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DISCOVER DENMARK

Denmark launches website in English mapping country’s bike routes

Cycling nation Denmark has launched a new resource for two-wheeled tourists mapping out the long-distance bicycle routes that crisscross the country.

Denmark launches website in English mapping country’s bike routes
A new resource in English and German makes it easier to plan a cycling holiday in Denmark. File photo: Henning Bagger/Ritzau Scanpix

Denmark’s national bicycle routes have been given a dedicated website, ruter.dk, available in English as well as German and Danish.

The 11 major cycling routes across the country are mapped out in detail with tips for planning a cycling holiday, attractions along the routes and practical details such as distances, time needed to cover the route, accommodation information and locations for filling up on food and drink.

Each route is also broken down into smaller sections for shorter trips. Each element includes a map that is downloadable as a .gpx file.

The resource was developed in response to an increasing interest in Denmark as a cycling holiday destination, the Danish Roads Directorate (Vejdirektoratet) said in a press statement.

The national bicycle routes, developed in the 1990s, a cohesive network of holiday-oriented bicycle routes which span Denmark.

“There are almost 5,000 kilometres of national bicycle routes in Denmark and they give plenty of opportunity to create good cycling holiday memories,” Transport Minister Thomas Danielsen said in the statement.

“Now it is even easier to discover the routes from home and plan your trip according to your needs. It’s a practical and easy way to understand the bicycle routes, not least for tourists who experience Denmark from the saddle,” he said.

With its English-language version, the new resource could benefit foreigners based in Denmark who want to plan cycling days out locally or longer trips to other parts of the country.

Its German-language version has arguably even more potential for the Danish tourism industry, with almost one in two cycling tourists in Denmark hailing from Germany according to Jesper Pørksen, director of the Danish Cycling Tourism association.

Several of the 11 Danish national routes are also part of a broader European network of long distance cycle routes, the EuroVelo routes.

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The best places to camp in Denmark this summer (that are close to Aarhus and Copenhagen)

With the summer break around the corner, we've some idyllic places in Denmark where you can set up a tent, gather around a camp fire and gaze at the stars -- and won't have to travel for hours to do so.

The best places to camp in Denmark this summer (that are close to Aarhus and Copenhagen)

Møns Klint

Located south of Copenhagen, this place is nicknamed the Cold Caribbean because of its crystal clear water, created by the 70 million-year-old chalk cliffs gentling crumbling into the Baltic Sea. Møns Klint is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and the beach is full of ancient fossils, making it a special place to visit.

The area is Scandinavia’s first Dark Sky Park; an area completely free of light pollution, making stargazing, with the added reflection from the sea below, a magical experience.

The camping site here offers options of tents, caravans and either basic or family cabins. There are lots of amenities such as kitchen, washing and drying facilities, outdoor heated pool in the summer, mini golf course, playground, football pitch, tennis court, a fenced-in dog park with washing facilities.

The campsite also has a small kiosk and pizza restaurant and WIFI-internet which covers most of the area. Horse riding, kayaking, mountain biking, hiking, sailing, fishing are all activities you can enjoy nearby. 

Møn is around a two-hour journey from Copenhagen, making it the longest journey from one of Denmark’s two largest cities on this list. But it’s such a beautiful place, we think it’s worth the extra effort.

Photo by Levin Kohrt on Unsplash

Vejle

Around an hour south of Aarhus is Denmark’s ninth largest city, Vejle. The town is surrounded by nature including Vejle Fjord, where the low forested hills, something of a rarity in Denmark, were shaped by glaciers during the last ice age. 

The campsite is located close to Vejle Fjord and Albuen Strand. Here you can pitch up your tent, caravan or motorhome, or rent out one of the 13 luxury cabins. Facilities include a kitchen, playground, TV room and equipment for fishing. 

Just outside the campsite is the forest Nørreskoven with the deer park, Dyrehaven. Nørreskoven is well-known for its large beech trees from the early sixteenth century. You can enjoy the forest from above in the treetop climbing park, Gorilla Park, or enjoy an obstacle course or mountain bike trail, organised by the sports college, Vejle Idrætshøjskole.

The campsite is also close to the family-friendly sandy Albuen beach, which has benches, picnic tables, a playground, beach volley court and kiosk.

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Aarhus

At Blommehaven campsite in Aarhus, you can pitch up a tent in the middle of Marselisborg Forest, enjoy a view of Aarhus Bay and walk to a variety of beautiful beaches.

There are activities for children including a playground, trampoline, climbing wall, ball field and indoor playroom, miniature golf and bike rental.

The campsite is only 5km from central Aarhus, so you can get an urban fix by cycling into the city to enjoy museums, Tivoli Friheden or the well-known Den Gamle By. Further afield, in less than an hour you can get to Mols Bjerge, Ebeltoft, Randers Regnskov, or take a boat trip to Samsø.

As well as camping, there are simple cabins without bathrooms.

Photo by Mikkel Jönck Schmidt on Unsplash

Ebeltoft

Ebeltoft Strand Camping Site in the southern part of Djursland, is set along a one-kilometre, child-friendly sandy beach meaning swimming, sand-castle building, wind and kite surfing are right on the doorstep.

You can arrive at the site with a tent, caravan, camper van or rent a luxury cabin and there’s a swimming pool and sauna, as well as football pitch, playground, table tennis and minigolf course.

You can walk into the town of Ebeltoft, where you can visit the world’s longest wooden warship at the Frigate Jutland, or wander through Ebeltoft’s charming cobbled streets. Ree Park and Mols Bjerge National Park are also worth exploring.

Fire pit, camping, Denmark

Enjoying wild camping at Bøllemosen, Skodsborg, north of Copenhagen. Photo: Emma Pouncey
 

Wild camping

If you want a no-frills camping experience, you can find suitable spots in forests on the Danish Nature Agency website called ‘primitive overnatningspladser og shelters,’ directly translated as ‘primitive accommodation and shelters.’

The Nature Agency lists forests with suitable clearings for tents to be pitched, areas for camp fires and in some places, a water tap. You can stay up to two consecutive nights on the site and it’s all free.

There is also the option of a basic shelter for those not wanting to use a tent, which are also free. You can book in advance or use on on a first come, first served basis for up to two consecutive nights. You can see all shelters and wild camping spots at udinaturen.

READ ALSO:Five music festivals happening in Denmark this summer

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