To our Friendship Links and Soroptimist Clubs in Europe

Meet the Danes, experience , learn about Danish values – come to and neighboring towns – European Capital of Culture

The City of Aarhus and the Mid- Region have been appointed European Capital of Culture in 2017. We hope many Soroptimists from all over Europe will accept our invitation to come and experience what this appointment means to a city and a region. We have prepared a programme which makes it possible for you to look into events and Danish values. In cooperation with the Soroptimist Clubs in , Viborg, , Ringkøbing and Skjern-Tarm, SI Aarhus invites you to experience our city and region under the heading: We want to join the Party! http://www.aarhus2017.dk/en/

Book your hotel room now because there will be a great demand for hotel rooms in all of 2017, and sign up for the programme below. Put a cross next to the events you wish to join.

Registration Deadline: 15th March 2017 But please tell us as soon as possible if you are interested in visiting us!

Thursday 8th June 2017

The theme of the first morning is “Reuse”. You can choose one of the following activities. Aarhus Soroptimists will guide you: o 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.: Visit the artist Liné Ringtved Thordarson at her studio near Aarhus Harbour (5 Euros) http://linethordarson.dk/da/ o 12 to 1 p.m..: Visit two second-hand thrift stores and the workshop of DanChurchSocial (Kirkens Korshær) where homeless people socialize, are activated and make new creations of second- hand clothes (5 Euros) https://www.kirkenskorshaer.dk/sider/facing-tough-challenges o 11.00 a.m.: Visit a recycling plant. Watch how the Danes sort their material for reuse and see how it is possible to reuse 1/4th of the citizens’ garbage. That figure is estimated to be 50 % in 2022 (5 Euros)

Open to everyone:

Welcome to Aarhus: o 2.00 p.m.: Reception at The Town Hall of Aarhus with our Lord Mayor, Jacob Bundsgaard. https://www.aarhus.dk/da/omkommunen/English/Visit-Aarhus.aspx

3.00 p.m.: All of us walk from The Town Hall to The Greenhouses in the Botanical Garden, Aarhus. We pass the Soroptimist Tree, (The Concert Hall), (reuse) and Folkestedet (volunteers –ride in a rickshaw)

5.00-7.00 p.m.: Get-together-party in The Greenhouses for Danish and foreign Soroptimists and their companions (DKK 350 each for the whole programme from 2.00 p.m. to 7.00 p.m.) http://sciencemuseerne.dk/en/botanical-garden/

Friday 9th June

The theme of this morning is “Danes and Danish Values”. You can choose one of the following activities. Aarhus Soroptimists will guide you: o 9.30 a.m.: (Archaeological and Ethnographic Museum). Local bus no. 18 brings you to the Museum. DKK 110 (2016-price) http://www.moesgaardmuseum.dk/en/ o 10.00 a.m.: (The Danish Open Museum- DKK 135 (2016-price) https://www.dengamleby.dk/engelsk/the-old-town/ o 10.00 a.m.: Aros Kunstmuseum (Art Museum) DKK 120 (2016-price) http://en.aros.dk/ o 10.00 a.m.: Visit a daycare for children in a wood (5 Euros) o 10.00 a.m.: Visit a house shared by senior citizens (5 Euros) o 10.00 a.m.: Visit student housing in a new area of Aarhus, Aarhus Ø (5 Euros)

Open to everyone: o 2.00 p.m. – 5.00 p.m.: THE GARDEN – End of Times, Beginning of Times. A 4.5 km walk from Aros Art Museum, through the town and along the beach. A highlight of 2017 in Aarhus. (Free of charge) http://www.visitaarhus.com/ln-int/garden-gdk1082035

7.00 p.m.: Rethink Party (more info later)

Saturday 10th June

The theme of today is “The European Culture Capital”. You can choose one of the following activities. Aarhus Soroptimists will guide you. o The art project, Life boats - in the harbor at (Free of charge) http://life- boats.wixsite.com/life-boats-english

o Dokk1 (Free of charge) https://dokk1.dk/english

o The Coal Bridge (Free of charge) http://www.aarhus2017.dk/en/programme/festivals-and- happenings/the-coal-bridge/ o Vanebrudspalæet - a different approach to 2017 Capital of Culture. Hold on tight. (http://www.varmvelkomstaarhus.dk/en/welcome/#top)

You are welcome to stay in Aarhus and experience more, the amount of events are many. We will happily assist you in finding more activities.

Other possibilities are to go to the towns Silkeborg, Viborg, Brande, and Skjern. Soroptimists in each town will take care of their guests.

