Heather on her travels

Posted: 27 Jul 2011 02:24 PM PDT

One of the things that strikes you (hopefully not literally) on the streets of Copenhagen are the sheer number of bikes, three deep at every traffic light, parked randomly outside every building, constantly streaming by as Copenhageners go about their work and play.

But did you know that bikes are not just for getting around the central area of Copenhagen, but for getting out of the city for a bit of sea air, countryside and adventure? And what makes it possible is that it’s super easy to take the bike on the train in Copenhagen, head out of the city and then cycle about wherever the fancy takes you. Just take your bike down in the lift that you find at most stations, then wait on the platform until the train comes and head for the special bike carriages, normally at each end of the train. They’re clearly marked for bikes and you park your bike in the racks inside, then sit down and enjoy the ride – easy peasy!

Heather on the train in Copenhagen

Our adventure began when we hired bikes at the Ibsens Hotel where we were staying, got on the train at the nearest station of Nørreport and took the train to Klampenborg where we could just glimpse the sea between the houses. We could have stopped here, as many families were doing, and taken a turn around the deerpark of Dyrehaven where you can take a carriage ride, or hire ponies for the kids. Instead we changed platforms for the coast train and continued a few more stops along the coast to Runsted Kyst where we got off and cycled along the cycle path following the signs to the Karen Blixen House and Museum.

On my bike at Klambenborg station, Copenhagen

This is the childhood home of the well-known Danish writer, Karen Blixen, author of Out of Africa, and the place where she returned after her coffee plantation in Kenya had failed and she came back to Denmark with no money. In one wing of the house there is a small shop, cafe and museum where you’ll see photographs and objects from Karen Blixen’s life, while in the other wing are the private rooms where she lived. Here you can wander around the elegant, antique-furnished rooms with lovely floral arrangements from the garden just as they were in her lifetime, with the Masai spears that she brought back from Kenya, the brass studded Somali chest that was a gift from her servant Farah and the Chinese fire-screen from which she picked out figures to weave into story tales for her English lover, Denys Finch Hatton.

Karen Blixen House near Copenhagen

We took a walk in the woods behind the house which Karen Blixen left as a bird sanctuary and where she is buried under a tall, spreading tree. Then after a cup of coffee on the terrace overlooking the small lake, we jumped on our bikes again and cycled along the coast road, admiring the beautiful, and no doubt expensive houses overlooking the sound, and catching a view of the sea every so often. We passed marinas with sailing boats moored up, grassy stretches where people had stopped to relax and arrived back at the beach at Klampenborg where we lay in the sun for a while, before getting back on the train.

Bikes on the train in Copenhagen

Along this stretch of coastal train line, there are plenty more adventures to be had and by taking your bike on the train, you have the freedom to explore away from the stations, where a visitor might not normally venture on foot.

Here are a few more things to explore on the coastal train line north out of Copenhagen;

Get off at Klampenborg

This is a favourite stop for families at weekends, where you get out at Klampenborg and find the gates to the deerpark of Dyrehaven just outside the station. This former royal hunting ground is home to 2000 deer and in spring you can see the young fawns and there are horse and carriage rides around the park. You can stop for lunch at the Peter Lieps Hus country inn, where you can eat Danish traditional dishes or admire the old Ermitage palace in the centre of the park. There’s also the Bakken amusement park on the edge of Dyrehaven deerpark, close to the station and on the other side of the station there’s the beach where you can relax if the weather’s fine.

Get off at Charlottenlund

Beach at Klampenborg near Copenhagen

At Charlottenlund you’ll find the pretty park around Charlottenlund Palace which is not open to the public but you can have a picnic in the park or visit Denmark’s Aquarium that is at the corner of the park. There’s a beach here too and an old fort overlooking the sea with canons from the First World War and a campsite if you want to extend your stay.

Get off at Humlebæk

Get off the train at Humlebæk for the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, with sculpture in the gardens overlooking the sea and a children’s wing with plenty of family friendly activities.

Get off at Helsingør

This is the furthest stop on the coastal train route and takes you to the pretty medieval town of Helsingør, the location of Elsinore in Shakespeare’s play Hamlet. You can visit the castle of Kronborg Slot built in the 16th century to ensure that taxes were levied on all the sea traffic passing between the Sound between Denmark and Sweden, only 4km across the water.

More adventures in Copenhagen

Our long weekend in Copenhagen – Podcast
In search of the perfect Smørrebrød in Copenhagen
Out of Africa and other Danish Stories at the Karen Blixen Museum in Copenhagen

Resources for visiting Copenhagen

The Visit Copenhagen website has plenty of information about places to visit in and around Copenhagen
We took the train using the Copenhagen Card that gives free entry to 65 museums and attractions as well as free public transport around the city
Thanks to Wonderful Copenhagen for sponsoring our weekend in Copenhagen.

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