In early September 2024, I completed packing my bike and set off from Berlin to Copenhagen. Several days and more than 600 kilometers later, I arrived in the Danish capital.
It was such a massively positive experience that I wanted to get home and write about it, but it took me almost a month to find the time. But we do what we must, so this is my bikepacking story.
But before I tell you about the trip itself, I have to go back a few years and tell you where this idea came from and why Copenhagen is just the first step in a larger and longer trip I have been planning for a while now.
It all started in 2013 when I walked from Berlin to Poland and realized I could go on this personal adventure.
Why Copenhagen?
A couple of years later, in 2015, together with a couple of friends, we cycled from Berlin to Poland, and this was my first long-distance cycling adventure. It was heavily influenced by two Brazilian friends in town in 2014 who were planning a bike ride to Copenhagen.
This is how the idea came to my head, and in 2018, I decided to make it more epic and started planning a bike ride from Berlin to Oslo. My idea was to cycle a thousand kilometers between these two cities when I was 40. Because of that, I had some time on my side, and I slowly started researching the trip and acquiring some of the gear needed.
In 2019, I took the first big step and bought myself a Cinelli Zydeco Gravel Bike. It was financed by JobRad here in Germany, and I got some bike bags in the process. It was my first big step towards this bike ride.
In 2020, my plans started to get muddy. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I started cycling less to the office, and my training was put on hold. In 2021, my 40th birthday came, and I knew I couldn’t cycle anywhere long distance, but I still hoped to do it in the next year.
Early in 2022, I started cycling each morning on Tempelhof. I lost some weight, and my speed and endurance were getting better. But Baphomet, one of our cats, got sick, which took my focus away. She died in April 2022, and I completely lost my priority. Zé, another one of our cats, died of cancer at the end of 2022, and it wasn’t a good time to think about cycling to another country.
It didn’t help that in the spring of 2023, I was run over by a car coming home from work. It took me a few months to fully recover, and I had to postpone the trip again.
I don’t know why, but the YouTube algorithm showed me some bike-packing videos earlier this year, and the sparkle inside me lit again. I started organizing my thoughts, and by early May, I went on my first training ride. I cycled from Berlin to Cottbus by myself and started to grasp the scale of my dream ride to Oslo.
I did a few other long bike rides and continued training on Tempelhof three times a week, but I realized that a bike ride to Oslo would take me longer than I had in mind.
During a bike ride from Berlin to Dessau, I split my dream trip into two sections. I would first cycle to Copenhagen in 2024 and then, in 2025, from Copenhagen to Oslo. This is why my bike-packing adventure in early September 2024 is the first stage of a two-stage trip that will only end when I get to Oslo next year.
Now that I have given you all the context needed to understand why I decided to go on this first bike-packing trip, I can share how I planned the route and calculated my daily distances, navigation, hotels, water, and food.
My Essential Bikepacking Gear
While gathering some supplies over the last couple of years, I tested many different bags and gear. Some of them didn’t match what I had in mind, but I grew to love others.
Below is a simple list of 10 pieces of equipment that I consider essential bike-packing gear.
The Route Werks handlebar bag was the last bag I got for my bike, and it changed how I carry many of my most essential tools. I read a lot of people talking about the easy on/off mounting feature, and I certainly love it. Still, I liked the customizable lid the most, which feels durable and holds a few of my devices. This is how I use my Wahoo element, Bluetooth speaker, and front lights!
I didn’t have good experiences using my cellphone and Google Maps on some longer bike routes. These bad experiences led me to start researching for some kind of bike computer. This is how I learned about the Wahoo ELEMNT BOLT and started using it immediately. The interface is easy to use, the integration with Strava is excellent, and I love how well-built and waterproof it is. Also, the live tracking feature was critical for my mental well-being since I could always share my location with my girlfriend, friends, and family.
The Wahoo shares the lid of the Route Werks bag with the Tribit StormBox, a small and rugged Bluetooth speaker I have been carrying around since 2020. This small speaker is surprisingly powerful for its size and holds a lot of juice, with a battery that often plays more than 8 hours on a single charge. I even had a special playlist that I listened to during the entire trip, and you can listen to it on Spotify as well.
I always bring a power bank to keep all my devices charged, and nothing beats the Anker Power Bank with 20.000mAh. It’s a reliable power source that is perfect for a long trip like this. It charged my cellphone multiple times and kept everything else charged. I wouldn’t feel relaxed without carrying something like this.
