Denmark cycling holidays

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Denmark cycling holidays

There’s a lot of truth in the saying that ‘the bike is a Dane’s best friend’.

Some years ago I visited friends in Copenhagen for a holiday. On being met off the overnight train from Lille, I asked them what the plan for the week was, and they replied: “The first thing we have to do before anything else is to rent you a bike.”

There’s a lot of truth in the saying that ‘the bike is a Dane’s best friend’. Around 90 percent of Danes own one, and the rest of them can hire one easily enough. During the morning commute bike lanes can be as busy as car lanes. As for where you can go by bike, there are more than 12,000km of marked cycling routes in Denmark, with 400km alone in the capital, Copenhagen, which is one of the most cyclist-friendly cities in the world.

Our cycling holidays in Denmark focus on the Jutland Peninsula and the islands to the west. They can also form part of multi country cycling tours that might take in the Netherlands and Germany, or cross into Sweden by rail over the Oresund Strait. Some trace sea-sprayed coastal paths, while others follow long distance Eurovelo routes.

Accommodation is in locally owned, small hotels that offer a warm welcome, bike storage, and hearty meals to cyclists passing through. Often these are in rural areas that don’t see a great many tourists, so a small group of hungry cyclists having dinner and a few drinks in a local pub can have quite a significant impact on the economy. And in turn, tourists on two wheels can always be sure of a friendly greeting wherever they go, especially in the countryside.

Learn more with our guide to Denmark cycling.

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Denmark cycling routes

East Jutland

Cycling is the best way to explore Denmark’s Jutland Peninsula, as it allows you to really take your time and immerse yourself not only in the region’s landscapes, but also its heritage, from Viking times to the present. Routes tend to stick to the east of the peninsula, which is characterised by lakes and forest.

A cycling holiday in Jutland might take you along Haervejen, a medieval trade and pilgrimage route, which passes through Jelling and Viborg, two of Denmark’s oldest settlements. One day might see you cycling next to fjords, along the disused rail line that traverses the stunning scenery between Horsens and Silkeborg, or through hills and pine forest. The next day might reveal agricultural landscapes dotted with ancient inns, and sand dunes swept with heather, juniper and crowberry. Saddlebags packed with locally sourced meats, cheeses and fruit, you’ll picnic by disused railway bridges, or atop hills with soaring lakeside views.

Denmark Archipelago

The Denmark Archipelago, off the east coast of the Jutland Peninsula, comprises some 400 islands, the largest of which is Zealand on which you find Copenhagen. Our cycling trips in Denmark might begin among the forests, canals, dikes and beaches of Falster, then take the ferry to Bogo to wander its little fishing villages. You can continue on to the chalk cliffs and thatched cottages of Mon, cool your feet off in the sea, and eventually cross to Zealand and finish in the stylish surrounds of the capital.

Dedicated cycle ways on Zealand are ideal for gentle pedalling to explore gorgeous coastline and forest, farmland studded with manor houses, and many interesting stop-offs where you can take a break from the saddle. You might spend an afternoon wandering the rooms and baroque gardens of Renaissance-era Frederiksborg Castle near Copenhagen. Or take in the twin-spired Roskilde Cathedral, final resting place of many Danish royals, before visiting the nearby Viking Ship Museum.

EuroVelo routes

EuroVelo is a network of long distance cycling routes spanning the European continent, and four of them pass through Denmark. They include the EuroVelo Route 3 which encompasses ancient burial mounds, and the 12th-century Jelling Church. This UNESCO World Heritage Site marks Denmark’s transition from paganism to Christianity through the conversion of its ruler at the time, one Harald ‘Bluetooth’ and was a mausoleum for his father, Gorm the Old. Harald’s capacity for building unity between Denmark’s fractious tribes would be remembered, centuries later, by developers working on how to connect devices by wireless technology, who went on to call it Bluetooth.

The EuroVelo Route 7 runs from Copenhagen all the way to Berlin, via Helsingor and Kronborg Castle, which Shakespeare immortalised as Elsinore in Hamlet. And the EuroVelo Route 10 goes from Jutland to Zealand via a number of smaller islands in the Denmark Archipelago, including Als, Bogo and Falster, which are connected either by bridges or public ferries that can carry bikes.

Multi country tours

Our Denmark cycling tours can link up with the beautiful Swedish coast via the Oresund Strait. A typical itinerary might begin by loading your bike onto a train from Malmo to Copenhagen – it crosses the Oresund Bridge, one of the longest in Europe and made famous by hit Scandi detective show, The Bridge. From Copenhagen you ride up to Helsingor then take the ferry back over to Sweden and down to Malmo.

The Denmark section could take you past Copenhagen’s Bellevue Beach with its iconic lifeguard towers designed by Arne Jacobsen; the picturesque Jaegersborg Dyrehave deer park, and waterfront villages where you can pick up some fishy treats from wooden smokehouses by the shore.

Another popular multi country tour combines Denmark with the Netherlands and Germany. Crossing the Baltic Sea from the German island of Fehmarn you join the Danish National Cycle Route 7 around Rodby and continue through Maribo, Sakskobing, Guldborg and Vordingborg, continuing through forest to the southern shore of the Praesto Fjord. A further solid day of cycling, 65km or so, would bring you to Copenhagen via the sandy beaches of Koge Bay.

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What do cycling holidays in Denmark involve?

Types of trip

Small group trips on fixed dates and itineraries are accompanied by tour leaders handling all the directions, so that you can just relax and enjoy the ride. A support van will often accompany you in the event anyone fancies a rest.

Self guided holidays allow you to take your own time getting from place to place, with detailed maps and route notes provided, GPS devices, and 24-hour support available. This is the option for you if you’re confident in your abilities and like the freedom to take a detour whenever the mood takes you.

How fit do I need to be?

Terrain-wise, you will encounter the occasional uphill, however Denmark is quite a flat country, with a well-maintained cycle network. Expect to be riding on dedicated cycle paths or quiet roads (dirt or tarmac) for the most part. But while our cycling trips in Denmark would suit casual cyclists, you will want to be in decent shape and to put in a little training beforehand. You’ll be in the saddle for upwards of five hours each day, covering distances of between 25 and 80km. Given the gradients involved, these trips are rarely tiring, but they do require a fair amount of pedalling.

Bike hire

Bike hire is included as standard, with good quality hybrids provided. You can upgrade to sportier models if you prefer, and electric bikes are often available too. Note that on self-guided trips it’s assumed you will be capable of some basic bike maintenance such as fixing a puncture, but of course help is just a phone call away if you need it.