All good things begin with a double A.

Aardvarks, that guy Aaron, AA batteries and... Aarhus?

If you haven’t heard of Aarhus, it’s because no one has. But that’s about to change - Copenhagen’s little bro is the happiest city in the world, certified.

There’s no missing Aarhus’ giant rainbow walkway, slapped on top of the ARoS art museum. Walk from hell (a moody black exhibition in the basement) up to rainbowy heaven like a regular Dorothy of Oz.

Old Town normally means a bunch o’ boring medieval buildings. But not in Aarhus, bitches. Den Gamle By is a giant open air museum exploring Aarhus life in the 1860s, 1920s and 1970s. There’s people dressed up and a salon where you can rock the beehive look.

If you like your history a bit more…
history-y, Moesgaard Museum is your guy. It explores prehistoric life, with models of everyone’s fave australopithecus Lucy. You can even toboggan on the slanty roofs in winter…

Get yerself a bicycle and you’re never more than 15 mins from a forest or beach in Aarhus. Our fave route is to follow the prehistoric trail behind Moesgaard Museum through a meadow of wildflowers to a beach by the forest. Pull up some sand and have yourself a little picnic and a paddle. Bliss.

“I’ll have six of everything.” Choosing’s the only problem at Aarhus Street Food, a former bus garage that’s been turned into a warehouse full of over 30 street food stalls. Top tips: Supe BAO Chinese buns, Mormors Køkken Danish comfort food, Bánh Mì Bandits for Vietnamese sarnies and salads and Grilled Cheese (no explanation necessary).

For straight up delicious local, seasonal food head to Restaurant Domestic and Hærværk. These young guns on the foodie scene are part of the reason Aarhus has been named one of the top culinary destinations in the world.

Aarhus Ø is where the cool kids of Aarhus hang out. It’s the harbour area, redeveloped with giant Iceberg buildings, secret bars and sea swimming (summer only, obvs).

Godsbanen is what happens when squatters actually get their rights. This giant collective of workshops, artist studios, theatre stages, cafe and bars, and skateboarding will keep you occupied for hours.

Get boozey with the fishies at Cafe Under Masken - with metal decoration and walls of exotic fish, it’s a little like The Little Mermaid’s basement… on crack. With the cheapest pints in all of Aarhus, it’s a very slippery slope.

‘Happiest city in the world’ is a tough accolade to live up to. But with lairy architecture, culture everywhere and an honest-to-Zippy rainbow, Aarhus may just have done it.