When I first got my Cinelli Zydeco Gravel Bike, I researched bike packing and some good European companies with excellent bags. And one of them caught my eye: Restrap. They have a solid reputation for making well-designed bags that are durable and stylish. Their bags are handmade in the United Kingdom, and you can get them in Europe through their EU shop.
During this trip, I used their frame bag to carry a water bladder filled with water and other tools, a top tube bag for my food and some gear that I needed fast access to, and a saddle bag that held a lot of the clothes and equipment that I needed for this multiple day trip. Besides the bags, I also used their pedal straps and couldn’t be happier with them.
Since my Cinelly doesn’t have the screws on the front for a fork cage, I had to improvise something different. After a few months of research, I found the Topeak Versacage. This versatile mounting system gave me all the flexibility to attach some dry bags to my bike. It added the extra carrying capacity I needed, and it’s easy to use and work well! This was the topic of conversation whenever I talked to other cyclists during the trip.
Since I like taking pictures with film, I had to bring one of my analog cameras on this bike ride. After some trials and issues with size and lenses, I kept it simple and brought my trustworthy Lomography LC-A+. I have used this camera for years and have even written about it. I know it gives great pictures, is easy to carry, and fits anywhere, so… I had to bring it.
On my daily bike rides here in Berlin, I often carry a backpack or a fanny pack. I didn’t want to take something like that on this bike ride, so I gave it a shot and got a 5.11 Chest Pack for one of my first test bike rides, and it worked out perfectly. I have used different bags from this company for years and trust what they make. It always kept my essentials close to me; my phone, wallet, and Lomo camera were easy to reach. Also, since the chest pack uses straps, it distributed weight evenly across my upper body, making everything more comfortable.
Regarding safety, my choice of helmet was a bright yellow Specialized MIPS Helmet. I always cycle around with a helmet, and it saved my life when I was run over by a car in Berlin in the summer of 2023. A few weeks before this trip, I first heard about MIPS or Multi-directional Impact Protection System, and I knew I had to get one for myself. The helmet is comfortable, grabs the attention of drivers around me, and is exactly what I want in a bike helmet.
Finally, the last piece of gear that I loved carrying around with me on my first bike-packing trip was the Rapha Explore Glasses. Their large lenses were perfect for protecting my eyes from debris and all the insects flying into my face. They are comfortable and have a hydrophobic coating that repels water and prevents fogging. That was really helpful during the first days when I caught a lot of rain. These are different than the cheaper glasses I used before, and I’m glad that my girlfriend gave me those since they are amazing! Thank you again, Camila!
How I managed food, water, and more
One thing I learned getting ready for this trip was that water is more important than I had in mind and experienced during my daily bike trips to the office and around Berlin. Because of that, I decided to have more water bottles than before and carried two 750ml bottles on my frame and another one below the frame, close to the gear chain, held in place by a Restrap frame strap. I called this one the backup bottle.
Besides that, I used the Restrap frame bag to hold a simple water bladder that I bought at Decathlon years ago. The one I have holds 2 liters of water, and I refilled it daily. It was great to have that much water available, and I never reached a point where I needed to go for the backup bottle, but it was good to have it there.
Zündex forte complex is a natural supplement that helps treat rheumatism, cystitis, and inflammatory back pain. I don’t know for sure if it helped me out with the pain I felt sometimes at the end of the day. But it was good to have something like this, and maybe it worked out as a placebo. I don’t know.
Besides that, I carried some Ibuprofen with me as a painkiller of sorts. I also carried some caffeine capsules for those moments when I needed energy.
Since I tend to go on long rides without stopping often or taking a break, I carried a few protein bars to eat while cycling. I didn’t think much about them, and I bought almost all of them at a market next to my house, and that was it. I had no problem with the ones I carried with me, but most did not taste like something I’d go for. But they did their work well.
When it comes to these foods, the only one I consciously bought was the Gold Nutrition Endurance Salt. I wanted to have some kind of caffeinated nutrition bar, and I discovered these while researching. They were tasty and had a good mixture of sweet and salty taste and an interesting texture. I had one of these each day when I started feeling down, and the taurine and caffeine helped me focus more on the bike ride.
Food wasn’t a problem on the bike ride from Berlin to Copenhagen. While I was in Germany, there were restaurants and supermarkets everywhere. I had a great German meal in Rostock and bought some supplies in supermarkets without any problem.
