Sign up for free updates on Things to do in Copenhagen and receive a daily recap email featuring the latest news about activities in the city. This article is part of FT Globetrotter’s Copenhagen guide.
Copenhagen is a cyclist’s paradise, offering easy and safe biking experiences with its segregated and extensive bike lanes. Renting a bike is convenient, whether from a store, an app like Donkey Republic, or your hotel. Put on a helmet, follow the simple rules of biking (stay to the right; raise your hand when stopping; don’t turn left directly, but cross the street and wait for a green light in front of the queue for those coming from the right), and enjoy the ride.
If you’re looking for a more ambitious cycling adventure, here’s a fantastic 50km route that takes you through some of Denmark’s top cultural sites, ending at the country’s most visited art museum, Louisiana.
From Copenhagen to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (50 km):
Please note: Check the wind direction on windfinder.com. If you’re coming from the south, the journey will be easier. If it’s from the north, you can reverse the route and start at Louisiana, ending in Copenhagen. Avoid strong easterly winds, which are rare. Consider postponing the trip or using an electric bike in such conditions.
The tour starts at Kongens Nytorv, the main square in the center of Copenhagen. Head towards the tourist hotspot Nyhavn, a 17th-century harbor with colorful houses, and then continue towards the western shore, passing landmarks like the Maersk headquarters and the well-preserved citadel. At this point, the route goes inland, passing the railway tracks and heading towards the modern Nordhavn district. Along the way, you can stop at one of Copenhagen’s finest bakeries, JuneClose to stock up on provisions.
Next, you’ll reach the Hellerup neighborhood, where you should turn right onto Strandvejen (“beach road”), the street you’ll follow for most of the trip. In Hellerup, you can admire the giant Tuborg bottle, one of the main attractions, and also take a break at a lovely park that houses the Øregaard Museum. Decide whether to go inside and appreciate the art or simply take a water break depending on your available time.
Continuing on, you’ll come across Charlottenlund Fort, a 19th-century coastal battery that now serves as a restaurant and campsite. Further up the coast is Charlottenlund Søbad, a private association offering winter bathing to its members and open to all from June to August. Cycling a bit further, you’ll reach Skovshoved, where you can spot Gas Station One-X, an ultra-modernist gas station designed by architect Arne Jacobsen in the 1930s. The route also passes by the small Jacobsen watchtowers on Bellevue beach.
Heading north towards Klampenborg, the coastal villas become increasingly impressive. Just before the road turns away from the sea, you’ll encounter another Jacobsen design: small watchtowers overlooking Bellevue Beach. From here, ride inland for several kilometers to reach Ordrupgaard art museum, the second cultural attraction on this route. The museum’s main building focuses on French Impressionists and the Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi, while its park features works by international contemporary artists like Jeppe Hein.
After visiting Ordrupgaard, continue to dyrehaven, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and former hunting ground for Danish royalty. The route through the park spans about 10km on dirt roads, and although it becomes hilly, it avoids steeper slopes. Enter the park through the red door of port of rhode and head east until you reach the Hermitage Hunting lodge. This beautiful Baroque building marks the highlight of both the climb and the entire route.
As you descend, take a right and then a left, passing a golf course and reentering the woods. Eventually, you’ll arrive at Raadvad, where you can consider having lunch at the recommended Raadvad Kro restaurant. Reenter Dyrehaven through a gate, head back towards the coast, and rejoin the main road. Follow this road for approximately 5km, and just after passing Vedbaek station, take a sharp right turn under the railway to connect to the Rungsted Strandvej, which will be your guide for the remainder of the trip.
A couple of kilometers before reaching the end, make a stop at the Karen Blixen Museum, the childhood home of the author famous for “Out of Africa.” Take time to explore the interior of the house and the flower garden, if possible, before embarking on the flat and exposed cycling path. After 7km, and just past niva port and beach, look for a right turn towards Gammel Strandvej, just before the road ascends into a forest. This shorter route leads to the lovely city of Humlebaek.
Before reaching the final destination in the north, treat yourself to a meal at the excellent restaurant Sletten. It’s worth reserving a table to celebrate the end of your journey. Finally, you’ll arrive at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, perched on a cliff with breathtaking views of the sea. Consider spending several hours exploring its collections and enjoying the unique museum environment.
