Christmas at Den Gamle By, the open-air museum in Aarhus

Christmas at Den Gamle By, the open-air museum in Aarhus, runs from 14 November to 31 December 2026. Its streets of old houses, rebuilt on site, tell 400 years of Christmas traditions: lanterns, shops and interiors decorated period by period, residents in costume, æbleskiver “anno 1616” and a tall Christmas tree on the square. This is a museum visit with an entry fee, with food stalls and shops rather than a market of chalets. The museum opens every day of the season, 24 and 31 December included.

Jul i Den Gamle By 2026: dates and opening hours

“Jul i Den Gamle By” runs from 14 November to 31 December 2026. The museum opens every day from 10am to 5pm, and from 10am to 3pm on 24 and 31 December. Eight Aftenjul evenings, from 6pm to 9pm, extend the visit after dark: on 27 and 28 November, then 4 and 5, 11 and 12, 18 and 19 December.

December weekends are the busiest days. A weekday visit is quieter.

Den Gamle By ticket prices at Christmas

An adult ticket costs 205 DKK until 31 December 2026. Entry is free up to the age of 17, 105 DKK for students and 175 DKK per person in a group.

400 years of Danish Christmas in the museum’s streets

The museum takes you through 400 years of Christmas traditions: every house and every shop is decorated as it would have been in its day, the streets are lit by lanterns, and residents in costume bring the place to life. Children have their own quarter, Koglekjøbing, full of nisser, the Danish Christmas elves, and the Sneloftet. The sets of the DR television Advent calendar, “Den Store Julefortælling”, are also part of the visit, and a tall Christmas tree stands on the square.

What to eat at Den Gamle By at Christmas

On the square, the stalls serve gløgg, æbleskiver “anno 1616”, wild boar sausages and a duck sandwich, along with the museum’s Christmas beer. Gæstgivergården serves a sit-down Christmas dinner, and Winekes Kælder smørrebrød with a snaps. The baker sells his vaniljekranse, and the shops hand-blown and hand-painted decorations.

Where to find Den Gamle By

The museum is at Viborgvej 2, in Aarhus, Denmark’s second city. Allow half a day at least, four to five hours to go round the whole museum.

The country’s other addresses are on our page on Christmas markets in Denmark, including the Aalborg Christmas Market, further north in Jutland. In Copenhagen, Christmas at Tivoli is the season’s other big ticketed visit, next to the Copenhagen Christmas Market.