Things changed slightly when I got to Denmark, and I think it happened because the area I was cycling through wasn’t that populous. Ultimately, I mostly ate what I found in the local supermarkets. There was always one in each town I slept over, and you could spot them during the day rides, so it was fine. But it’s something that I have to mention here, especially if you are cycling off of the summer season, as I was.
Defining my daily distances and the bike route
Planning this trip, I first researched the official route from Berlin to Copenhagen. There is an official website with the route and advice on the trip, and I used it as a base for my route options. Another good source of guidance for this trip was a medium post from someone called George, who shared a trip he did with his brother in 2023.
With those in mind, I started planning my daily distances. Based on my previous longer bike rides, I knew I would only have a few problems cycling between 70 and 90 kilometers in one day, so I kept this distance in mind. I also wanted to have fun riding my bike, which was a big factor in deciding my daily distances. This was supposed to be a vacation bike-packing ride for me, not a race. Having fun and exploring my surroundings was more important than arriving in a new place as fast as possible.
I knew I would do a first bike and gear check ride from Berlin to Oranienburg, and the real trip would start there. I decided to do that because it would be simpler to fix anything while still in the city, and I could easily take an S-Bahn home if things didn’t work at all.
From Oranienburg onwards, I split the German side of the trip into three days. The first step would be from Oranienburg to Neustrelitz, 90 kilometers in one day, since I knew I would be excited and could use that energy to cycle a little longer.
The second day would be between Neustrelitz and Krakow am See. I was a bit fearful of the 90-kilometer distance there. Still, the fact that I’d be crossing Müritz National Park, a place famous as the land of a thousand lakes, convinced me otherwise. The last step of the German route would be the shortest, 60 kilometers between Krakow am See and Rostock, where I would take a ferry to Denmark the next morning.
I organized the Danish side of the trip more easily. Based on my research, I knew I would like a free-roam day on the island of Møn, so I planned my route with that in mind.
After arriving at Gedser from the Rostock ferry, I cycled less than 50 kilometers towards Stubbekøbing, where I would take another ferry ride. I did this to avoid going on a longer bike ride towards Stege. This was the first stage of the bike ride in Denmark, and I would cycle a bit over 70 kilometers.
My second day cycling over Danish bike lanes was focused on exploring Møn. In the morning, I visited some neolithic grave sites. In the afternoon, I visited Møns Klint, one of the tallest cliffs in Denmark.
From Stege to the area around Rødvig, it took me 70 kilometers. And, from Rødvig to Copenhagen, another 70-kilometer ride. These distances at the end of the trip were done on purpose since I was expecting to have tired legs. Still, they ended up being really pleasurable rides without any problems.
Ultimately, my original plan was to ride around 600 kilometers from Berlin to Copenhagen.
Where to stay between Berlin and Copenhagen
Early in the trip’s organization, I decided I wanted to avoid camping anywhere and would spend my evenings in hotels. I decided to go in this direction because I had never really camped before and didn’t want to start doing this now. Also, I didn’t want to worry about bike gear and its weight, so hotels were included in my budget.
Since I was worried about arriving in a different city and finding nowhere to stay, I booked my hotels weeks in advance. I planned my final routes on Strava with their addresses in mind. I didn’t care about flexibility with where to stay and enjoyed having a clear go and destination each day.
I stayed for the first night in a hotel in Neustrelitz called Triskele Haus. The room was small, but it had everything I needed to rest, organize, and clean my bags and clothes after the first day of cycling. They also had a garage where I stored my bike during the night.
In Krakow am See, I spent the night in an unusual hotel shaped like a tube. Called Slube am Krakower See; this was one of my favorite hotels on this trip. The distinctive shape of the room, together with the beautiful surroundings, made me want to go back there for more.
In Rostock, I stayed in a hotel closer to the harbor than the city center just to help me cycle to the ferry the next day. This is why I booked a room at Warnow Hotel. They had the biggest room I stayed in this trip, and I kept my bike in a beverage storage area for safety.
I stayed two nights in Stege Nor, where my first stop was in Denmark. This hotel was close to the city’s edge and had an amazing lake view. The hotel used to be part of a farm, and it had a rustic feeling that I loved. This is another place I’d love to stay again.
I had trouble finding affordable places for my budget in Rødvig, so I booked one night in a town close to it called Lyderslev. I spent the night there at Dadas Bed & Breakfast, which was lovely. I was the only person staying in this family-managed bed and breakfast, making everything feel even more homey. I had a great time there.
