Good morning Copenhagen!
My last day in Denmark is set for an early start cause I needed to take care of few logistical things this morning. To add some perspective, I started my trip in Berlin from where I also rented my bike so now that I've reached my destination I somehow need to return back. I was thinking there should be a train connecting Copenhagen to Berlin and sure there is but if booked on short notice it can be quite expensive considering also that summer is a high demand season of the year for passenger rail transportation in EU. Long story short, there was no direct train ticket available for me and my bike back to Berlin that day even if I was willing to pay the high price.
So now I was looking for an alternative which I eventually found in the form of a not so comfy but practical and budget friendly solution: splitting the trip into segments with some cycling in between. First segment was boarding a local train from Copenhagen to Nykobing Falster, second one was cycling back to Gedser, third crossing with the ferry to Rostock in Germany and finally the forth segment would be taking another local train from Rostock to Berlin. The advantage with the local trains is that they have more frequent departures and cost less plus it's easier to find a place for your bike without a reservation.
Soon it started dripping...
On my way to the train station it started to rain which was a very good reason for me to stop for a coffee and some breakfast. Luckily I found a coffee shop right across the road from the Central Station.
Bought the train tickets to Nykobing and the good news is that the departure time was flexible, meaning I can take any train going there throughout the day, so I picked one for later in the afternoon around 5 PM. Now having some clarity on the timing I went back to the hostel to pack my bags and have a little extra time city touring with my bike.
While I was packing the sky cleared just in time so I could fully enjoy my last couple of hours discovering Copenhagen. Where to go first? Well, I cannot say I've been to Copenhagen without seeing "the Little Mermaid" statue, so let's go there first.
Now I have some interesting things I found while documenting for this post about cycling in Copenhagen so we could better understand why cycling is so popular here:
"Copenhagen is known for being a city of cyclists. Its residents do not ride bicycles because they have some special cycling gene or because they care more about the environment than other people. They ride because it's safe, fast and easy to get around by bike in the city in their daily lives.
The backbone of a city designed for cycling is a network of protected bike lanes. In Denmark, unidirectional bike lanes are separated from both the pavements and the road by a kerb. Protected bike lanes are a must when the volume and speed of vehicle traffic is high. Without them, women and children are less likely to cycle, meaning cycling will never be for everybody." Source: Cycling Copenhagen: The Making of a Bike-Friendly City
Copenhagen could be a source of inspirations for many other cities around the world who struggle with excessive traffic, air and noise pollution in order to avoid their ‘Carmageddon’. I am from Romania and my first thought after reading the info above went straight to our capital Bucharest which is the most crowded European capital and 5th in the world in terms of traffic jams. Considering the terrain is mostly flat in Bucharest like in Copenhagen I think our politicians should meet and cycle together in Copenhagen and may be share that vision of a liveable, people friendly and sustainable capital. Just a thought...
"The best way to convince someone to jump on their bike instead of jump in their car is to make sure that the city infrastructure is set up in a way that makes the bicycle the natural choice. And if, as many Copenhageners seem to believe, taking their bike is both the easiest, fastest, healthiest and cheapest mode of transport, then that choice becomes no choice at all." Source: Copenhagen is the best cycling city in the world
And look what else I've found!
Bicycles and Aston Martin's are a good match tho... :)
Couple of hours later I returned to the train station happy that I've had the chance to live like a Copenhagener even for a day.
After a pleasant one and a half hour train ride over the danish countryside I arrived in Nykobing Falster. Had plenty of time to search for a camping and so I found one about 15 km from the station and only 10 km away from the ferry in Gedser which I planned to catch the following morning.
The answer was both and I think I set a new personal record on pitching up my tent. Unfortunately I don't have other photos from Bruserup Strand Nature Camp but you can find more info from Gmaps reviews, just click on the name and it will take you there.
Had the pleasure to enjoy a nice conversation and a beer around this magic campfire together with a couple from Denmark who also made the fire and another couple touring with their bikes from Germany. Couldn't think of a better way to end this last day on the road of the 2021 bike tour from Berlin to Copenhagen.
Actually there is one more post I'm preparing following this one about the last leg of this returning trip to Berlin and some personal conclusions of the entire trip so I hope I'll see you again soon.
Until next time,
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All photos were taken with my iPhone 11 and Sony DSC-HX60V camera.
EuroVelo, the European Cycle Route Network are registered marks of ECF asbl.
I have no affiliation with EuroVelo or other organisations mentioned here, I am just a traveller sharing his bike touring trips, views and opinions.
EuroVelo is a network of 17 long distance cycle routes connecting and uniting the whole European continent totaling over 90,000 km of cycling itineraries.