Cycling & Sailing in Denmark and Sweden, MARE FRISIUM

Individual arrival in Copenhagen. The crew will welcome you starting at 5:30 p.m. on the ship, which is docked near the city center, Kastellet Fortress, and the Little Mermaid. After you’ve taken your luggage to your cabin, the captain, tour guide, and crew will invite you to enjoy a welcome drink. This will be followed by your first dinner on board. After dinner, the tour guides will go over the itinerary, and you’ll learn all about the ship and the safety procedures on board. Bicycles will be distributed either that evening or the next morning.

You’ll disembark and cycle past the Little Mermaid and the Kastellet on quiet bike paths out of the city, along the Öresund, but also inland through wooded areas and picturesque villages. You might even catch a glimpse of the ship sailing by. About 10 km before Helsingør is the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, which is well worth a visit. The route continues to Helsingør, where you’ll reach the historic city center. The harbor is dominated by the imposing Kronborg Castle, the place Shakespeare had in mind when he wrote *Hamlet*. Nearby, old harbor buildings have been beautifully restored and now house, among other things, a street market and a maritime museum.

After breakfast, you’ll first cycle along the coast of the “Danish Riviera,” with its expansive sandy beaches, to the small harbor of Hornbæk. Then you’ll head inland through gently rolling countryside to Esrum, where you’ll stop at the medieval monastery on Lake Esrum. You’ll then ride through idyllic wheat fields and past several castles and country estates back to Helsingør, where, after a long descent, you’ll reach the historic city center. A shorter version of the bike tour allows you to visit Helsingør in the afternoon. During dinner, the ship crosses the narrow strait to reach Helsingborg on the Swedish coast. Helsingborg is a beautiful old city that is also considered one of the most innovative in Europe. After dinner, you can take a short walk.

In the morning, you’ll cycle along the coast of Skåne Province to the fortified town of Landskrona. Along the way, you’ll pass several beaches and the former fishing village of Borstahusen with its picturesque old fishermen’s cottages. Landskrona’s 16th-century citadel remains almost entirely intact. Shortly after noon, you’ll take the ferry to the island of Ven. Explore the tiny island (only 7.5 km in size), which has fewer than 400 residents and is a little gem in the Öresund. You can cycle around the island and visit artists, goldsmiths, cafés, the whiskey distillery, or the 16th-century observatory of the astronomer Tycho Brahe. Since the harbor is too small for the large ship to enter, the crew will pick you up in a dinghy in the late afternoon, and the ship will remain anchored off the coast overnight.

Today, you and your bicycles will stay on board. The ship will sail (under sail, weather permitting, of course) from the island of Ven, passing under the Öresund Bridge, to the southern part of Zealand. Enjoy the sailing trip on deck of the large sailing ship. Your destination is Køge, or you may sail a little further to Rødvig. The exact destination depends on weather conditions. In Køge, the ship docks in the harbor; in Rødvig, it anchors for the night. Between the two towns lie the imposing white limestone cliffs of Stevns Klint, similar to those in Dover or on the German island of Rügen. This sparsely populated area is designated a “dark sky area”: on clear nights, you can marvel at the starry sky here—a sight that was once essential for navigation at sea.

If your bike tour starts in Rødvig, you’ll be taken from the ship to Rødvig by dinghy. Cycle to the UNESCO World Heritage Site Stevns Klint, where you’ll make a short stop to explore the chalk cliffs, the small town of Højerup, and the Cliff Church. Continue on to Køge and take some time to explore the historic center of this medieval town. If your tour begins in Køge, your bike ride will be longer. You’ll also visit the chalk cliffs of Stevns Klint and then return to Køge. The ship will pick you up in Køge to set sail for Malmö on the evening voyage.

This short, half-day tour takes you past various highlights in the city center and through Malmö’s outskirts to a breathtaking view of the Öresund Bridge and the city. In the afternoon, you’ll have time to explore Malmö on your own. The longer, full-day tour along quiet country roads takes you to the lively university town of Lund, one of Sweden’s oldest cities with over 1,000 years of history. Discover the historic city center and the magnificent 12th-century cathedral. On the way back to the ship, you’ll cycle along the beautiful coastline, where you’ll have the chance to enjoy an ice cream or take one last dip in the sea! In the evening, enjoy the captain’s farewell dinner.

After breakfast, disembarkation begins at 9:30 a.m., followed by individual travel home.