Finally, while in Copenhagen, I stayed for two nights at Scandic Sydhavnen. This hotel is a little out of the city center and, because of that, is more affordable than other places. Still, cycling around the city from there was easy, and a train station was nearby. It is a perfect place to stay with a low budget.
My route cycling from Berlin to Copenhagen
My trip consisted of 7 full cycling days at roughly 70 kilometers per day, with two days of 90km and one test day of 40km. At the end of the trip, I believe I cycled around 660km in general, with bike rides exploring Møn and others around Copenhagen and Malmö.
As someone who would call himself a beginner, I found this distance easily doable, without too much strain. Most bike rides started after breakfast at the hotel or supermarket, around 09:00, and ended up early in the afternoon, before I could check in at a new hotel.
But let me discuss each day, sharing what I saw and the routes I saved on Strava so you can save yourself a lot of planning.
Day 00: Neukölln ➔ Oranienburg
The first step of this trip started early on a Friday morning. I wanted to test-run my bags and the structure I was carrying to see if my equipment and clothes fit my bike. I was cautious, and it worked out fine.
I left Neukölln around 06:00 and headed towards Oranienburg, stopping at the Brandenburger Tor to document the start of this trip with a picture there. I took the same photo at every step of the bike ride, which became my daily ritual.
The ride wasn’t special in any way. It was weird to pedal with the fork bags in front of the bike, but it was easy to get used to. The weight of everything packed in the bike was weird initially, but you get used to it again.
Ultimately, I cycled over 40km on my first day, testing the bike and everything else. I got home by S-Bahn, and I had to prepare everything for Monday before starting to cycle to Copenhagen.
The only problem was that the weather flipped completely over that weekend, from sunny days with clear skies to rainy days with cloudy skies. I had to adapt some of my equipment and decide whether to cycle in the rain or give up on this idea.
Day 01: Oranienburg ➔ Neustrelitz
My first day of cycling was filled with rain. I left my house before sunrise and took a train to Oranienburg to start the route before it started raining. At least, that was my idea, but it didn’t work.
After saying goodbye to my girlfriend, there was already a bit of rain when I left Oranienburg. But that didn’t stop me. I wanted to do this, and some rain wouldn’t stop me.
Around the halfway mark, I felt so wet that I had to take a break and check if my bags and gear were alright. There was water on top of the Wahoo, which could be too much, but it worked out fine!
I wore a dry-fit shirt that made everything more comfortable, but everything else felt horrible especially my feet… There was nothing I could do.
On my first day, I cycled 90km and arrived at my hotel in Neustrelitz before check-in time. I believe I did that because I was fueled with rage or something like that. I just wanted to leave the rain and arrive somewhere where I could take a warm shower.
The highlight of this first section was a long cycling path along the canal a little after Oranienburg. It was great to cycle with trees on my left and the water on my right. The worst part was a long section between Furstenberg and Neustrelitz, where there were no bike paths, and I had to cycle for 15km in the rain while trucks and cars passed by. It felt like a challenge I needed to face to start this trip, and I survived.
At the Triskele Haus hotel, I took a long warm shower, cleaned up my cycling bib and socks, and tried to dry the rest of my clothes while I went to a supermarket to grab something to eat. I walked around town and found nothing intriguing, but later, I realized why. My hotel was in the older part of town, and the city moved towards Zierker Lake. My bad.
I had a big döner dish and a beer for dinner and returned to the hotel to prepare for the next day.
Day 02: Neustrelitz ➔ Krakow am See
I left Neustrelitz before 09:00, and the weather was completely different from the day before. The forecast said no rain, but I could see the rain clouds following me throughout the day.
The route had to change since I had planned some off-road cycling. I felt like the rain from the previous days would make it more challenging than I predicted, so I took a longer route—from 70km at first to 90km—and I can say that it was a great decision.
The route passed through the Müritz National Park, a place known as the land of a thousand lakes, and it was stunning to cycle through it. Also, it was the first time I spotted any other cyclist on the Berlin to Copenhagen route. Especially when I got to Waren, a gorgeous city by the Müritz Lake, I could spot people bike-packing, and it felt nice to be part of a group.
I arrived in Krakow am See after less than five hours cycling and it felt good. I thought my legs would feel heavy, but it worked out.
My hotel for the day was a special one for me. While researching places to stay for this trip, I found the Slube am Krakower See, a small hotel where each room is shaped like a tube. Each room is independent, and the tubes are split into three floors: the ground floor has a bathroom and a dining space, the second floor is where you sleep and watch TV, and the last floor is an outdoor meeting area with panoramic views. This was easily my favorite place to stay during the entire trip.
