Aarhus, Denmark a 2017 European Capital of Culture

[David Paul Appell]

Hey, can you by any chance name a Danish city outside of Copenhagen? Most likely not. Your loss, really, because Denmark's second largest, for example, is a truly charming bit of business called Aarhus, (pop. 265,000, larger metro area 330,000), on the coast of the Jutland peninsula a three-hour drive (or three-and-a-half-hour train ride) from the capital. So charming - and cultured, in fact - that it's been named a European Capital of Culture for 2017. Established as a Viking settlement as early as the 8th century (and named after the mouth of its eponymous river), Aarhus (which from 1948 to 2011 was officially spelled Århus) is both accessible and friendly - in fact, the Danes dub it "the city of smiles" - with a small-town feel yet a certain cosmopolitan cool. It's a beguiling mix, to be sure... keep reading