Risskov is the name of both a neighbourhood and a district in the city of

Aarhus Aarhus (, , ; officially spelled Århus from 1948 until 1 January 2011) is the second-largest city in Denmark and the seat of Aarhus municipality, Aarhus Municipality. It is located on the eastern shore of Jutland in the Kattegat sea and app ...

Denmark Denmark is a Nordic countries, Nordic country in Northern Europe. It is the metropole and most populous constituent of the Kingdom of Denmark,, . also known as the Danish Realm, a constitutionally unitary state that includes the Autonomous a ...

. The district of Risskov is sometimes referred to as Vejlby-Risskov, as it is a merger of the neighbourhood of Risskov and the neighbourhood of Vejlby. The old neighbourhood of Risskov at the seaside of the Aarhus Bay, is one of the most affluent areas in

Etymology

The name of Risskov literally means ''The Forest of Riis'', as described on the memorial stone marking the entrance to the area and derives from the small local forest of Riis Skov. The southern parts of the forest was granted to the city of Aarhus by

Margaret I of Denmark Margaret I (; March 1353 – 28 October 1412) was Queen regnant of Denmark, Norway, and Sweden (which included Finland) from the late 1380s until her death, and the founder of the Kalmar Union that joined the Scandinavian kingdoms together for ...

as the first, Danish public forest. In 1542,

Christian III of Denmark Christian III (12 August 1503 – 1 January 1559) reigned as King of Denmark from 1534 and King of Norway from 1537 until his death in 1559. During his reign, Christian formed close ties between the church and the crown. He established ...

granted the northern part of the forest to Aarhus as well. From early on, the forest was used for leisurely activities, and during the 1800s, restaurants, entertainment parks and musical pavilions sprang up in different parts of the woodland. Today the forest is known for its sharp smell of ramson in the spring and its abundance of anemones. It is still a popular destination for families and couples. Supposedly the ramson was brought to Denmark by Spanish soldiers, who then brought it to the forest of Riis Skov in 1808, during the

Napoleonic Wars {{Infobox military conflict , conflict = Napoleonic Wars , partof = the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars , image = Napoleonic Wars (revision).jpg , caption = Left to right, top to bottom:Battl ...

. In October 1951, a meteorite exploded in the atmosphere over Denmark and the largest piece of it, about the size of a clenched fist, was recovered in Riis Skov, where a memorial stone now commemorates the event.

Attractions

Today the neighbourhood of Risskov is an affluent suburban area, with many large

mansion A mansion is a large dwelling house. The word itself derives through Old French from the Latin word ''mansio'' "dwelling", an abstract noun derived from the verb ''manere'' "to dwell". The English word ''manse'' originally defined a property l ...

s and detached houses in connectivity with the sandy beaches of Bellevue and the woodland park of Riis Skov in the south. Notable sights in Risskov include: * Riis Skov, the first public forest in Denmark. * Den Permanente, a public seabath. * Bellevue Beach, one of four beach parks in Risskov. *

Åkrogen Åkrogen (lit.: River-nook) is an urban, public beach and park in the northern parts of Aarhus, Denmark. Åkrogen is situated in both the neighborhood of Risskov and the suburb of Egå on the Bay of Aarhus at Egå Marina. The beach park is div ...

beach park. A beach and recreational nature site, north of Bellevue at Egå Marina. Only the southern section belongs to Risskov. The beaches at Risskov, presents a beautiful panoramic view of the Bay of Aarhus, with

Samsø Samsø (Anglicized: "Samso" or "Samsoe") is a Denmark, Danish island in the Kattegat off the Jutland Peninsula. Samsø is located in Samsø municipality. The community has 3,724 inhabitants (2017) (January 2010:4,010) called ''Samsings'' and is ...

, Helgenæs and Mols visible on the horizon on most days. Footpath in Riisskov.JPG, Riis Skov forest Risskov skole 2006.jpg, Risskov public school Risskov park 01.jpg, Risskov Park overlooking the Aarhus Bay Murermestervilla.JPG, Larger parts of Risskov are residential areas with detached houses Aarhus Letbane (Aarhus-Grenaa) 01.jpg, Aarhus Lightrail Risskov Strandpark.jpg, Risskov Beachpark Bellevue Strand.jpg, Bellevue Beachpark Åkrogen (sti og udsigt).jpg, Åkrogen, southern section

Literature

Writer Svend Aage Madsen has written many stories about Aarhus and Risskov, where he himself resides. Writer and performer Jens Blendstrup grew up in Risskov, and some of his stories are set in this particular neighbourhood. Blendstrup's childhood memoirs (with fictional elements) from Risskov appears in his novel "''Gud taler ud''" (God speaks up), which was turned into a screenplay and movie of the same name in 2017. .

References

{{Authority control Neighbourhoods in Aarhus Aarhus N