Travel report: The Baltic Sea Cycle Path in Denmark – The Little Belt and the Danish South Sea

Day 2: Flensburg – Aabenraa (43.8 km)

The northernmost city in Germany bade us farewell in cloudy weather and drizzle, but this in no way diminished our desire to travel. As soon as we crossed the border into Denmark, a small wooden bridge along the Gendarmstien (a coastal path), at least the rain stopped. Our first stage began with a short stretch along the Flensburg Fjord, then through sparsely populated agricultural regions. We rode almost alone next to corn fields, wildflower meadows, fragrant dog roses, meadowsweet bushes and lime blossom, as well as the typical smells of livestock farming! We took a short break in Kliplev to visit the pilgrimage church there.

Just in time for our arrival in Aabenraa, situated on the Aabenraa Fjord, the sun had fought its way through and accompanied us until our evening stroll through the town. An extremely friendly and courteous welcome awaited us at the Hotel Europa, including free coffee, pastries and soft drinks "round the clock". A small marina and the pedestrian zone in the center were within easy walking distance of the hotel. It was a relaxed arrival without the hustle and bustle and mass tourism.

Day 3: Aabenraa – Christiansfeld (65.5 km)

The first stretch of the day we cycled partly with sea views and cloudy skies, very pleasant for cycling! In Haderslev, (the largest town on today's stage and famous for its historic town center), we topped up our food supplies for the first time. We only looked at the historic buildings from a distance and decided to continue along the cycle route along the Little Belt (Lillebælt). With bright sunshine and blue skies, cooling off on the beach at Hejlsminde felt incredibly good! The first swim in the Baltic Sea this year!

Relaxed, we cycled a little over 10 kilometers to Christiansfeld, a small, very structured town founded by the Moravian Church and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Its straight streets lined with lime trees and yellow-brick houses, often decorated with small and large Herrnhut stars, conveyed a sense of coziness. We found an inviting little café in the center, but we hadn't expected all the staff to come to the seating area at 5 p.m. sharp and ask all the guests nicely but firmly to leave their tables and chairs. We stood on the sidewalk with ice cream and cake, both of which we had been given as to-go options 10 minutes earlier, next to the chairs! We only found out about the "hygge mentality" in Denmark later on in our trip and can now look back on this little episode with indulgence!

A little outside Christiansfeld, we found our accommodation at Tyrstrup Kro, a lovingly renovated property built in the 18th century. The rooms were traditionally furnished and large enough. In the restaurant we were spoiled in the evening with home-baked bread and refined dishes. The breakfast buffet also left nothing to be desired!

Day 4: Christiansfeld – Middelfart (57.76 km)

Well-fed and optimistic about the weather, we set off in the direction of Middelfart. But the weather changed as soon as we reached Grønninghoved Strand, with lightning and thunder, and it didn't stop raining until we reached our destination! That was a shame, but not a big problem as we were prepared for rain, but we didn't take any breaks. We found the part of the route that led us to Lillebaeltsbroen on the side of a road that was mainly used by trucks very unpleasant. But our destination, the Hotel Hindsgavl Slot in the middle of a nature park, was a real eye-catcher and fully compensated us for the day. After a hot shower, we indulged ourselves in the castle restaurant!

Day 5: Middelfart – Odense (72.78 km)

After a hearty breakfast, we started our day trip with a stroll through the pedestrian zone of Middelfart, also to buy our provisions for the day. We later stopped briefly at Strib lighthouse and cycled another 10 kilometers along Lillebælt before setting course for Odense through the inland of the island of Funen. In glorious sunshine, we were able to enjoy the silence along the grain fields and forest paths. Even the few people we encountered greeted us in a friendly manner and waved to us.

After so much rural idyll, we were very excited about Odense, Denmark's third largest city! However, our primary destination in Odense was a bicycle repair shop listed in the flyer, as one of our bikes was squeaking and rattling. Nevertheless, the ride through the city was completely unproblematic and, thanks to a perfect network of cycle paths, absolutely safe and stress-free. Nevertheless, beads of sweat were forming on our foreheads! It was 4:45 p.m. and we knew about ‘hygge’! We were already worried about continuing our journey as planned the next day! Before we reached the repair shop we were looking for, we spontaneously stopped at a bike repair shop called Custom Raw-Cykler, which was apparently located just before it, for ‘hygge reasons’. We were given a very friendly welcome there, the bike was inspected immediately and quick help was promised! Within an hour, we were able to pick up the bike, fully functional again! Amazing!!!

The next pleasant surprise was the Hotel Comwell H. C. Andersen with an inviting statue of the poet in front of it and a very spacious room. On a warm summer evening, we went for an extensive stroll through the city and stopped for dinner at Den Gamle Kro, an old inn in a beautiful old building dating back to 1683, where we rounded off the evening with culinary delights.

Day 6: Odense – Svendborg (58.37 km)

We spent the morning in Odense and spent some time in the H.C. Andersen House, where we learned a lot about the life and work of the great Danish poet in an impressive way. We left the city heading south and were once again able to enjoy the beautiful countryside in sunny weather. Of course, we also visited Egeskov Castle, which is located on the cycle path and is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful moated castles on our continent. The grounds are very extensive and there were lots of interesting things to see. Despite the many visitors and the hustle and bustle, we really enjoyed our break there.

We reached Svendborg in the late afternoon. Our Hotel Christiansminde was about 6 kilometers from the ferry port, but very easy to reach via a cycle path along the Svendborgsund. Our room for 3 days was super nice, bright, spacious with a balcony and a view of the sund! Within a 5-minute walk we reached a small beach to the Baltic seaside resort!

Day 7: Svendborg – Ærø Island (35.56 km)

As planned, we started the day with a ferry ride from Svendborg to Ærø Island. The small ferry port of Ærøskobing welcomed us with sunshine and colourful hustle and bustle. We opted for a relaxed bike ride in the south-east of the island through Ommel and Marstal, treating ourselves to a short swim break along the way. Back in Svendborg, we stopped at the Restaurant Svendborgsund right by the harbour, which offered typical Danish food as well as delicious fish dishes.

Day 9: Svendborg – Faaborg (38.61 km)

We said goodbye to beautiful Svendborg with a look back from the Svendborgsundbroen and continued our journey towards Faaborg in 33° C temperatures. The cycle route initially ran along the coast and close to the shore, then back through meadows and fields. Our Hotel Faaborg Fjord was right on the edge of town and close to the beach. Once again, we were given a friendly welcome and protected from "monsters under the bed". The small harbor town also appealed to us with its cozy old town with historic bell tower and city gate as well as a bageri with many delicacies.

Day 11: Sonderborg – Flensburg (45.43 km)

We started our last stage with a lot of melancholy. Despite the rain, we made a short loop through Sonderborg before setting off on our return journey to Flensburg. We cycled through the Dybbøl Banke history park and continued along the Baltic Sea cycle path to Broager, the town with the twin church towers. We still took time for a short photo break wherever we went. Unfortunately, the castle of the royal family in Gråsten was closed to visitors, but we were able to watch a changing of the guard in front of the castle. 

It rained without end! We reached Flensburg with wet feet, but happy and grateful for the many new impressions!