Krakow am See was also a great place to explore. When I went out looking for somewhere to eat, I took pictures of the city center and spent some time around the lake.
I even had the strength to go up several stairs and enjoy the view from the Aussichtsturm auf dem Jörnberg, an observation outlook that has been there since 1897. First as a wooden observation tower and, later, as a Bismarck Tower. The one I climbed is not the original tower since it was destroyed during the Second World War.
Today’s tower was built in 1944 and opened to the public in 1995. You can go there for free; the views are worth all the steps.
Day 03: Krakow am See ➔ Rostock
I woke up early to the sound of rain outside my window, and it didn’t feel like a good way to start the day. I didn’t want to cycle like on the first day, so I slowly packed my stuff and waited for the rain to settle.
A few hours passed, and there were no signs of change in the sky. I gave up waiting, put on my waterproof hardshell jacket, and started cycling towards the last city on the German side of this bike trip.
I cycled 60km that day; it was the first time I felt something. Around the halfway mark, my left knee gave me some discomfort. I switched to a lower gear and continued cycling nonstop until Rostock. This wasn’t the best day. It started with some rain, there was a lot of headwind between Schwan and Rostock, and there were multiple sections where I had to cycle on the road with cars and trucks. But… It worked out.
My hotel for the evening was the Warnow Hotel. The room had a great view of Rostock and the lake, and I took a warm shower before heading to the city to explore and get some food that didn’t come from a supermarket.
My first stop was at the Eiswerkstatt Rostock, a famous place for authentic East German ice cream. I had to try it, and I loved it. I will return here next time I’m in town, as should you.
After walking around the city center and taking too many pictures, I settled on having an early dinner. I headed to Ratskeller 12, a German restaurant under the Rostock town hall. There, I had some beer and an amazing Schweinshaxe that served as a celebratory meal in the last German city I would cycle to.
This was the end of the German side of the route, and I couldn’t be more enthusiastic about cycling in another country.
Day 04: Gedser ➔ Stege
Since I had to take a ferry from Rostock to Gedser, my day started earlier than usual, with breakfast at the Warnow Hotel and a hurried bike ride to the harbor. Getting there wasn’t a problem, but finding the right place to go was. I had to ask for directions, and some people who work in the harbor helped me, and I couldn’t be more thankful.
I booked the ferry from Rostock to Gedser on Scandlines a few weeks before, and it was easy to set everything up. I don’t know how to buy tickets on the day at the harbor, but getting them online was fine.
I entered the ferry, cycling my bike, which was the most exciting part of the trip. I was cycling to another country alone, and it was hard to believe it.
The ferry takes two hours to reach Denmark, and I spent my time there walking around the ship and answering some questions I received on my Instagram account. It was great to talk to people about the bike ride and answer their questions.
I arrived in Gedser around 11:00 and cycled 50km more until another ferry. Since I wanted to avoid stretching the route 30km more, a ferry shortcut would be the way to go.
Cycling in Denmark was different from cycling in Germany. Some fields shone in yellow, houses painted red in the distance, and scenery that changed from something I had seen before into something new made me so happy. Also, the bike lanes were better signaled, fewer cars on the road, and it felt flatter at first.
I arrived at Stubbekøbing for the second ferry ride of the day. I discovered I was in Denmark’s oldest market town, dating back to 1354. Getting the ferry there was easy; you could get it in a machine next to where the boat stops. While I waited, I had a Danish hot dog and talked to other waiting cyclists.
A couple of German cyclists even recognized me from a few days before, around the Müritz National Park, and it was great to talk to people about bikes and their planned cycling trips in Denmark.
After I left the ferry, 20km waited for me until I arrived in Stege, where I would be spending the next two days. Stege Nor was my hotel for those days, and I loved the entire experience. The hotel used to be part of a farm where people separated seeds or something like that, and it had a great view of the water.
I took my bike for a ride around Stege, and even though Stege is the largest town on the island of Møn, it felt empty. Maybe the end of the summer season meant fewer people were on the street; perhaps it was my wrong expectations… I’ll never know. I couldn’t find a restaurant open in town. I walked around and decided it was time to explore Danish supermarkets. One was close to the hotel, so I got something to eat and some beers to taste while I rested in my room.
Day 05: Free Roam in Møn
While researching the Berlin to Copenhagen bike route, I learned about the neolithic grave sites and mounds around the island of Møn, which made me slightly change my plans. Thus, I decided to spend a free-roaming day around the island.
