I travelled to the underrated city set to be big in 2025 – it’s the world’s happiest place with £2 pints and £20 flights

IF you’re looking for some city break inspiration for next year, why not try Aarhus.

The Danish seaside city has been named as one of the best places to travel to in 2025 – and I visited last year thanks to some cheap Ryanair flights.

Aarhus has been named one of Europe’s most underrated destinations to visit next year by a team of experts at Time Out.

The experts praised its world-class coffee and hygge feel as well as its street food scene and miniature theme park, Tivoli Friheden.

This combination of features – as well as many other indicators – led to the city being named the world’s happiest city by the Happy City Index last year.

As someone who has visited Aarhus, I can understand why Denmark’s second city is both underrated and the world’s happiest.

Cobbled streets, winding waterways, independent shops, and a tonne of attractions help make the city both easy-going and vibrant.

It’s this atmosphere – both spirited and laidback – that earned Aarhus its “city of smiles” moniker.

A grin never left my face during my trip – especially when I was visiting some of the city’s top attractions.

Aarhus is home to Den Gamle By – the world’s oldest living museum.

I spent around two hours exploring every nook and cranny of the re-constructed buildings, some of which date back to the 1800s.

Although as a child of the 90s, my favourite had to be the reconstructed Blockbuster store where I was taken straight back to my childhood.

Entry into Den Gamle By costs £22 per person.

If you’re after something more modern, there’s also ARoS Art Museum.

The art museum somewhat dominates the Aarhus skyline thanks to the funky rainbow walkway on its roof.

Visitors can stroll the circular walkway and take selfies in the coloured glass-covered walkway. Entry costs £20 per person.

For budget travellers who don’t want to spend £20 on rooftop views, there’s also the Salling Rooftop — a network of wooden walkways and green spaces built on top of a department store.

The Salling Department Store is like a Danish Selfridges, with everything from clothes and beauty to a mouth-watering food hall under one roof.

Other free attractions include The Botanical Garden, which has a gloriously beautiful butterfly enclosure.

The Cultural Production Center Godsbanen, Aarhus Cathedral and Aarhus Concert Hall are also all free to enter.

Animal lovers can also head to the Marselisborg Deer Park, which lies south of the city.

Closed to the public until December, the deer park is home to fallow deer and stags – and it’s a little reminiscent of the deer in Richmond, London.

Personally I’m gutted I didn’t manage to squeeze the deer park into my two-day trip.

Located on the coast, Aarhus is also a short hop away from several sandy beaches, including Bellevue Beach and Ballehage Beach.

Adrenaline junkies will want to swing by Tivoli Friheden – a miniature theme park located in the heart of the city.

The amusement park has been open to the public since 1904 and has a range of attractions, including its Vindfald – a 23m-high rollercoaster that features an inverted loop.

Other attractions include a 5D cinema, a carousel, a haunted house, an illusion factory, a miniature golf course, a pirate ship and a ferris wheel.

Scandi countries have a reputation for being expensive – although I managed to hunt down some pocket-friendly food and drink.

For £2 pints, head to the Book1 Design Hostel during happy hour.

Make the most of the city’s local bakeries for brekkie and order a smorrebrod, an open sandwich of bread, butter and cheese, and a filter coffee for £5.50 per person.

Otherwise, it’s all about street food markets like Aarhus Street Market and Nicolinehus Market Hall for meals that are both filling and budget-friendly.

At Nicolinehus Market Hall I spent £9.50 on a hearty falafel pitta topped with pickled veg and an assortment of condiments.

Although Aarhus Airport has doubled in size over the last few years, there is only one direct route from the Danish city to the UK.

Ryanair operates direct flights between London Stansted and Aarhus, with prices starting from £20 for a one-way ticket.

And this northern city in England looks so much like New York, it’s used instead of the Big Apple in films.

Time Out named Eastbourne as the best place to visit in 2023.