Note: This route is provided as a suggested itinerary for experienced cyclists. Ensure you have the necessary biking skills and equipment before attempting it.
—————————————————-
| Article | Link |
|---|---|
| UK Artful Impressions | Premiere Etsy Store |
| Sponsored Content | View |
| 90’s Rock Band Review | View |
| Ted Lasso’s MacBook Guide | View |
| Nature’s Secret to More Energy | View |
| Ancient Recipe for Weight Loss | View |
| MacBook Air i3 vs i5 | View |
| You Need a VPN in 2023 – Liberty Shield | View |
Receive free updates on Things to do in Copenhagen
we will send you a myFT Daily Recap email gathering latest Things to do in Copenhagen news every morning.
This article is part of FT Globetrotter. Copenhagen guide
Copenhagen is a cyclist’s paradise. Bicycling is not only the easiest way to get around the city, it is also enjoyable and safe, thanks to segregated and widespread bike lanes. Renting a bike is easy, whether it’s in a store, an app like donkey republic or your hotel. Put on a helmet, follow the simple rules (stay to the right; raise your hand if stopped; don’t turn straight left, but cross the street and stop in front of the queue for those coming from the right and wait for a light green there) and enjoy the ride.
However, if you want something more ambitious, here’s a great 50km route that takes you through some of Denmark’s top cultural sites, ending at the country’s most visited art museum: Louisiana.
From Copenhagen to the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art (50 km)
-
For your information: It is worth checking the wind direction using windfinder.com. If you are coming from the south, the journey will be easier. If it is from the north, you can reverse the route and start in Louisiana and end in Copenhagen. A strong easterly wind should be avoided, which is rare; think about putting it off or using an electric bike.
The tour starts in the center of Copenhagen and its main square, Kongens Nytorv. Take the road to the tourist point of nyhavn (the 17th century harbor lined with colorful houses) then head towards the western shore, passing the Maersk headquarters and Castle, the citadel well preserved. Here the route heads inland, past the railway tracks and up towards the new and modern Nordhavn district. It’s possible to stock up on provisions at one of Copenhagen’s best bakeries, JuneClose to.
Make Mine Big: The Giant Tuborg Bottle in Hellerup
The Øregaard Museum, dedicated to Danish art from 1750 to 1950, is the first cultural stop on the route.
Follow the main road for another 1.5 km until you reach the Hellerup neighborhood and turn right onto Strandvejen (“camino de la playa”): the street that you will follow more or less during the rest of the trip. Hellerup has many small shops and cafes, as well as a giant Tuborg bottle as one of its main sights, before reaching a lovely little park on your left that houses the Øregaard Museumour first cultural stop.
Whether you choose to go in and see the art (all from 1750 to 1950, with some connection to this area just north of Copenhagen) or just take a water break will depend on how much time you have for the trip. If time is short, keep going: greater artistic treasures await you.
Campers at Fort Charlottenlund taking advantage of the old cannons of this 19th century coastal battery
Another 2 km down the road are Charlottenlund Forta 19th century coastal battery that now houses a restaurant and it has a campsite next to it. A little further up the coast is Charlottenlund Søbada private association that offers winter bathing to its members (don’t be surprised to see naked Danes wading in or out of the frozen sea) and is open to all from June to August.
Cycle a couple more kilometers to the small town of Skovshoved and be attentive to Gas Station One-X. Its mushroom-shaped canopy certainly looks sleeker and more spacious than your average gas station, and that’s because it was designed by architect Arne Jacobsen in the 1930s and is now considered one of the icons of modernist functionalism.
As the path continues north towards Klampenborgthe coastal villas keep getting fancier, and I start daydreaming about which one I would like to live in the most. Just before the road turns away from the sea, there is another Jacobsen design worth seeing: his. small watchtowers keeping an eye on Bellevue Beach in Klampenborg, which is also a possible swimming spot.