After breakfast at the hotel, I started cycling west towards the area with more grave sites. At first, I didn’t know, but I was excited to learn that Møn is home to some of Denmark’s most beautiful and best-preserved stone portal tombs and burial chambers.
Even though some are over 5,000 years old, you can still get very close and even crawl into the burial chamber.
I believe I visited five to ten of these ancient burial chambers during the day. Some were simple mounds in a field, while others were more complex. You could even enter the chamber and see how dark it really was.
The first one I visited was Kong Asgers Høj, and it was surreal for me to be the only person there visiting such an ancient piece of history. I’m glad I had a flashlight so I could see inside the burial chamber after crawling inside it.
Another interesting place I visited was the Klekkende Høj. This megalithic tomb has two chambers, and it looks like a face from far away. The last one I visited in the morning was the Sparresminde gravhøj. Located in the middle of a field, this communal grave dates from 3.200 BC, and it’s massive.
After a morning exploring ancient grave sites, I returned to the hotel for lunch. In the afternoon, I planned to go to the opposite side of the island and see Møns Klint with my own eyes.
Møns Klint is a beautiful stretch of chalk and limestone cliffs along the eastern coast of Møn. This was another reason I stayed on the island for one day more. It was one of my best decisions on this trip since cycling through woodlands, pastures, and steep hills was a fantastic way to get to the GeoCenter Møns Klint.
The only problem was that when I arrived, the high tide prevented me from going to the beach to see the cliffside from the ground, so I had to enjoy the view from the top, which wasn’t a problem. But I wish I had considered switching the visit to Møns Klint to the morning. Still, it was a fantastic place to visit, and I need to return one day.
This was my free roam day. It was supposed to be a rest day, but I managed to cycle almost 80km around Møn. I have no regrets!
Day 06: Stege ➔ Lyderslev
Leaving Møn was a sad experience. I enjoyed my time there and didn’t need to follow my Wahoo’s route since I recognized everything from the day before. To clarify things, a bridge marked my way out of the island. That was a difficult bridge to cross since it was built so large ships could go under it without any issues. My legs didn’t like that experience at all.
The route until Præstø wasn’t the best, as it involved long straight roads with many hills, one after the other. Besides that, a lot of headwinds made the trip heavy on my legs. But things improved as I approached the beach in Faxe, where the famous Danish beer comes from.
Another thing that made this section of the route bad was the amount of roadkill I saw next to the road. Since I was slowly cycling on the road, it was easy to spot something from the corner of my eye. Something you wouldn’t pay little attention to on a car or bus becomes more visible by bike, making me see things differently.
After three hours of cycling 60km, I arrived at Lyderslev. I spent the night at Dadas Bed & Breakfast, believing I was the only person there. This was the smallest town I stayed in during this bike trip, and I was glad to find at least a supermarket in the city.
Coming from such an exciting experience in Møn and arriving in a small town I walked through in less than 20 minutes was weird. This was the only time I felt lonely during the ride since there wasn’t much to do and nobody to talk to. To find my way around, I got some beers in the supermarket and had an afternoon nap that prepared me for the last stage: Copenhagen!
Day 07: Lyderslev ➔ Copenhagen
My last day cycling to Copenhagen started slowly with some coffee. It felt like I had to calm down before getting to my bike since I was too excited. What can be better to calm down somebody than some coffee?
The first 20km after Lyderslev were uninteresting, and it was only when I reached a beach that I managed to wash away that feeling. This happened because, from the beach side, you could see some tall buildings on the horizon, and that was Copenhagen! I was getting close to my destination.
A few kilometers more, and I started seeing signs indicating the distance to the Danish capital. It was hard to contain my excitement, but it got monotonous again since the last 20km before Copenhagen were just a straight line following the beach: a few blocks and a roundabout, a few blocks and another roundabout.
It’s hard to describe the feeling I had going through my body when I started recognizing the city I was cycling in. Before this, my last time in Copenhagen was in November 2022, so the images are still clear. Seeing the town again felt euphoric.
I headed straight to the city’s town hall to take my final picture with my bike. After that, I had to sit down for a moment and think about all those kilometers I cycled on my way there and everything I felt and saw during these last days.
I know the starting point of my bike ride to Oslo in 2025. That was the end of my bikepacking adventure between Berlin and Copenhagen.
Day 08: Copenhill and Malmö
The first evening without many plans was a great one to rest. I spent the night at the Scandic Sydhavnen in Copenhagen and checked my map to see what I could do. Since I was in Copenhagen, I decided it was time to explore the city by bike since that’s what I have done in the last few days.
