Riding to Norhavn on our way out of town, we met with some residents who told us about their experience living in the area. They used to live in old town Copenhagen, but jumped on the opportunity to buy an apartment in Nordhavn, signing the papers over a year before moving into their apartment. Apparently the apartments have skyrocketed in price as more buildings, shops, and restaurants have opened in the area.
Most interesting to me, there is a parking garage with a playground on the top. Dylan made the good point that it is notable they chose to give prime real estate to a parking garage rather than additional housing. The playground is a great resource for kids, but we also learned that there are weekly CrossFit-type classes that are free and open to anyone in Copenhagen. Instructors are local to the area, and the municipality paid for their certification and only asks that they volunteer to teach 6 classes a year. Not only is the weekly class a great way to build community but also a great opportunity for people to get certified in CrossFit instruction.
We also asked about their opinion on the cruise port for Copenhagen. While both men were appreciative for the money brought in, one was very concerned about both the pollution from the gas and waste dumped in the ocean nearby – he would be happy to lose revenue from the cruises if it meant eliminating these factors.
Rolling out of Nordhavn we headed north, enjoying scenes along the water and views before arriving at Bakken, the oldest amusement park in the world. I was happy to take a walk around the perimeter of the park, but soon got back on my bike to continue along. In between cruising along and marveling at the bicycle infrastructure along the way (a protected cycle track or bike path nearly the entire way), we climbed to the top of Frederik VII’s grotto, and took a pit stop at a scenic harbor.
Road bikers, tourers like ourselves, and people taking a quick trip all utilized the bike infrastructure. While some areas were more scenic than others, our path allowed us safe and efficient travel. Can you imagine such infrastructure on the Oregon coast?
Before long we reached the Louisiana Museum. The grounds are spectacular, and there was a powerful exhibit called “Homeless Souls,” which payed particular attention to refugees who have to flee their homes.
Arriving in Helsingør, we got settled at the hostel and enjoyed a great meal at a local food truck hall.