Fjord focus
With sublime views and mile upon mile of cycle paths, Denmark is a great place to ride
SUMMER MAY HAVE COME TO AN END but there’s still time to get on your bike before the autumn chills set in. Denmark is one of Europe’s best cycling destinations, with more than 11,000 kilometres of cycling tracks, and the charming craggy island of Bornholm is one of its hottest spots for two-wheeling. Just three hours by train and ferry from bmi destination Copenhagen, it’s a seriously beautiful place, known for its sleepy fishing villages, pine forests and sandy beaches.
Starting in the island’s capital of Rønne, which is chock-a-block with cycle-hire shops, visitors can head north towards the imposing ruin of Hammershus, the largest fortification in northern Europe. Hardcore cycle nuts can pedal all the way from here to the white sands of Dueodde, in the far south, along a 105-kilometre cycle path that hugs the rocky coastline of the east.
Less experienced riders, in search of an easier life, will love the Baltic coast south of Rønne – known as the Bornholm Riviera – for its gentler slopes and marvellous views. It’s the most stunning stretch on the island, and many local artists have their studios here, most of them open to visitors all year round.
Whatever route you take, you should make sure to stop occasionally for pickled herring on rye bread and other local fishy specialities. Or you could take a fishing line and catch dinner for yourself.
Good food, culture, fishing: a cycling trip to Bornholm has everything you could want, including a get-out-clause. If the going gets tough on the hilly bits all local buses have handy cycle racks on the back. Sarah Warwick
A seven-day trip (excluding flights) costs £930 or €1,110 from Upplevelsepaket package tours, including accommodation, food, maps and all gear hire. +46 (0)506 12500, www.upplevelsepaket.se
