22/08/2026: Probably the best cinnamon rolls in Aarhus; and probably the tallest too. Very delicious.
21/08/2026: During our sightseeing tour of Aarhus, we wanted to explore the city's culinary scene in addition to the sights. We visited various bakeries and pastry shops to compare them and sample some classic Danish pastries.
We started at Mor Anna, probably the most traditional pastry shop we visited. Here, the focus is on fine craftsmanship and a wide selection of cakes and tarts. They also offer a large selection of classic pastries, which were our main focus. The cakes and tarts looked fantastic, but unfortunately, we didn't try any of them.
We opted for a cinnamon roll, a Spandauer (a type of Danish pastry), a rum roll, and a two-tone pain au chocolat with raspberry.
The cinnamon roll, or rather the knot, was stylishly and uniquely braided and had a lovely, fluffy, milk-bun-like dough with a sprinkle of pearl sugar on top. Compared to some other places, it was less moist and soft and a bit firmer to the bite. It was nicely cinnamony, and the individual layers separated easily. So, more classic Danish than Americanized. You can easily eat it by hand without making a complete mess.
The Spandauer had a delicious custard cream with real vanilla bean and a moist puff pastry.
The rum snail was a little star because it had such a delicious, somehow familiar flavor, though we couldn't quite recall what it reminded us of. The pastry was beautifully flaky and soft, and the center, as is so often the case, was a highlight.
The pain au chocolat was incredibly light and buttery. The raspberry chocolate, however, didn't really wow us, and I felt there could have been a bit more filling. The other pastries impressed us more, although the croissant was definitely a technical masterpiece.
Overall, Mor Anna is definitely an excellent place where you can easily sample your way through their selection. Great emphasis is placed on fine confectionery craftsmanship, and the pastries are little works of art. Unfortunately, the location only offers a handful of seats with a view outside. Therefore, we took our purchases with us and ate them in the nearby park.