The first place I had in mind was Copenhill. This unique man-made structure can be seen in many places in Copenhagen that I had never visited before. It’s a unique blend of sustainability, architecture, and recreational activities, and that was my first stop for the day.
Copenhill is primarily a waste-to-energy plant, processing around 440,000 tonnes of waste each year. It converts this waste into electricity and heat, contributing significantly to Copenhagen’s sustainable energy goals. However, the most striking feature of Copenhill is its 360-meter-long artificial ski slope, the world’s largest urban ski slope. It is so fantastically weird that I need to write an entire article about it.
From the top of Copenhill, I could see Malmö, and I felt like it would be great to cycle in another country. I decided to do that so I could say that, in a week, I cycled through Germany, Denmark, and a piece of Sweden.
I cycled from Copenhill to Copenhagen Central train station, wondering about the last few days. When I got on the train to Malmö, I realized I didn’t have any plans for my “adventure,” so I decided to visit the sights I explored during my last trip there.
The first thing I decided to see was the fantastic Turning Torso. With its neo-futuristic style, this extraordinary architectural marvel used to be the tallest building in Scandinavia. After seeing it, I cycled to the seaside and visited Malmö Castle, where it started raining. I stopped for coffee and cake at Konditori Katarina and shopped at ZAKKAsine, a Japanese design store.
I went back to Copenhagen, and the weather was nice again. Rain in Malmö and sun in Copenhagen caught me by surprise. Since it was the end of the day and I felt like I never had a proper celebratory meal to mark the end of the trip, I went to one of my favorite pubs in town: Warpigs Brewpub.
Warpigs Brewpub is situated in the Meatpacking District of Copenhagen. I initially visited this place while stopping in town after my trip to the Faroe Islands in 2016. I was impressed by the wide variety of beers and the food menu, which offered authentic Texas BBQ, and I keep coming back every time I’m in town. What else can I expect to have for my celebratory dinner?
Day 09: Cycling around Copenhagen
Since this was my last day in Copenhagen and I had to leave my hotel, I planned an exciting bike tour around the city. After having my last breakfast at Scandic Sydhavnen, I packed my bike. I went to visit the Elephant Gate at the old Carlsberg brewery site.
This iconic landmark in town is a fascinating blend of history, architecture, and symbolism. The most notable feature is the four massive granite elephants that flank the gate, carrying the tower on their backs. And, if you pay attention to the pictures here, you might notice swastika symbols on the elephants’ blankets.
It’s weird to see these symbols now. Still, these were a common decorative motif at the time and held a different meaning (good luck) before being associated with Nazism. Too bad the nazis ruined this for everyone, a reminder of how symbols can be appropriated and their original meanings distorted.
A bike ride away, I visited the Superkilen Park, a vibrant public space in the Nørrebro district that always pops up on my Instagram feed due to how cool it looks. The park was designed to reflect the diverse community of one of Copenhagen’s most multicultural neighborhoods.
One thing that caught my attention was how the park features over 100 elements from all around the world. There are benches from Brazil, fountains from Morocco, swings from Iraq, neon signs from Russia, and a black octopus slide from Japan.
But that was just a quick stop since my goal was to reach Grundtvig’s Church! This truly unique and inspiring architectural masterpiece is in Copenhagen’s Bispebjerg district! I have meant to visit this church for years but never had the time.
As an architectural traveler, the Grundtvig’s Church has been on my wishlist since it’s one of the few examples of Expressionist church architecture in the world. Its west façade is unbelievable, with a style that looks like a giant church organ or a series of stepped housetops. It’s gorgeous!
Following this architectural wonder, I checked if Juno the Bakery is as good as the reviews say. I agree with why they were awarded Best Bakery in Denmark in 2020.
I arrived early in the afternoon and was in a queue to order food, but it moved fast, and the people in the bakery were friendly and helpful. I ordered the Cardamom rolls, the bakery’s signature, and some Pistachio croissants since I love anything pistachio-related. They were amazing, and I need to come back here with my girlfriend so we can try even more of their delicious pastries and bread.
I visited The Little Mermaid before, and everyone knows this is one of the city’s symbols. But did you know that close by, there is another mermaid statue that gets way less attention?
The Genetically Modified Little Mermaid is a thought-provoking sculpture by Bjørn Nørgaard. It’s definitely not your typical Little Mermaid; the sculpture is just one figure in a larger sculpture group called “The Genetically Modified Paradise” that can be found in a square called Dahlerups Pakhus.
