Denmark Biking Route Day 4: Sønderborg to Odense

Click here for route map
Length 88 km (55 miles), terrain: light hills, gain 438 meters

Hey folks, it's #SummerFun time! This week, as a vacation from the normal blogging routine, each day we'll publish a short biking route in Denmark. Maybe it will inspire a few people to try something a bit different from their usual workouts!

Today's route explores the east coast of the big Danish island of Fyn (Funen), then turning inland to end at the island's capital of Odense. It's a nice mix of deserted beaches, fields, thatched-roof farmhouses, old harbors and a couple of big towns. So off we go...

Regional Bike Route 50 heads up the east coast from Svendborg, hugging the water for part of the way, and sometimes zig-zagging inland to get around woods, campgrounds or big manor farms.

Near Murhove

The first part of the coast northeast of Svendborg is a place to enjoy the ocean views. Fields line the quiet coast road. Åbyskov, a hamlet of vacation homes lines the water later on. Later, there are a few remote beaches, great spots to stop and swim. After the road circles inland around a manor farm, Murhove, there are some great secluded beaches.

Lambs and their mom under a tree full of ripe cherries: The cherries were great!

The first real town is Lundeborg, with its little harbor, where the local sailing school was making pancakes on their picnic tables when I came by.

Lundeborg sailing school making pancakes at the harbor

After that, Bike Route 50 heads inland again to go through hilly country and a few villages and small palaces, like Hesselagergard.

Hesselagergard castle: came as a surprise, out in the country

Just before coming into the big port town of Nyborg, you go by the old moated palace of Holckenhavn. Turn in there to take a look at this old castle. It's now used as an event venue.

Holckenhavn: looked nicer than the hostel that I'd booked

So now just cross the causeway north into Nyborg and follow the signs to the town center. Like all the Danish towns we're visiting, Nyborg is scenic, full of pedestrian shopping streets in the old town. I really needed to sit down at a cafe and get a bite to eat and something to drink on my hot ride.

One of Nyborg's pedestrian shopping streets

From Nyborg, we now turn west and follow National Bike Route 6 to the island capital of Odense. I was heading into the prevailing west wind, but it wasn't too bad.

Scenic farmhouse along the way

You first have to head through quite a bit of Nyborg before you get out onto a quiet road, and then you cross the Freeway a couple of times. But there is enough beautiful scenery along the way to make it enjoyable, like in the hamlet of Davinde.

Bike route signs in Davinde

After you cross the freeway for the second time, you're in the outskirts of Odense, and there is a lot of traffic, but good dedicated bikeways.

In the Odense old-town

Odense, named after the Norse god Odin, has a lot to offer, with a lively downtown and lots of pedestrian streets, and it's the home of some good beers. It's most known for being the hometown of Hans Christian Andersen. A good place to spend the night! 

The Odense Youth Hostel

I had a great traditional Danish dinner and an Odense Classic beer at Restaurant Grønttorvet, sitting outside on the vegetable market square. I stayed the night in the youth hostel, located in an old manor-farm not far from the town center.

Wonderful Danish food at Grønttorvet