Hidden away on the craggy Jutland Peninsula, Aarhus was never the most popular destination in Europe. The majority of visitors to Denmark would rather spend an extra day in Copenhagen than take a three-hour train journey along the east coastline. And although Aarhus has always had a reputation as The City of Smiles, a smile isn’t exactly the number one priority when booking your dream trip. But around 12 years ago, the city was elected as the European Cultural Capital for 2017. And so, it began to primp and preen for the monumental year destined to place it on the main stage, amongst some of Europe’s other great cities. Today, Aarhus has the perfect mix of small town charm and Copenhagen-cool. And of course, it hasn’t lost those smiles. Here, how to spend the perfect day in Denmark’s second city.

A good day in Denmark always begins with a coffee and a slice of bread or a pastry. And not necessarily a Danish pastry, because Danish pastries aren’t actually Danish (they originated in Vienna). Rather, try a kanelstang (cinnamon bun) or slice of fresh sourdough bread (slathered with soft, homemade butter). You’ll quickly learn that bread is deeply rooted in Danish culture — there are even Danish phrases that use bread as a metaphor (for example “spis lige brød til” or "eat some bread” means to calm down). Good bread and pastries can be found all over the city, but La Cabra, a homey coffee bar and roaster in the Latin Quarter, keeps locals continuously coming back for more.

When in Denmark, ride a bike. (This is doubly recommended if you have a hard time resisting all that bread.) Even though Aarhus can easily be walked, do as the locals do and hop on a bicycle from Cycling Aarhus or snag a free one from one Aarhus City Bikes. (http://www.aarhus.dk/sitecore/content/Subsites/AarhusBycykel/Home/English.aspx). A 20 DKK coin is all you need to unlock one of the free bikes located at various bike racks around the city.