Denmark’s second city is primed to steal Copenhagen’s scene

Joel Porter, CNN
10 minute read
Published 4:57 AM EDT, Fri May 3, 2019
<strong>Aarhus: </strong>Copenhagen gets all the attention, but Aarhus is primed to steal the scene.
Aarhus: Copenhagen gets all the attention, but Aarhus is primed to steal the scene.
Kim Wyon/VisitDenmark
<strong>Ghrelin: </strong>One of Aarhus' hot new restaurants, Ghrelin serves playful and delicious food.
Ghrelin: One of Aarhus' hot new restaurants, Ghrelin serves playful and delicious food.
RAISFOTO
<strong>Menu of the day: </strong>Pondus is a rustic bistro where standouts include beef tartare and roast pork cheek.
Menu of the day: Pondus is a rustic bistro where standouts include beef tartare and roast pork cheek.
Restaurant Pondus
<strong>Aarhus Street Food:</strong> Come summer, this spot featuring a collection of 30 vendors is flooded with locals and tourists enjoying food and drink outdoors.
Aarhus Street Food: Come summer, this spot featuring a collection of 30 vendors is flooded with locals and tourists enjoying food and drink outdoors.
Aarhus Street Food
<strong>The Latin Quarter: </strong>This neighborhood is the beating heart of Aarhus and the area most visitors will head to first.
The Latin Quarter: This neighborhood is the beating heart of Aarhus and the area most visitors will head to first.
VisitAarhus
<strong>Museum with a view: </strong>The ARoS Museum is topped by the striking rooftop "Rainbow Panorama" installation by Olafur Eliasson.
Museum with a view: The ARoS Museum is topped by the striking rooftop "Rainbow Panorama" installation by Olafur Eliasson.
Willy Grauby
<strong>Harbor Bath:</strong> A triangular floating complex, Harbor Bath features a rectangular swimming pool, a circular diving pool, square children's pools and two saunas.
Harbor Bath: A triangular floating complex, Harbor Bath features a rectangular swimming pool, a circular diving pool, square children's pools and two saunas.
Runi Photopop
<strong>Marselisborg Deer Park:</strong> The park just outside the city makes for a great nature break after too many days of eating and drinking.
Marselisborg Deer Park: The park just outside the city makes for a great nature break after too many days of eating and drinking.
Deer Forest
<strong>Moesgard Museum: </strong>The museum is worth visiting for the architecture alone.
Moesgard Museum: The museum is worth visiting for the architecture alone.
Courtesy of Moesgaard museum
<strong>Second city: </strong>With its mix of world-class cuisine, impressive art galleries, attractive architecture and laid-back atmosphere, Aarhus is coming into its own.
Second city: With its mix of world-class cuisine, impressive art galleries, attractive architecture and laid-back atmosphere, Aarhus is coming into its own.
Runi Photopop
Denmark's next great city -- Aarhus
Aarhus, Denmark CNN  — 

As Denmark’s “second city,” Aarhus is used to Copenhagen grabbing all the attention. But over the past few years, Aarhus has emerged from the capital’s shadow, garnering a reputation among travelers as an exciting alternative for a Danish city break.

Aarhus, the country’s second-largest city, is located on the east coast of the Jutland peninsula, about 115 miles northwest of the capital, Copenhagen. With its mix of world-class cuisine, impressive art galleries, attractive architecture and laid-back atmosphere, Aarhus is coming into its own.

Food has been one of the main drivers behind the city’s recent emergence as a tourist destination. A clutch of Michelin-starred restaurants, informal bistros and a burgeoning street food scene are all contributing factors to its rightful spot on the foodie map.

In February 2019, the city hosted the Michelin Nordic Guide ceremony for the first time, further cementing its reputation as a top gastronomic city.

Because it's relatively small and centralized, Aarhus can easily be explored on foot or by bike.
Because it's relatively small and centralized, Aarhus can easily be explored on foot or by bike.
Kim Wyon/VisitDenmark

Aarhus is relatively small, with a population of just under 350,000, and can easily be explored on foot for the most part, with many of the attractions, shops and restaurants confined to a small central area.

Its manageable size combined with its relaxed vibe makes Aarhus an excellent weekend city break destination or a great addition to a Copenhagen trip, being only three hours away by train.

Food and drink

Substans

Substans is one of Aarhus’ most famous restaurants, having held a Michelin star since 2015. It’s set to move location to the new harbor-side Aarhus Ø development in 2020, but for now it’s still serving elegant Nordic-style cuisine from its original home in the Latin Quarter.

There is no à la carte menu at Substans, with diners instead choosing one of two multi-course tasting menus, the “Big” (12 courses) or the “Not So Big” (nine courses), which certainly keeps things simple.

The cooking is anything but simple, however, with technical, precise dishes that include thinly sliced scallop dressed with lovage oil and lightly fried pine needles, and pork with onions, a crisp kale leaf and finished with a zesty green tarragon cream.

Restaurant Substans, Frederiksgade 74, 8000, +45 86 23 04 01

Ghrelin