Sunday 11th June

Please indicate which town you want to visit: o Silkeborg http://www.silkeborg.com/ln-int/silkeborg/silkeborg-0 Take the train to Silkeborg. Soroptimists will meet you at the station and assist you with the following opportunities: Sail on the Silkeborg Lakes on board one of the old paddle steamers A visit to the Art Museum Forest Megaphones på Store Ø i Indelukket. Estonian artist Birgit Oigus has created amplifiers for the sounds of the wood. Face and Identity at the Art Centre Silkeborg Bad Face – The Ancient Tollund Man and other faces in Museum Silkeborg http://www.museumsilkeborg.dk/?AreaID=14 Dinner at Himmelbjerget o Viborg http://www.visitviborg.com/ln-int/viborg/holiday-viborg Take the train, 1 hour from Aarhus to Viborg. Soroptimists will meet you at the station and assist you with the following opportunities: 10 a.m.: Arrival from Aarhus. City walk in the old quarters of Viborg – (5 Euro) Lunch in a café (20 Euro) Visit the Centre for Education and Animation. (Free) Viborg Kunsthal, Rethinking Art Institutions (7 Euro) Billboard – Made by Scrap – Open air exhibition of the result of 15 international artists project rethinking recykling. sØnæs, Viborg (Free) Dinner at Gollf Salonen (30 Euro)

o Brande http://www.visitikast-brande.com/ln-int/ikast-brande/visit-ikast-brande A guided tour with Soroptimists to the mural paintings in Brande. Lunch at Café Tankefryd. o Ringkøbing og Skjern-Tarm http://www.visitringkoebing.dk/dk/om+ringk%C3%B8bing/turist+i+ringk%C3%B8bing 10.40 a.m.: Arrival at Skjern 11 a.m.: Visit at Innovest – a new innovation centre at Skjern Lunch at Skjern 1 p.m.: Skjern River – The rich adventures of nature 2.45 p.m.: Visit to the fishing port, Hvide Sande A walk to the sea and the harbour Afternoon coffee 4.45 p.m.: A short walk in the old market town Ringkøbing 6.15 p.m.: Visit to the newly renovated Ringkøbing Swimming Bath A light supper 7.45 p.m.: Return to Skjern

For visitors to Skjern: We expect our guests to arrive at Skjern Railway Station about 10.30 a.m. – possibly by train from Aarhus. It is possible to buy a One Day ticket from (at present the price is 17 Euros).

It is also possible to come to the Innovation Centre in private cars at 10.30 a.m. (the timetable will be slightly adjusted).

Soroptimists from SI Skjern-Tarm and Ringkøbing will be your hosts and take care of transportation in private cars the whole day. They will also provide food during the day. The price will be max. 42 Euros, excluding transportation to and from Aarhus.

The day will end in time for the guests to return to Aarhus by train leaving about 8 p.m. from Skjern. We reserve the right to minor changes in the programme. The programme in Skjern will only be conducted if 10 guests have signed up. o Odder http://www.visitodder.com/ln-int/odder/welcome-visitodder If you choose to go to Odder the members of SI Odder will pick you up in Aarhus: “We have planned the following programme for our visitors: A visit to Egmont Højskolen, a traditional Danish folk highschool for young people, 1/3 of them have disabilities. https://www.egmont-hs.dk/en Coffe and sandwich at the beach. A visit to two farms each with a special story. At the first farm we pick strawberries for our dessert, at the other we buy the milk. And if we have more time we pay a visit to the Ecology Gardens (http://www.okologienshave.dk/english1) In the evening you are invited to a homeparty before we accompany you to the bus back to Aarhus. Price for the whole day: 40 Euro. (Exclusive the bus ticket back to Aarhus )”

o http://www.visitherning.dk/herning http://www.sinatur.dk/hoteller/hotel-skarrildhus/ Soroptimists from SI Herning will be your hostess all day long: 10.30 Arrival at Herning Train Station Sightseeing by bus in Herning visiting interesting places, pieces of art, museums etc. The tour is led by a professional local guide and soroptimists from SI Herning.

13.00 Exiting picnic with local food is included

14.00 Sightseeing continue

18.00 Dinner at Hotel Skarrildhus in a beautiful park

We expect our guests to arrive at Herning Train Station by train or in private cars not later than 10.30 a.m. After lunch we continue the guided tour to Hotel Skarrildhus where the dinner is served. Skarrildhus is idyllically situated in the heart of Jutland´s heathland and surrounded by forest, parkland, meadows, stream and creeks. The kitchen has the bronze organic food label and the food is made out of fresh local materials.

Price: 45 Euro excl. transportation Aarhus/Herning/Aarhus.

If you do not want to participate in the dinner, the price is 15 Euro inclusive bus to Herning Station.

Prices are generally indicated in Euro, but entrances, visit at restaurants, shops etc will be charges in DKK. Master Cards, Visa Cards etc are generally accepted everywhere. For minor tours we can help you with currency.

Registration deadline for the whole programme in Denmark: 15th March 2017. But please tell us as soon as possible if you are interested in visiting us.

C O M E A N D P A R T Y W I T H U S !

SI Brande, SI Viborg, SI Silkeborg, SI Ringkøbing, SI Skjern/Tarm, SI Odder, SI Herning and SI Aarhus

Søs Kjeldsen President, SI Aarhus