Visually, there is a clear connection between this and the more famous mermaid. At the same time, the artist invites us to see the potential consequences of genetic engineering and our increasing control over nature. Go there to avoid the crowds that flock to see that other mermaid.
After cycling around Copenhagen like a crazy person, I decided to mark my trip with another celebratory item. I went to One of Many Cameras to see what I could afford.
This photography shop in Copenhagen is filled with various cameras, lenses, and accessories, all in excellent condition. I came here looking for a vintage rangefinder camera. I asked for recommendations on Canon cameras and left the shop with a gorgeous Canon L-1 and Industar Soviet lenses.
The staff there was exceptionally friendly. When I mentioned how I got to Copenhagen, I was gifted a shirt with the shop slogan and a modified Motorhead logo. I had my picture taken for their Instagram account!
This is a shop that I recommend anyone go to if they are looking for analog wonders in the Danish capital.
With my new rangefinder and a few hours to spend before leaving Copenhagen, I got together with a friend who took me to an excellent craft beer bar called Fermentoren. I had a few too many beers before heading to the Copenhagen Bus Terminal so I could go back to Berlin.
I decided to return to Berlin by bus because Flixbus offers the choice of traveling with your bike. For the transport of the bicycle, you pay from 9€ to 18€, and your bike will then be transported to the back of the bus carrier or into the luggage compartment.
I booked my ticket and the bike ticket together a few weeks in advance. I would advise you to do the same since there aren’t many places to carry bikes on the bus, and it’s better to be safe than sorry.
Day 10: Arriving at Berlin ZOB and back in Neukölln
I don’t know how, but I slept safe and sound in the Flixbus and got to Berlin early in the day feeling good. However, how my bike was carried on the bus always remained in my mind, and the first thing I did when I left the bus was go to the back and check if everything was in order.
Surprisingly, my bike was there!
After packing it again, I took the S-Bahn to Neukölln and rode the last stretch towards my house. It was surreal to me to cycle through my neighborhood again as I got closer to my house.
I talked to my girlfriend before and asked her to help me take my last picture with my bike next to Rathaus Neukölln just to mark my way home. And, before she took the photo, she gave me a medal!
I thought it was a great surprise and a lovely way to celebrate the entire trip, and I was so happy about that surprise! That is how I ended my bike-packing adventure from Berlin to Copenhagen!
What I learned on this bike trip
After cycling all these kilometers and writing down my story, some things made more sense to me. There are things I would have done slightly differently and others that I need to find better ways to do.
The first thing that I need to improve for my next bike-packing adventure is how to pack my stuff and how to choose the right things to carry. I believe I need to be more compact somehow and understand what is nice to have and what is essential. Maybe I will learn this during my next adventure.
Another thing that I should try for the next trip is to take a more panoramic route. I say that because I believe my bike rides could have been more visually interesting, with more places to take pictures and others to stop and just enjoy the scenery. Sometimes, my goal to arrive at the next stage of the trip made me ignore those things a little, and I think I can add some sightseeing during the rides.
Finally, I want to try to cycle with someone else. This was a great solo adventure, but riding with someone else would have been better. I also want to get a different perspective on the bike ride, another set of goals and places to see, and someone to talk to and have fun with at the end of the day. I will try to convince my girlfriend to join me on my next one! Let’s see what happens.
For me, cycling from Berlin to Copenhagen was more than just a physical trip; it felt like a pilgrimage of self-discovery, strength, and a celebration of the simple pleasures of life. The many challenges I faced along the way, from the relentless rain on the first few days to the unexpected aches and pains, only toughened my will to cycle more and deepened my liking for everything that surrounded me.
With each cycling day, new discoveries appeared. Sometimes, it was the peacefulness of a lakeside town. Other times, it was the inspiring architecture of a historical church or even the unexpected camaraderie of fellow cyclists.
And I can say without any doubt that this trip has kindled a passion for bikepacking that I know will stay with me for years. I’m already planning and looking forward to the next one! The open road and bike lanes, the freedom to explore at my own pace, and the sense of achievement that comes with defeating each kilometer are experiences I’ll treasure forever.
Now, as I look ahead to the next step in this adventure, cycling from Copenhagen to Oslo, I’m filled with expectation and a renewed sense of drive. This was just the first step—just the beginning of my backpacking journey, and I can’t wait to see where the road leads me next!
