor changing facilities, toilets and storage areas. The Beach is open year-round for everyone at no charge.
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Marselisborg Dyrehave
This is an enclosed section of the forests with free roaming deer; a sort of low-key zoo or safari park. The landscape is beautiful, hilly, and less thickly-forested than the surrounding forests. There is an extra closed facilty with wild boars in the far northern end. The deer park is open from dawn to dusk year round, but for safety's sake it's best to avoid visiting during mating season in the autumn (Sep-Nov), and in the early summer when the does are nursing their calves (June-July). Don't feed the animals.
Marselisborgskovene
A relatively large expanse of woodland stretching along the coast of the Aarhus Bay south of town. Marselisborg is one of the most frequented forests in Denmark and is criss-crossed by trails. A car road pass through with a separate bicycle road all along. Aside from Ballehage Beach, Tivoli Friheden amusement park, and Varna Palace described elsewhere in this article, other noteworthy amenities that can all be reached by road include:
Varna Palæet
Another well-known architectural landmark of Aarhus, and a bit of a change of pace from the modern style that predominates over larger parts of the city, Varna Palace is a palatial Neoclassical resort pavilion. It was designed for the Danish National Exhibition of 1909 by native Eggert Achen and is found in the outskirts of the Marselisborg Forests, south of the inner city. The Varna Palace now serves as the headquarters of the local Odd Fellows Society, but with a public onsite restaurant.
Marselisborg Mindepark, Memorial Park
This memorial park offers a panoramic view of the Bay of Aarhus. Many larger events are held here and when the weather permits, citizens flock to relax in the park area. The park is centred around an extensive lawn but has several interesting sections of different designs, including a grove of Japanese cherry trees and a flower and sculpture garden. It also contains the largest World War I memorial in the country, commemorating 4,000 dead Danish soldiers.
Forstbotanisk Have
Established in 1923, this arboretum at the north end of the forests is small (5 ha) but packed with over 900 species of trees and bushes from all over the world. It's a pleasant place to take a load off, but it's prohibited to disturb any of the plants, and falling tree branches are a persistent danger in windy weather.
Marselisborg Slot
This small summer residence of the Queen of Denmark is just west of Mindeparken. The surrounding garden-park is fenced, but open to the public when the Queen is not in residence. It is dotted with sculptures from the private art collection of Prince Consort Henrik, the Queen's late husband.