Aarhus, verdict by verdict

Denmark's second city is also its most underrated: a compact, walkable place where a rainbow panorama rings the roof of ARoS, the open-air lanes of Den Gamle By replay centuries of street life, and Moesgaard's forest hides the Grauballe Man. A young food scene has pulled in serious fine-dining attention, and the harbour baths and Latin Quarter fill the gaps between the sights.

Where it falls short is reach rather than charm. The airport sits forty-five minutes out with limited routes, so many arrivals are simply the three-hour train from Copenhagen or a flight into Billund, and the headline museums are all ticketed. The city is small enough that travelers chasing a week of sights will run out of list.

Two days is the right dose, and the trip stays easy end to end: ARoS, the Latin Quarter and the harbour on day one, Den Gamle By plus Moesgaard or the deer park on day two, and Mols Bjerge or a Skanderborg lake day if there is a third. It suits anyone who wants Copenhagen's culture on a friendlier, cheaper, less touristed scale.