Let's Go Europe 2019. Harvard Student Agencies

Allé 15; 87 39 40 00; www.moesgaardmuseum.dk/en; open Tu 10am-5pm, W 10am-9pm, Th-Su 10am-5pm

      This museum of archaeology and ethnography is built into a grassy hillside in a suburb of Aarhus like some sort of concrete and glass Little House on the Prairie. The collection is vast, including everything from Viking swords to Roman pottery to Egyptian gold jewelry. There are also a slightly disturbing number of human remains on display, including a 2000-year-old corpse, incredibly preserved after spending two millennia buried in a peat bog. Looking at rusty farm tools and dead bodies doesn’t sound like the most exciting way to spend a day, but the entire museum is modern and interactive, with video presentations mixed in, and a “laboratory” where you can pretend to be an archaeologist and actually do something with your life.

       i Admission Apr 8-Oct 22 DKK 140, students DKK 110, Oct 23-Apr 7 DKK 120, students DKK 90; wheelchair accessible

      OUTDOORS

       MOESGAARD STRAND

      Strandskovvej 2; 8270

      Moesgaard Strand is a large stretch of sandy beach along the coast, just south of Aarhus itself. It has earned Blue Flag status for having exceptional water quality, meaning it’s especially clean and safe. How Danish. The beach is a bit far from the city center, but it is easily accessible via city bus #31. It’s also just a short walk from the Moesgaard Museum, so you can go relax in the sun after a long morning of getting #cultured while looking at skeletons.

       i Free; wheelchair accessible

       SURF AGENCY

      Fiskerivej 2; 60 89 05 15; www.surfagency.dk; open Tu-Th 10am-6pm, F 10am-8pm, Sa 9am-8pm

      SUP. No, not the favored salutation of ninth graders who wear baggy jeans. We’re talking stand-up paddle boarding, the watersports craze that’s sweeping Instagrams worldwide. This conceptually silly but aesthetically pleasing activity has spread from sunny California to stormy New England to Aarhus. Surf Agency is a watersports hub located right on the harbor specializing in SUP classes and rentals. If you’re a newbie on the water, you can sign up for a somewhat expensive introductory course or you can just throw yourself right off the deep end with an hourly rental. For the health nuts out there, Surf Agency also offers SUP yoga classes led by an instructor. Unfortunately, artsy photos are not included.

       i No wheelchair accessibility

       FOOD

       PHO C&P ($)

      Sønder Allé 14; 86 16 16 42; www.pho-cp.dk; open M-Th noon-8:30pm, F-Sa noon-9:30pm, Su noon-8:30pm

      Good morning, Vietnam! Well, maybe not, since Pho C&P doesn’t serve breakfast, but this popular spot will definitely serve up a good lunch or dinner. The menu is inspired by Vietnamese street food, (arguably the best in the world), and Pho C&P does it justice, from traditional bánh mì sandwiches to pho, the world’s most mispronounced soup. And though the authenticity doesn’t quite translate into Ho Chi Minh City prices, the place is definitely a bargain in Aarhus. Located just off of one of the city’s main shopping streets, Pho C&P is no secret, so try to eat during off-peak hours, or order takeout.

       i Bánh mì from DKK 45, pho and other entrées from DKK 75, beer from DKK 25; vegan and vegetarian options available; no wheelchair accessibility

       AARHUS STREET FOOD ($$)

      Ny Banegårdsgade 46; www.aarhusstreetfood.com; open M-Th 11:30am-9pm, F-Sa 11:30am-10pm, Su 11:30am-9pm

      Imagine if a huge fleet of food trucks all simultaneously got flat tires and jacked up their prices to pay for new ones, and you pretty much have Aarhus Street Food. Located in an old warehouse, food stands are designed to look like anything from corrugated metal shipping containers to plywood, cartoon-lemonade-stand-style shops. There’s even greater variety in the cuisine, so you’ll find everything from Afro-Caribbean jerk chicken and fries cooked in duck fat to Danish classics like rugbrød and flæskesteg. Smaller entrées like sandwiches go from DKK 50, but the price for a more substantial meal with a side and drink can quickly top DKK 100.

       i Entrées from SEK 50; gluten-free, vegan, and vegetarian options available; wheelchair accessible

       BILL’S COFFEE ($$)

      Vestergade 58; 20 74 71 96; open M-F 7:30am-6pm, Sa 9am-6pm, Su 9am-5pm

      Try to hop on the Wi-Fi at Bill’s and you’ll be greeted with a locked network called “BILLS is NOT an office,” which is a not-so-subtle request for you to get your millennial head out of the sand (and more specifically, off your phone) and into a book or mug of Bill’s coffee. So, have a seat at the counter, on a bench outside, or at a table underneath one of the strange, corrugated cardboard-esque lamps with a cappuccino poured by a denim-apron-clad barista, and take a minute to appreciate the eclectic reggae-jazz mix playing in the background. Or wonder how Bill’s manages to make a needlepoint pillow look modern. Your phone battery will appreciate it.

       i Coffee and espresso drinks from DKK 25, pastries and cakes from DKK 15; wheelchair accessible

       NIGHTLIFE

       FATTER ESKIL

      Skolegade 25; 21 35 44 11; www.fattereskil.dk; open W 8pm-midnight, Th 8pm-2am, F 4pm-5am, Sa 8pm-5am

      Fatter Eskil is one of Aarhus’s top live music venues with concerts most Wednesday through Saturday nights. Performances range from rock and metal, to R&B and dance music, and even after the concert is over, a DJ often comes on to keep the party going. Admission to Thursday Jam Nights is free, where you can show up and hop on stage for a song or two, or just sit and enjoy the cheap beer and live music. If you’re not feeling the vibe, or if the place dies down after the show is over, Fatter Eskil is located on Skolegade, which is also home to a number of other bars and nightclubs that are popular with the kids.

       i Cover DDK 40-80 depending on night, drinks from DKK 25; BGLTQ+ friendly; limited wheelchair accessibility

       THE TAP ROOM

      Frederiksgade 40; 86 19 19 10; www.tirnanog.dk; open M-Th noon-3am, F-Sa noon-5am, Su 1pm-3pm

      If you want the perfect pint of Guinness or glass of whiskey on the rocks, look no further. There are several Irish pubs in Aarhus (turns out the Irish know a thing or two about drinking), but The Tap Room is one of the best. The bartenders are Irish (or British or Australian), the whiskey is Irish, and the music is… American? The crowd is a great mix of young, not so young, Danish, Irish, American, and more, and the playlist contains everything from Arctic Monkeys to the Strokes. Thursday at 9pm is quiz night, but you can expect rugby or football (sorry, “soccer”) on the televisions during the week, and live music late into weekend nights.

       i Draft beer from DKK 50, cocktails from DKK 70, shots from DKK 30; BGLTQ+ friendly; wheelchair accessible

COPENHAGEN

      Coverage by Eric Chin

      There are a few things that generally hold true of Scandinavian cities: they’re small (Stockholm, Scandinavia’s largest,