A Nation of Cyclists
As you may have experienced already, Denmark is a country for bicyclist. We have flat terrain and no mountains which makes it perfect to bike long distances, although it can be difficult to know where to start. Luckily there are some famous biking routes that take you past some amazing scenery, which we will explore in this article.
The Baltic Sea cycle route (820 km) is in the shape of the figure eight and runs through areas of coastal Denmark. This route includes seeing the fjords west of “Lille belt” or Small Belt bridge, the archipelago around Southern Fyn and the beautiful cliffs on the island of Møn. This route has many island-hopping adventures which include biking across bridges or taking your bike on ferries to find quite islands and scenic beaches, while making your way down to the south of Jutland.
Photo: Michael Fiukowski & Sarah Moritz
The North Sea Cycle Route (560 km) is from the German border in the south to the Northern part of Skagen. This route takes you on some of the best routes through the countryside, past scenic fishing villages and unique natural areas. As you go down this route, you will also cyckle past the Wadden Sea, a Unesco World heritage site, home to seals and the country’s best oysters. Here you will also come across the Tipperne bird sanctuary and towering sand dunes that shift the landscape every year. At the top of the route, you will reach Grenen, Jutland’s most northern point, where the Skagerrak and Kattegat seas meet.
Photo: Dennis Lundby
The Limfjord Route (600 km) takes you throught Denmark’s largest fjord area, 180 km of islands, bays, and narrow ports where ferries and many bridges connect to the land. This is a historical route, as the Vikings used it over thousands of years ago. A very beautiful and scenic route taking you through landscapes of the east coast and rougher seas of the North Sea Coast.
The Berlin- Copenhagen Route (630 km) is the international bike path connecting two energic and trendy cities with views of unspoilt nature, swimming gems, etc. This route is part of the Eurovelo 7 cycle route, it is divided into three stages and takes roughly 12 days to complete including the ferry ride between Rostock and Gedser. If you are biking enthusiast, this is definitely an all-time favourite route.
The Ancient Road (450 km) is a historic hiking and cycling route leading you from South Jutland over the moraine hills to Frederikshavn in the North Jutland. On this route, you will see cultural monuments, historical sights, and amusement parks. This was once the route for pilgrims, drovers, merchants, and craftsmen, however today it is the perfect travel route from north to south Jutland to witness the backbone of the country and its lovely natural landscapes.
Photo: Destination Sønderjylland
The Fjord Path (275 km) starts in Roskilde some 40 km outside of Copenhagen and takes you around the Roskilde fjord and Isefjord on the north and west parts of Zealand. Not many hills, this route clings to the fjord coastline with sea views and car-free roads most of the way and is a relatively easy bike route.
The Border Route (130 km) takes you through the area where northern Germany and southern Jutland join. It runs from the North Sea to the Baltic Sea and zigzags across the border from Vidå Lock near Højer to the top of the port of Flensburg.
There is no ideal time of the year to do your biking routes, but the typical Dane would recommend when temperatures hit around 22 Celsius and when you have the most hours of daylight, which is generally peak travel season in Denmark. If you are not interested in a solo bike trip, then there are bike tours that you can join with other enthusiast. The best helper when planning your bike trip would be the site Naviki which offers route planning info and much more.