IM
AG
ES:
UL
F^ S
VA
NE
;^ R
AS
M
US
FA
LC
K
GREEN STREETS
DENMARK
Denmark has declared 2022 the ‘Year of the Bike’, ringfencing £4 9 million to expand its cycling
infrastructure, and there are few better ways to experience the full force of the country’s
sustainability credentials than on a ride through leafy Copenhagen. Words: Sarah Marshall
Hovering above Copenhagen’s concrete skyline, a
kaleidoscope of birds, bees and butterflies has gathered for
an extraordinary feast. Being the height of spring, flowers
are blooming, and the air is thick with sweet nectar. But what
makes this pollination party so special is the location — a
garden 280 ft above street level on the roof of an incinerator.
Capable of converting 440, 000 tons of waste into clean
energy annually, CopenHill is testimony to the Danish
city’s ambitions for becoming the world’s first carbon-
neutral capital by 2025. The oeat attraction is also a
highlight on an eco-themed ride organised by non-profit
organisation Green Bike Tours, led by expert guides with
a background in sustainability studies.
During the three-hour experience, I learn about
sustainable city planning initiatives such as green roofs and
rain management systems. Better still, I’ve saved 1 .1kg of
carbon by doing the tour on a bike rather than touring by car.
Flat, easy to navigate and equipped with around
240 miles of curb-separated cycle tracks and bridges,
Copenhagen is a city made for two wheels. Since 201 5, it’s
deservedly claimed the title of world’s most bicycle friendly
city, according to an IPSO index that graded features such
as infrastructure, policy and local culture.
Building on their success, the government has declared
2022 the Year of the Bike, backed up with a commitment to
invest millions into improving cycle paths and traffic safety.
Confident I can pedal at the same pace as the locals, I set
off on an independent ride through the city. Known as the
Green Path, the Nørrebro route runs along an old railway
track in Frederiksberg. It’s not long before office blocks are
replaced by allotments, while lampposts and pillars soon
make way for twisted tree trunks supporting a ceiling of sky.
Running for almost six miles, from Lyngbyvej in the
north to Valby in the south, the route crosses over so many
parklands and green spaces, any distinction between town
and country is easily erased.
But green isn’t the only colour decorating nature-loving
Copenhagen. Islands are wrapped with blue ribbons of
waterways, all traversed by a network of architecturally
striking bridges with generous cycle lanes.
Opened in 20 14, Cykelslangen (the ‘bicycle snake’) is
one of the most aesthetically pleasing and promises some
of the best views. Starting in Vesterbro, it curves above
the Havnebadet Fisketorvet harbour swimming baths and
continues to Islands Brygge.
Along the busy 720 ft route, I join business executives
racing to the office, hipsters peddling between coffee shops
and parents doing the school run with a side-buggy in tow.
An invention exported globally, these bike trailers started
life in hippy, car-free commune Christiania in the 1970 s.
Initially made from recycled materials and old bed frames,
they’ve evolved into sophisticated pieces of kit used for much
more than ferrying small children around town. Street food
trader Michele Lucarelli from Bike and Bake has customised
his trailer with a pizza oven, while Rustvogn Cyklen use
their flower-festooned chariot to carry corpses to funerals.
The most inventive adaptation, however, goes to Nordic
Cryobank, whose Sperm Bullitt speedily transports donor
samples to fertility clinics. As much a novelty as those
birds and bees spreading seeds on the roof of a rubbish
dump, it’s another part of the great creation steadily
transforming Copenhagen’s green streets.
How to do it: A three-hour tour with Green Bike Tours
costs 2 50kr (£28) per person. greenbiketours.org
Alternatively, borrow a bike from your hotel, use the
Donkey Republic app or rent one through Bycyklen, who
have more than 100 stations across the city.
donkey.bike bycyklen.dk visitcopenhagen.com
78 NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.CO.UK/TRAVEL
SCANDINAVIA
