Our suggested route connects the harbours of Langelinie and Lynetten, so that both harbours can be used by sailors as a starting or finishing point. If you don't have your own bike with you on the sailing yacht, you will quickly find what you are looking for at various bike hire companies. We recommend downloading the "Monkey Republic" app onto your smartphone (see info box on the right).
- Route:18.5 km (including 15 bridges and a ferry ride)
- Difficulty:light
- Gradient: 50 m
- Pure journey time:1 h 30 min
Tip: The "Donkey Republic" bike hire app provides access to bikes (including e-bikes) throughout the city. Payment is made by mobile phone with credit card or Paypal. Price example: 15 euros hire for six hours (e-bike: 30 euros).
The tour: From Langelinie harbour (1), head south along the waterfront promenade directly to the Little Mermaid (2). From there, continue to the harbour bus station "Nordre Toldbod" (3), where an electric ferry on line 992 crosses to the Refshaleøen peninsula every 30 minutes. Bikes travel free of charge. Back on land, you pass container islands before heading north to the street food Eldorado "Reffen" (4). Here you can discover specialities from all over the world in a unique atmosphere. The tour then leads via the bastion "Christianshavns Vold" (6) along canals over the three-winged bridge "Trangravsbroen" (7) to the harbour basin at Krøyers Plads (8). Here, modern and old harbour architecture merge into a unique work of art.
From there, you walk along the beautiful canals through historic Christianshavn to "Vor Frelsers Kirke" (9), a baroque church with a spiral staircase around the spire. If you climb up, you will be rewarded with a panoramic view over Copenhagen. Back on the canal, it's worth visiting the "Christianshavns Bådudlejning & Café" (10), where you can watch the hustle and bustle on the water while enjoying a hot or cold drink. The next bridge of a special kind is the circular bridge (11), from where you can cycle along the promenade to the harbour swimming pool "Islands Brygge" (12) - a popular place to cool off in summer.
History, museums and towering smørrebrøds
300 metres back, we cross the "Lille Langebro" cycle bridge (13) to pay a visit to the centre of Danish power, Christiansborg (14). This is the only place in the world where the executive, legislative and judicial branches of government are united under one roof. The Tycho Brahe Planetarium (16), which is particularly suitable for space-loving children, can be reached via the Town Hall Square (15). Along the chain of lakes and over the Dronning Louise Bridge you reach the next gourmet temple, the Torvehallerne market hall (17). In addition to fruit, vegetables and coffee, you will find numerous delicacies here, including towering smørrebrøds.
Freshly refreshed, the bikes can be parked either at the Botanical Gardens (18) or the Rosenborg Palace Gardens (19). There is an imaginatively designed playground next to the palace. Afterwards, there is no way around Nyhavn (20), the entertainment mile by the harbour with its pubs and cafés. The once disreputable neighbourhood has long since become a tourist hotspot with live music and a good range of restaurants. From the Amalie Garden (21), you have a clear view of the Royal Opera House (22), designed by star architect Ólafur Elíasson. If you turn round, you can see its architectural counterpart, the magnificent Frederik's Church (23) from the 18th century. In front of it is Amalienborg Palace (24), the winter residence of Queen Margarethe. The pompous changing of the guard of the royal bodyguard takes place every day at 12 noon. Those in the know can tell whether someone from the royal family is present by the flag that flies over the castle.
The tour is rounded off with a visit to the star-shaped fort (25). If you would like a sumptuous reward for the long city tour, you will get your money's worth at the fine dining restaurant "Koan" (26).
