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The unusual European city break with the world’s oldest living museum and £2 local beers
There are plenty of free attractions across the city
THEY boast stunning landscapes, clean cities and chilled-out locals – but Scandi countries can never be described as cheap.
Instead of Danish capital Copenhagen and its sometimes shocking prices, try the less expensive port city of Aarhus.
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It offers many of the same attributes, with quaint cobbled streets, winding waterways and cosy independent shops – which make it both easy-going and vibrant.
Hope Brotherton challenged herself to enjoy a two-night break there with her partner for £500 (£250 per person) all in . . .
STYLISH STAY – £169
AT just under £170 for two people for two nights, the Book1 Design Hostel was the biggest outlay.
Set inside a former library, the hostel is in a prime location just outside the city’s historical centre and main attractions.
Its reception doubles as a bar, and there is a quirky mini golf course running through the first three floors, which costs £8 to play.
We stayed in a spacious private room with an en suite as well as comfortable double bed, large sofa, two armchairs and plenty of storage.
GREAT ATTRACTIONS – £84
AARHUS is home to some unique attractions, including Den Gamle By (The Old Town) — the world’s oldest living museum.
We spent two hours exploring every nook and cranny of the re-constructed buildings, some of which date back to the 1800s. Entry costs £22 per person.
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There are plenty of free attractions nearby too, including The Botanical Garden, which has a gloriously beautiful butterfly enclosure, and the Museum of Ancient Art.
Inside the new Greek beach resort with padel courts, seaview rooms and cheap bars nearby
Once you’ve had your fill of historic artwork, head over to ARoS Art Museum, packed full of modern examples.
The building dominates the Aarhus skyline, with a circular rainbow walkway that sits on top of the gallery.
Entry costs £40 for two adults. Another free activity, with a panoramic view of Aarhus, is the Salling Rooftop — a network of wooden walkways and green spaces built on top of a department store.
The Cultural Production Center Godsbanen, Aarhus Cathedral and Aarhus Concert Hall are also all free to enter.
Meanwhile, you will definitely want to stroll through the Latin Quarter and the cobbled Mollestien street, with its pastel-coloured houses.
DAYTIME BITES – £67
WHEN it comes to breakfast, you can’t go wrong with the buffet spread at Book1 Hostel.
Choose from yoghurts, pastries, cereal, bread rolls, cheese, ham, boiled eggs, cucumber, tomatoes, juice and filter coffee for £9.
It’s more than enough to keep you going through a day’s sightseeing.
For an authentic Danish breakfast, head to local bakery La Cabra, near the train station.
Try the smorrebrod, an open sandwich of bread, butter and cheese. Helpings for two people, complete with a filter coffee, cost £11.
For lunch, you’ll find stalls serving up grub from all over the world at Aarhus street market.
We opted for a spinach masala curry, costing £9.50 each.
Set down in the docklands is the slightly more upmarket Nicolinehus Market Hall.
Here, we each spent £9.50 on a hearty falafel pitta topped with pickled veg and an assortment of condiments.
EVENING EATS – £53
IF you want to dine like a local, then make sure to swing by OliNico, a cosy restaurant tucked away in the city’s Latin Quarter.
We had it on good authority that the fish and chips were the best outside the UK.
With generous portion sizes, perfectly cooked chips and two lightly battered fillets of fish, it didn’t disappoint.
Two plates and two small bottles of beer set us back £32.
Hot dog vans are another popular choice among locals.
Score two, topped with pickles, crispy onions and condiments, for £13 at one of the city’s many vendors.
But if you really want to blow your budget, Italian restaurant Grappa would be an ideal spot.
Set along the Aarhus River, two pizzas and two beers would cost £45.
And a trip to Aarhus wouldn’t be complete without sampling a pint of Ceres, the local beer.
We made the most of the hostel’s happy hour deal with £2 pints.
ON THE MOVE – £126
RYANAIR operates daily flights between London Stansted and Aarhus.
It takes one hour and 20 minutes, and return tickets for two can be bought for as little as £73.
Jump on the airport bus to reach the city centre.
Bus journeys take around 50 minutes and cost £53 for two return tickets.
After being dropped outside the central train station in Aarhus, we quickly realised that our feet would be our only mode of transport thanks to the city’s small size.
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Not only did walking cut down on our transport costs, but we were able to see more of the city too.
GRAND TOTAL: £499
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