{"id":5723,"date":"2026-06-16T14:18:00","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:18:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/europes-finest-museum-has-just-been-named-and-its-only-2-hours-from-uk\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T14:18:00","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T13:18:00","slug":"europes-finest-museum-has-just-been-named-and-its-only-2-hours-from-uk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/2026\/06\/16\/europes-finest-museum-has-just-been-named-and-its-only-2-hours-from-uk\/","title":{"rendered":"‘Europe’s finest museum’ has just been named and it’s only 2 hours from UK"},"content":{"rendered":"


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Step back in time at \u2018Europe\u2019s best museum\u2019 (Picture: Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

When you\u2019re planning a city break<\/a> itinerary, the checklist goes something like this: best restaurant<\/a>, best tour, and best museum.<\/p>\n

The final matter is the perfect way to get to grips with a country, diving into its culture and history. And luckily, Europe<\/a> is full of \u2019em.<\/p>\n

Coincidentally, the European Museum of the Year Awards<\/a> took place in Bilbao last weekend, a celebration of the continent\u2019s most inspiring galleries, exhibitions, and collections.<\/p>\n

And while there were plenty of fantastic names competing for the top spot, there could only be one winner: Den Gamle By<\/strong>\u00a0in Aarhus, Denmark\u2019s quirky second city<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Den Gamle By, which is Danish for \u2018The Old Town,\u2019 comprises four different exhibitions and is one of the world\u2019s oldest open-air museums.<\/p>\n

Complete with some 75 historic buildings, period actors, and volunteers, the museum offers an immersive experience from the 1600s to present day.<\/p>\n

The European Museum Forum (EMF), which runs the award, recognised Den Gamle By for \u2018redefining the genre\u2019 of open-air museums through its \u2018deeply socially engaged and participatory approach.\u2019<\/p>\n

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We\u2019re giving you the chance to win two return Business Class flights with Singapore Airlines to Sydney<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The winner can choose to fly from London Heathrow, London Gatwick or Manchester, to a choice of two Sydney airports: Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport or the airline\u2019s newest gateway, Western Sydney International Airport.<\/p>\n

Soar across the globe to discover Sydney\u2019s iconic Opera House, stunning surf beaches of Byron Bay, and the majestic, UNESCO-listed Blue Mountains.<\/p>\n

Enter by June 15, 2026, and you could be travelling in style to New South Wales with Singapore Airlines.<\/p>\n

For your chance to win two Business Class flights with Singapore Airlines<\/strong>, visit Metro.co.uk\/Singapore-Airlines<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n

Open to UK (excluding Northern Ireland) residents aged 18 or over. Promotion opens at 09:00 on 26\/05\/2026 and closes at 23:59 on 15\/06\/2026. Entrant must enter by visiting metro.co.uk\/singapore-airlines. One prize of two Singapore Airlines Business Class return tickets is available. One entry per person.\u00a0Full T&Cs apply.<\/em><\/sub><\/sup><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Plus, with Aarhus being a stone\u2019s throw from the UK, not to mention a steal \u2014 on Tuesday, June 30, Ryanair<\/a> is flying from London Stansted<\/a> for \u00a317 \u2014 there\u2019s no excuse not to visit.<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s take a deep dive into this fascinating space, described as somewhere \u2018by ordinary people, for ordinary people.\u2019<\/p>\n

A time-travel experience<\/h2>\n

Metro\u2019s<\/strong> Chris Buswell recently went to Aarhus, and he says if you want to understand Denmark<\/a>, a trip to Den Gamle By is non-negotiable.<\/p>\n

Chris visited the museum back in May and called it a \u2018sprawling living historic village\u2019 that recreates Danish town life across the centuries.<\/p>\n

Located in the centre of the city, there are four spaces dedicated to distinct eras: 1864, 1927, 1974 and the early 2000s and 2010s.<\/p>\n

The first transports you back into a Hans Christian Andersen fairytale. <\/p>\n

The Danish author, known for The Little Mermaid, Thumbelina, and The Princess and the Pea, lived during the 1800s.<\/p>\n

This area features traditional timber-framed houses, cobbled streets, horse-drawn carriages and actors recreating village life.<\/p>\n

The museum encourages you to have a chat with the baker\u2019s wife, the farmhand or the kitchen maid. Or, taste the vanilla biscuits and cakes\u00a0with recipes that date back to before the 1880s.<\/p>\n