From here, take the road inland for several kilometers to ordrupgaard art museum: our second cultural attraction, which, for some, rivals even the final destination. The original early 20th-century farmhouse, housing collections by famous French and Danish artists, now boasts additions by famed architects to Zaha Hadid and Snøhetta, as well as outdoor sculptures around the grounds. Next door is the furniture designer. Finn Juhl’s house..
The main building of the Ordrupgaard museum focuses on the French Impressionists and the Danish artist Vilhelm Hammershøi (1864-1916) and his contemporaries. . .
. . . while its park highlights works by international contemporary artists such as Jeppe Hein, whose ‘Labyrinth of Semicircular Mirrors II’ (2013) can be seen here © Courtesy of the artist and the Ordrupgaard art museum
After Ordrupgaard, you will soon head to dyrehaven (the deer park once used as a hunting ground by Danish royalty and now a UNESCO World Heritage Site) for the next 10km or so on dirt roads. Here the route becomes more hilly but avoids the steeper slopes. Enter the park by port of rhode, the red door that lives up to its name. Head east until you reach the house with a thatched roof and the restaurant in Peter Liep’s husbandwhere it turns north. The road climbs slowly, passing, on my journey, dozens of deer on either side, to the Hermitage Hunting lodge used by Danish kings in the 18th and 19th centuries. The beautiful Baroque building marks the highlight of both the climb and the entire route.
The next leg of the route passes the Hermitage hunting lodge, used by Danish kings in the 18th and 19th centuries. . .
. . . in a deer park that is now a Unesco world heritage site
As you go downhill, turn first to the right and then to the left, skirting a golf course and then back into the woods. Soon you arrive at the hamlet of Raadvadwhere I highly recommend it Raadvad Kro restaurant as a possible lunch spot (two other nearby possibilities are its sister establishment Country house Den Guleand the unrelated Country house Den Røde). After Kro, re-enter Dyrehaven through a gate and head back towards the coast, stopping just after the railway line and before the sea to rejoin the main road. cycle route 9 from Copenhagen to Helsingør (Elsinore).
Follow this surprisingly undulating road for about 5 km. just after passing Vedbaek stationa sharp right turn under the railway connects to the main road, the Rungsted Strandvej, which you basically follow for the rest of the trip. Our penultimate cultural stop continues in a couple of kilometers: the Karen Blixen Museumthe childhood home of the author best known for writing out of africa. Both the interior of the house and the flower garden are worth visiting if you have time or want to stop before the last drive north.
Here cycling is flat and unforgiving, especially if there is a wind from the sea. Seven kilometers from the museum, and just past niva port and beach, look for the turn to the right towards Gammel Strandvej, just before the road goes up and enters a forest. This is a nicer walk into the city of humlebaek. Before reaching our final destination in the north, we stopped by the excellent restaurant slettenIt is well worth reserving for a dinner to celebrate the end of the trip.
“One of the most beautifully situated galleries in the world”: the Louisiana looks out to sea. . .
. . . and works like this trampoline sculpture by Berlin artists Elmgreen & Dragset interact with the museum environment.
He Louisiana Museum of Modern ArtPerched on a cliff overlooking the sea, it must be one of the best located galleries in the world. It might be a bit of a shock to the system to suddenly bump into hundreds of local and foreign tourists after the quiet of the bike ride, but spending several hours exploring the collections, frequently changing special exhibits, and beautiful gardens. The cafeteria also serves decent food.
Those looking for the best exercise can cycle back to Copenhagen; the rest of us mortals can take the train from Humlebaek (just remember to buy an extra ticket for your bike).
route variations
A railway line from Copenhagen to Elsinore follows the route and allows for infinite variations. It is possible to continue from Louisiana to Elsinore and its wonderful Kronborg Castlethe stage for Village.
It is also possible to start and finish at any of the dozens of stations on the route between Copenhagen and Humlebaek. A natural break, about halfway, is Klampenborg, near the Ordrupgaard museum; it is served by the S-tog commuter line, which (unlike the main rail line to Elsinore) has the advantage of being free for bicycles.
Tell us about your favorite bike rides in and around Copenhagen in the comments below. And follow FT Globetrotter on Instagram at @FTGlobetrotter
Cities with the FT
—————————————————-