RRome, 8 Oct. (askanews) – Enchanting rural landscapes, long coasts overlooking the Baltic Sea, inlets forming the Danish fjords, small villages overlooking the water, as well as fascinating cities such as Aarhus or Vejle. Welcome to Jutland, the northern European peninsula divided between Germany and Denmark.
Denmark, the wonder of a bike trip in Jutland
Thinking of Denmark immediately makes you think of the country ‘by bike’, with cycle paths everywhere. Our journey begins from Copenhagen, classified several times as the most bike-friendly capital in the world since 2015: with 750 thousand bicycles (five times the number of cars) and 662 thousand inhabitants, it offers 397 kilometers of cycle paths, innovative and with a truly interesting design. They range from snake-shaped bridges, to the 2015 Circle Bridge, to cycle paths along the Oresund coast. After taking the train – strictly with bikes in tow – we move to Aarhus, Denmark’s second city and considered the capital of the Jutland peninsula. A journey on two wheels on an itinerary of over 500 kilometers (thanks to the bike rental www.onewaybiketours.com in Copenhagen with the possibility of return in other cities).
Aarhus, where the old world merges with the modern
In Aarhus – where the old world merges with the modern – the Lighthouse, considered the tallest building in Denmark, is worth seeing, Isbjerget, a unique architectural expression with its Iceberg shape. And again: an unmissable stop at the ARoS Museum of Contemporary Art, with a panoramic terrace overlooking the entire city, and the Gamle By, a journey back in time to the old city of Aarhus. Not far away, about ten kilometers to the south, you can get to the Infinity Bridge, a circular wooden bridge built for the international biennial Sculpture by the Sea 2015, installed in the evocative coastal landscape that surrounds the city of Aarhus. The structure has a diameter of 60 meters and is positioned halfway between the beach and the sea.
Fjords, forests and enchanting landscapes
The journey continues – strictly on two wheels – to Horsens, one of the most important towns in central Jutland, overlooking the fjord of the same name. A route of about fifty kilometers between some provincial roads (always equipped with cycle paths) and dirt paths immersed in the forests and along the coast with enchanting landscapes.
The Horsens Fjord route – 52 kilometers long on Route 87 – reaches the village of Alro, from which it is possible to embark – obviously with bike in tow – to the small island of Hjarno and then get to Endelave Island, better known as Rabbit Island, and named island of the year 2020-2021 by the Society of Small Islands in Denmark. A natural paradise, which presents a unique variety of plants and habitats, as well as the many wild rabbits visible especially at sunset and at night. In the southern part of the fjord it is possible to make a small detour to the Borre Knob peninsula, a spit of land that plunges into the sea.
In Denmark, between signature architecture and ancient railways
Continuing south, from Horsens you reach Vejle, which ‘hosts’ the FjordHouse, the first building designed by the Danish artist Olafur Eliasson, which features a brick structure with four intersecting cylinders. Also worth admiring is “The Wave” (Blgen in Danish), a residential complex designed by Henning Larsen Architects, made up of five undulating “waves” inspired by the hilly landscape surrounding the Vejle fjord and the Sydney Opera House. A route along the ancient railway leads to the historic village of Bindeballe, where a historic shop from 1897 stands. You cannot miss a stop in Fredericia, a town overlooking the Little Belt, the strait that separates Jutland from the island of Funen. The port is Denmark’s main mercantile port, while the historic center – characterized by perpendicular streets – is bordered by the ramparts of the ancient fortified city. Here too there is an Infinity Bridge in the style of the one in Aarhus.
The Viking site of Jelling, a UNESCO heritage site
Absolutely not to be missed are the monuments of Jelling, the most important Viking site in Denmark and a UNESCO world heritage site. Here are the famous rune stones, erected by King Harald Bluetooth more than 1,000 years ago. The stones mark the first time the word “Denmark” was written and are often referred to as the country’s birth certificate. The journey ends in Billund, at Legoland and Lego House, the home of the famous bricks: an interactive journey with educational activities for adults and children.
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