Country Kingdom of Denmark District Åbyhøj Municipality Aarhus Municipality | Regions of Denmark Central Denmark Region Postal code 8230 | |
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Åby or Aaby is a suburban area of Aarhus in Denmark. Located 4 km from the city centre of Aarhus, Åby was originally an old village, but is now an integrated a part of Åbyhøj, that sprawled around it. To distinguish Åby from Åbyhøj, the village area is often referred to as Gammel Åby (lit.:Old Åby). Åby is situated at a bend of the Aarhus River and there is access to the river and the pathway of Brabrandstien from here.
Contents
Map of Aaby, Aarhus, Denmark
Etymology
The name Åby translates literally as river-town in modern Danish and it also derives from the Old Norse for "village on a river" (Old Norse á, river, and býr, village). Åby is identical in meaning with Aby in Lincolnshire in England.
History
The town of Åby is very old and grew from a port that used to be here in the Viking Age, when Aarhus Å was a fjord. Over the years, the fjord sanded up and transformed into the narrow waterway we now know as Aarhus River. The usual village charm and characteristics are still clearly visible in Åby, especially around the church.