Rabu, 20 April 2011

Enjoying Copenhagen By Bike


The cold night air was pierced when I arrived in Copenhagen by bus from Gedser, a town on the southern tip of Denmark, as the rain began to fall. Some people might remember the Little Mermaid when she heard of Copenhagen. But I knew that night, the capital of one of the country's oldest monarchy is an old town, wet, and cold.

Armed with a map of the Internet, I tried to find the way to a hostel called Sleeping in Heaven.Hearing the name, I wish I could actually sleep there. But first, I had trouble with bus routes that I've never heard of.

"Take the bus no. 250S leads to Budinge St., a decrease in Åboulevard (third stop). After that, walk 200 m to Struenseegade 7. Search Kapelvej and turn left at the alley after the building no. 44."

Wow. This is all to do in the increasingly heavy rain. Several Danish krona coins that various forms that my picky to take the bus. A little confuse with each other because of similar shape and somewhat difficult to read his writings.

The roads in cities in Europe quite "exotic" for me, who first set foot into the continent. Copenhagen dominated by low buildings with a variety of architectural styles, ranging from the style of the 16th century until a minimalistic contemporary style and industrialists. What is clear, I do not feel there is in the capital or a busy business district.


The city is relatively calm for me people of Indonesia. Here, the sound of horns and traffic jams do not decorate every day life. This is possible thanks to the use of bicycles as a primary means of transportation of its citizens. Everywhere bicycle passing by.

The first night I arrived, I almost got hit because they do not know that I crossed the street was a special track bike. My layman's observation, people here are not just enamored with the style bike fixie style Jakarta youth or young professionals with the bike athletes.

Bicycles in Copenhagen is very casual and functional, purely for transportation. Each bike is equipped brakes (though not always with the turn of the tooth), and many are berkeranjang and almost always have a place to ride. Any young child, though a man, not ashamed to bring a bike with a basket in front.

The young mothers who have children to modify their bikes to be like a small spot, and put his son in front. In fact, there is the basket can accommodate two children at once. Small compartment in front of or behind the bike can also be converted to carry groceries or other goods.

In spring to early autumn, ie from April to September, Bike rental facilities are available free to anyone (with a guarantee deposit 30 krona, or USD 30 thousand). The facility is named "Bycyklen København" is limited to the zone in downtown Copenhagen composed of Indre By (Copenhagen Centre) and Christianshavn, an old district of eclectic with a long history.

The two areas that it should be visited. There are many interesting things such as museums (among others Statens Museums for Kunst, the Danish Museum of Art & Design, the National Museum, Thorvaldsen Museum), and city parks (such as Tivoli Gardens, Orstedsparken, Botanisk Have, Kastellet).

By bike, you can browse channels and coastal calm and soothing. Sempatkanlah to Kristiania in Christianshavn, "settlements" in the town eccentric, belongs to the anti-establishment who reject the presence of globalization and capitalism.

If you are interested history, do not forget to visit some of the palace / castle like palace Amalienborg and Christiansborg. Like shopping? Then try the world's longest pedestrian street, Strøget, which in both sides there are many shops.

If you simply like the sensation of "lost" in the city - which was great fun - then cycling could be one way to meet it.

If you've finished cycling, you no longer need to go back to the beginning. Simply put the bike in one of the point of collection - totaling more than 100 points in the environment Bycyklen København.

Copenhagen bicycle users must comply with certain rules: Never cross the sidewalk or pedestrian traffic, do not ever cross the zebra crossing, do not ever ride in a city park, do not ride late at night and always passing in the right lane (Denmark driving on the right road).

Cycling in Copenhagen is a fun and safe. The air is relatively clean, comfortable and contours of the land infrastructure flat. You can see more, absorb various things and explore the lives of its citizens should Copenhagenites true.

Want it? So, forget about traveling by tour bus or rent a car. Use a bicycle if you have time to Copenhagen.

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