In the aftermath of the defeat to the Prussian army in 1864, and loss of a huge chunk of the southern part of Jutland, danish politicians decided to build the third fortifications of the Capital to be able to at least save the government, royals, and culture if aggressors again should succeed in overrunning the Danish military.
Today the fortififications provide the backdrop for a recreational ride around Copenhagen. Continue reading The Western Fortifications of Copenhagen
Having completed the casual riding the tidal waves of commuter bikes on the Copenhagen bikelanes you might long for some tranquil paths in more green surroundings, with just some occasional airplanes taking off over your head – at least we do. Continue reading Amager Round-trip
Traveling on bike means you are exposed to all kinds of weather. Usually, weather-worries tend to focus on the possibility of wet conditions, making waterproof bags and panniers the cyclists’ “wet dream”. Waterproof panniers made from PVC/PU-lined fabric with welded seams by german Ortlieb have long been the prefered kit for bike world travelers and rain-or-shine commuters.
New Zealand has a magnificient landscape of which you can assure yourself by watching Lord of the Rings. So the prospect of cycling in a landscape of that diversity and grandeur is a dream come true.
While planning the trip, I noted that the only cycling guide from Lonely Planet acctually was on New Zealand, so: “a perfect spot for a cycling vacation with the family”, was my initial thought.
Luckily, we added up the kms needed to visit the sights we wanted to see on the South Island, and realized that renting a car would be more sensible as we were going the whole family. So we picked the one “unmissable” trek for our cycling needs, following the advice from Lonely Planet – and numerous online sources – and went for the Central Otago Rail Trail. Continue reading Central Otago Rail Trail
Back in May my girlfriend and I were invited to Sweden by Björn from Kvinnaböske Krog & Hotell. Björn wanted to know how he could attract more Danish cyclists to the area and to his inn. Kvinnaböske, a small settlement of a few houses, lies between Båstad and Ängelholm in Western Scania. It is only a two hour train ride away from Copenhagen. Direct trains serve both cities every hour.
Kvinnaböske is situated at the foot of “Hallandsåsen”, a horst on the border between Scania and Halland. It reaches its highest point at Högalteknall near the village of Hasslöv at 224 metres. The horst can be climbed from either North or South via a number of great, long ascents. Many of them reaches grades of 10% or more. For a Danish cyclist not being exploited with hills this alone is a reason to go. Continue reading Exploring Swedish hills
After a good day of rest in Hamburg it was time to mount the bike again. The goal of this rather cloudy Sunday was Hannover, close to 200 km South of the Hanseatic city at the Elbe river. And the Elbe was my first waypoint.
There are several ways of crossing the Elbe. I chose going under it via the old St. Pauli Elbtunnel. Build in 1911 and with a length of 426.5 meters it connects the city with the extensive harbour area on the other side. Cars are allowed at certain times, but on Sundays it is only accessible on foot or on a bike. It was cool and quiet. Two lifts made going down and up effortless. Continue reading On a bike to Amsterdam – part #2
When going on a tour, it is advisable to test-drive your gear (and co-riders), allowing you to make realistic plans for your great tour, and dismiss useless gear and stress test equipment. A short weekend trip can be nice and allow you to see new places too.
Continue reading Touring the heart of Zealand
It has been a tradition for the last few years that we celebrate Christmas on the Danish island Rømø, in the second home of my parents. It has not been a tradition though, that I jump my bicycle to get there. It was indeed the very first time.
Continue reading Cycling home for Christmas
A while ago I had a German friend in Amsterdam, who invited me to visit him and his family. It fitted well into my work travelling plans because I already had a project meeting in the Netherlands. Unfortunately, the work calendar didn’t fit with the calendar of Chris and his family.
Continue reading On a bike to Amsterdam – part #1
