An active city break in Aarhus

If you are looking for a coastal city break where you and your family can stay active by cycling, sailing and walking as well as enjoying historic and cultural attractions, Aarhus in Denmark is a great place to go.

The city is Denmark's second biggest, and is well-served by cheap flights, making it ideal for a late summer getaway.

A large student population also makes it a young city, bringing the added benefit of specialist shops, lots of cultural events, and plenty of places to eat and drink.

One of Aarhus' best family attractions is Den Gamle By (Old Town), which features over 70 historic buildings that are from 100 to 600-years old.

A living, urban museum, the Gamle By is ranked as one of the country's top attractions, alongside Legoland in Billund and Copenhagen's Tivoli Gardens, and gives families a chance to experience what life was like in the time of Hans Christian Anderson, the famous Danish children's writer.

Holidaymakers can visit buildings, gardens, shops, schools and offices which include the homes of a merchant and a baker, an ironmonger's workshop, a customs house and a pharmacy.

For a dose of more contemporary culture, Aarhus' cube-shaped Aros Art Museum has a mix of international and traditional Danish art, including work by Olafur Eliasson.

For the active family holiday experience you can head out of the pedestrianised central streets and get on a bike and take in the beaches, forests and lakes in the surrounding area.

Among the places that are good to visit by bike are the Botanical Gardens, Braband Lake, which has a cycle path going round the lake, the Tivoli Friheden amusement park and Marselisborg Palace located in Memorial Park.

If you want to keep exploring further out, then a path from the park runs south all the way to through the Marselisborg woods, where you can stop for a break at the Deer Park, where you can see fallow and sika deer, and wild boar.

Keep following the path and you are rewarded by sea views from Ballehage or Moesgård beach, or cultural insight into prehistoric times at the Moesgård Museum.

Ryanair flies from London Stansted to Aarhus Airport twice daily, and Sterling Airlines has flights from London Gatwick to Billund airport, with a coach transfer available to Aarhus. DFDS Seaways sails direct from Harwich to Esbjerg.

For more information on visiting Aarhus see the official tourist board site at www.visitaarhus.com