The Danes’ seemingly limitless enthusiasm for dressing up and recreating history reaches its zenith at Den Gamle By (The Old Town; dengamleby.dk; adult/child 190kr/free), a small town that enables time travel within walking distance of the city center. Some 80 buildings are arranged into a town that glides through four eras: 1864, 1927, 1974 and, the newest addition…2014, where you can visit a lesbian couple with three children, wonder at ancient tech like DVDs, or get into the vintage pub atmosphere of Bent J Jazz Bar.
Elsewhere, you might go from chatting to a superstitious candlemaker to answering a rotary-dial phone in a gynecologist's office. The immersive detail is hugely impressive and great fun, and it's real history, too: the buildings are mostly all original, transplanted from other parts of Denmark, while the museum itself has its origins in the Danish National Exhibition of 1909. There are horse and cart rides around the site, or to the neighboring Botanic Gardens.
One highlight you might otherwise miss is Aarhus Story, which tells the saga of the city since the Viking age; you'll find it tucked away in the basement of the 1970s cinema.
The website details kid-friendly activities for visitors – these peak in July and August and in the lead-up to Christmas.
Den Gamle By is 1.5km west of the city center (a 20-minute walk from the train station); buses also stop nearby. There’s a detailed schedule of opening hours and admission prices (set according to the museum's activities) outlined on the website.
