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After cycling all over Germany., the next problem was how to get from Copenhagen to Stockholm by bike!
In fact, after reaching Puttgarden by bike, I said goodbye to Germany. On the 45-minute ferry ride to Rodby I met several cyclo-travelers. One of them was a Swedish cyclist with several trips behind him, but there were also two Belgians, father and son: the 15-year-old had met the world of bicycle travel with a beautiful 1,000-kilometer ride in continental Europe.
In Rodby, the Swedish cyclist and I got together for a meal and a good bottle of wine. North Cape was still a dream, and I hadn’t even cut halfway through!
From Denmark to Stockholm by bike: arrival in Copenhagen
From Rodby to Copenhagen there are 153 km, and these are almost exclusively flat. The leg was spinning fast, partly because in the first part of the ride I did not find many bike paths and the landscape was a bit monotonous. After about 50 km I stopped in the pretty little Vordingborg. Here I realized that I had risked a momentous injury. In fact, I had left my backpack open: by sheer luck, I lost only two underpants!
Breathing a heavy sigh of relief, I continued pedaling through the Danish plains. In the second part of the first Danish stage I encountered a strong wind, which I perceived as dangerous when I crossed two bridges (one of them a good 3.3 km long!).
About 20 kilometers from Copenhagen I began to realize that I was entering paradise. In fact, the closer you get to Copenhagen the more numerous the bike paths become.
In Copenhagen, where I had already been in 2018., I therefore stopped for two nights: it was the first day of rest after 13 days of cycling! I had the chance to see Sarah again, another couchsurfer I had met precisely on the 2018 trip, and also to see again Pietro Franzese, a great YouTuber., also on his way to the North Cape, also on a bike!
From Denmark to Stockholm by bike: relaxation in Copenhagen
In Copenhagen, therefore, I had a chance to rest. The first goal to achieve was to buy at least one pair of underwear: H&M solved the problem!
Cycling around the Danish capital in the summer, without luggage, in flip-flops, on a sunny day…well, it was a wonderful experience! In particular, I highly suggest pedaling along the five lakes in the Norrebro district: bike paths and fabulous scenery guaranteed! Of course, as a good Travelsbeer, I started making the pilgrimage of the various breweries. A visit to Mikkeller, with its excellent IPAs, is not to be missed: my favorite is from Norrebro. In addition to Mikkeller, I also enjoyed excellent beers at Warpigs Brewpub and Cafe Govlan.
Copenhagen also has excellent Italian restaurants. In 2018 I ate divinely at Rufino, but it was closed on those days: so I had a great pizza in Mother!
From Copenhagen to Stockholm by bike: arrival in Sweden
Leaving Copenhagen was not easy, not least because of the abundant Mikkeller. I cycled the last 40 kilometers on Danish soil along Eurovelo number 7: from Copenhagen to Helsingor the bike path often runs along the sea!
Helsingor is home to Othello’s castle and…the landing stage to Sweden! With a very short twenty-minute ferry ride I therefore arrived on Swedish soil, the fifth state on the journey to the North Cape.
The arrival in Helsingborg did not excite me: this port city seemed busy and unattractive. On the other hand, I only had to pedal a few kilometers to encounter the first Scandinavian forests. The finish of the Danish-Swedish stage (125 km) was near Markaryd. I chose a beautiful campsite: I ate two ounces of salmon and 600 grams of meat to celebrate the arrival on Swedish soil! Unfortunately, they were not accompanied by good wine as in Sweden the liquor stores close before the supermarkets!
From Copenhagen to Stockholm by bike: tough Swedish stages
The first all-Swedish stage promised to be tough: a whopping 168 km! I already knew that during that stage I would meet Peter again, with whom I would share a double room in the small town of Jonkoping. This stage reminded me of my work in sports betting: Varnamo, Ljungby, Jonkoping itself…all towns I had heard of exclusively for their soccer teams!
Scandinavia quickly proved to be very expensive. Ljungby hosted the first typical Scandinavian lunch: 150 grams of salmon, TUC crackers, raspberries or blueberries…all eaten in the comfort of the supermarket parking lot!
From Copenhagen to Stockholm by bike: the Swedish lakes
Jonkoping is not a beautiful city, but its surroundings are very interesting. In fact, the first part of the stage that brought me to Linkoping features Lake Vattern, which is a good eight times larger than my own Lake Vattern! Granna, on the shores of the lake, is one of the most famous tourist towns in all of southern Sweden-I was surprised by the summer traffic!
Lake Vattern becomes even more beautiful after Granna: the 130 kilometers from Jonkoping to Linkoping were therefore truly enjoyable! Linkoping welcomed me with open arms : Backen Olcafe, The Horse & Hound and The Bishops Arms are excellent breweries !
From Denmark to Stockholm without wind? No, impossible! The 109 km that took me from Linkoping to Nykoping were characterized by a very dancing mood: depending on the wind, I went from extreme happiness to classic thoughts of โNow I’m taking a bus to Stockholm!โ
This stage was not as good as the previous one. Standing out in importance, halfway through, is Norrkoping: the city, however, is not beautiful. Nykoping, however, is home to a beautiful castle. Nykoping Brewing Company and O’Leary quenched my thirst, while New Tandoori House made me appreciate the typical Indian cuisine of the place.
From Copenhagen to Stockholm by bike: the arrival
The owner of the Airbnb in Nykoping told me that I should not take the main road to Stockholm, but rather follow route number 219. This detour cost me an extra 15 km of road, but I decided to listen to her advice anyway. And I did very well! In fact, this road passed through magnificent forests, fjords, rivers…a spectacle!
At Skanssundet the fjord became magnificent! One must take a ferry (lasting five minutes) to cross the fjord-I decided to wait half an hour to enjoy the scenery while eating ice cream on a hot Scandinavian summer day!
Arriving in Stockholm after 117 km., I met up with Olesya, another couchsurfer: we went drinking first at Mikkeller and then at the excellent Omnipollos hatt (with great pizzas!).
In Stockholm, finally, I said goodbye to Peter for good: Gamla Stan was the scene of our farewell, as I would immediately take the ferry to Turku while he would stay a couple of days in the Swedish capital! Finland was calling me and I embarked to Turku!
USEFUL INFORMATION FOR CYCLING FROM COPENHAGEN TO STOCKHOLM
- From Denmark to Stockholm I cycled 803 km, with an elevation gain of 4500 meters. I therefore found mostly flat roads! There were six stages in total, so the daily average was over 130 km.
- I slept mostly in Airbnb. Unlike in Germany, I had to book a few days in advance.
- To reduce travel costs, I often had to eat at a supermarket for lunch and cook something at home for dinner.
- In July I found it almost always hot, unusual. I almost always rode short!
- In addition to the two capitals, which are magnificent, I mention Granna for beauty: the town is definitely worth a visit!
- There are beautiful landscapes: my favorites were the ones after Jonkoping and after Nykoping!