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Visitors can time travel from the 1800s to present day (Picture: imageBROKER\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n
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\n\t\t\t\tPrevious European Museum of Year winners\t\t\t<\/h2>\n
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2025: <\/strong>Manchester Museum, Manchester<\/p>\n

2024:<\/strong> S\u00e1mi Museum Siida, Finland<\/p>\n

2023: <\/strong>L\u2019Etno, Valencian Museum of Ethnology, Spain<\/p>\n

2022<\/strong>: Museum of the Mind, The Netherlands<\/p>\n

2021: <\/strong>Naturalis Biodiversity Center, The Netherlands<\/p>\n

2020: <\/strong>Stapferhaus, Switzerland<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n

Transition into the 20th century, when Aarhus became a modern city with gable advertisements, pavements and telephone cables.<\/p>\n

In this era, visit the ironmonger and the bookshop, or \u2018purchase\u2019 your first vehicle at the car dealership.<\/p>\n

Local life changes dramatically in the 70s. Expect jazz bars, grocery shops and vintage stores.<\/p>\n

Described as the \u2018heyday of the welfare society,\u2019 and famous for the women\u2019s movement, here you\u2019ll \u2018meet the gynaecologist, nuclear family, the commune, the retired couple, the hippie couple and the Greenlandic student.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

Finally, experience nostalgia for the contemporary 2000s society by visiting a Blockbuster store.<\/p>\n

Then, in 2014, walk through a pedestrian street home to single woman Rikke and the Isager \u2018rainbow family,\u2019 a lesbian couple with three children.<\/p>\n

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Flower power in 1970s Denmark (Picture: imageBROKER\/Shutterstock)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

How much is the museum?<\/h2>\n

Adult tickets cost 205 DKK (\u00a323). Kids go free. However, children still need to obtain a ticket before entering.<\/p>\n

If you purchase your ticket online, you can skip the queue on arrival.<\/p>\n

Students can get discounted tickets at the entrance when presenting their student ID.<\/p>\n

Considering the size of the museum and the continuous immersive experience, it\u2019s a steal if you ask us.<\/p>\n

What has been said about the museum?<\/h2>\n

After Den Gamle By\u2019s win, the EMF praised the museum for being \u2018a dynamic agent of social change rather than merely a site of nostalgia.\u2019<\/p>\n

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\u2018Through a variety of hands-on interactions, joyful reenactments, and community-driven storytelling, 400 years of the city\u2019s history are brought into dialogue with the present, where important contemporary societal questions take centre stage.\u2019<\/p>\n

Plus, the carefully researched narratives address themes such as migration, identity, and social justice, and ensure authenticity while \u2018actively challenging simplified or romanticised representations of the past.\u2019<\/p>\n

Over on TripAdvisor, previous visitors have nothing but good things to say about the museum \u2014 some even said they ran out of time because there was so much to see.<\/p>\n

One person called it a \u2018fantastic living museum and storytelling in one,\u2019 as another said it was a \u2018must-see\u2019 in Aarhus.<\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: \u2018World\u2019s biggest bouncy castle\u2019 is coming to the UK \u2014 with adults-only sessions<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: The UK\u2019s newest direct flight might be the most thrilling destination yet<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

Arrow<\/title>\n<\/svg>MORE: London\u2019s naked bike ride has unlocked a new fear for people in the city<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n

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Step back in time at \u2018Europe\u2019s best museum\u2019 (Picture: Shutterstock) When you\u2019re planning a city break itinerary, the checklist goes something like this: best restaurant, best tour, and best museum. The final matter is the perfect way to get to grips with a country, diving into its culture and history. And luckily, Europe is full […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":5724,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/metro.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/06\/SEI_301624913-3a5c_1781615899.jpg?quality=90&strip=all&w=1200&h=630&crop=1","fifu_image_alt":"","jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"jnews_override_counter":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[5054,1750,2807,8976,542,1011,1171,1675,795,1751,1113],"class_list":["post-5723","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-lifestyle","tag-denmark","tag-europe-travel","tag-europes","tag-finest","tag-hours","tag-lifestyle","tag-museum","tag-named","tag-travel","tag-travel-inspiration","tag-travel-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5723","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5723"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5723\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/5724"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5723"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5723"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thehotedit.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5723"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}