Itinerary

Sail & Bike Denmark and Sweden

8 days / 7 nights | Ship Atlantis | guided bike tours

During this beautiful Sail & Bike trip on the “tall ship” Atlantis, you’ll discover beautiful cities, small villages and islands around and in the Øresund – the strait between Denmark and Sweden. The narrow Øresund is an ancient trade route, like the Strait of Gibraltar and the Bosphorus, a strait of great strategic and economicimportance for centuries. Charming old harbors and fortified towns lie along its shores.
The journey starts and ends in Copenhagen and along the way you’ll visit Malmö as well: two of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Europe. You first sail to Helsingør (Elsinore) and cycle along the coast of the “Danish Riviera” with its long sandy beaches, then further through the slightly hilly landscape of Nordsjælland (North Zealand). Helsingør, at the narrowest part of the Øresund, was founded as early as 1420 and the town is dominated by Kronborg Castle, the setting for Shakespeare’s drama Hamlet.
On the Swedish side of the strait, Helsingborg is a coastal gem. From here, a bike ride along the coast of Skåne County (Scania) leads to the fortified town of Landskrona. The ship will then take you to the idyllic island of Ven, which rises above the sea like a plateau. It’s only 7.5 km2 (2.9 mi2) in size and has fewer than 400 inhabitants. The steep limestone cliffs, beautiful farmhouses and the observatory of the 17th-century astronomer Tycho Brahe are fascinating. Today, many artists and craftsmen live and work on Ven. From Ven, you’ll sail on to Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city. Enjoy the unique combination of modern architecture and the old town, including Malmöhus Castle and the 14th-century St. Peter’s Church.

This is followed by a long sail to the Danish island of Møn, the southernmost point of the journey, which, like Dover and the German island of Rügen, is known for its steep white limestone cliffs with many fossils. Møn is located in a sparsely-populated area, which means that on clear nights, the starry sky can sometimes shine especially brightly. The cycling tour on Møn starts with a long climb along the limestone cliffs and through the beautiful inland. The next morning you’ll sail from Møn to Rødvig. This is where the last cycling stint on the coast starts: along quiet country roads and cycle paths, you’ll reach the medieval town of Køge where the ship will be waiting for you in the harbor. In the afternoon you’ll sail to the Danish capital where the ship will moor again at the old city center.

Highlights of this bike and boat trip

✔ Visit Copenhagen and Malmö, among others

✔ Helsingborg and Landskrona, the islands of Ven and Møn

✔ Guided cycling tours, international group

✔ Three-masted sailing ship with max. 32 passengers

Itinerary

Day 1: Copenhagen

Embarkation and check-in. Starting from 5:30 pm, the crew will welcome you aboard the ship, moored close to the center of town, the Kastellet and the Little Mermaid. After you’ve stowed your luggage in your cabin, the skipper, crew and tour leader invite you for a welcome drink, followed by dinner on board. During the first briefing, after dinner, you’ll hear what to expect during the trip, details about the ship and also about the safety measures on board. The bicycles will be distributed in the evening or the next morning.

Day 2: Sailing Copenhagen – Helsingør | Helsingør–Hornbaek–Esrum–Helsingør (45 km / 28 mi)

The ship departs from Copenhagen before breakfast. During your breakfast you’ll sail north to Helsingør, where the ship will arrive around 11:00 am. You’ll first cycle along the coast of the “Danish Riviera” with its extensive sandy beaches to the harbor of Hornbaek. Then you’ll turn inland through a slightly hilly landscape towards Esrum for a stop at the medieval monastery on Lake Esrum. Next, you’ll cycle through bucolic wheat fields and past some lovely castles and country houses back toward Helsingør, where you’ll reach the historic city center after a long descent. 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 are home to a street food market, among other things.

Day 3: Sailing Helsingør – Helsingborg | Helsingborg – Landskrona (28 km / 17 mi)

Today you’ll again sail while you eat breakfast, but after about an hour you’ll already have reached the port of Helsingborg on the Swedish side of the Øresund. In the morning you can visit Helsingborg, which is both a beautiful city and considered one of Europe’s most innovative places. Next, you’ll cycle along the coast of Skåne County (Scania) to the fortified town of Landskrona. On the way, you’ll pass a few beaches and the former fishing village of Borstahusen with its quaint old fishermen’s houses. The 16th-century citadel of Landskrona – with a double moat – is still almost intact. Enjoy the view of the island of Ven, a few kilometers off the coast, ahead of tomorrow’s visit there.

Day 4: Sailing Landskrona – Ven | visit island of Ven (15 km / 9 mi.) | sailing Ven – Malmö

This morning the ship will take you to the small island of Ven, which lies on a sandstone plateau off the coast of Landskrona. You’ll be brought ashore (including your bicycles) by dinghy. This tiny (only 7.5 km2 / 2.9 mi2) island, which has less than 400 inhabitants, is a small gem in the Øresund. You can cycle around the island and visit artists, goldsmiths, cafes, the whiskey distillery or the 16th-century observatory of astronomer Tycho Brahe. Once you’ve been brought back on board using the dinghy, the Atlantis sails south to Malmö, where you’ll spend the evening and night.

Day 5: Bike tour through Malmö (20 km / 12 mi.) | sailing Malmö – Møn

After breakfast, you’ll tour Malmö by bike: it’s one of the most bicycle-friendly cities in Europe. Founded around 1200 and located opposite Copenhagen on the Øresund, Malmö offers a perfect mix of old-world charm and ultra-modern cosmopolitan vibes. The Turning Torso, a spiraling skyscraper and Sweden’s tallest building, looms over bustling centuries-old squares. Modest brick facades harbor a wealth of modern artistic creations. In the afternoon, your longest sail will take you to the Danish island of Møn, the southernmost destination of your journey, where the ship will anchor for the night. Møn is located in a sparsely-populated area and is an “International Dark Sky Community”: on clear nights, the starry sky – formerly essential for navigating at sea – can be stunningly clear here.

Day 6: Bike ride on Møn (30 km / 19 mi.) | afternoon sailing to Rødvig

Also today the dinghy will bring you ashore with your bike. From Klintholm Havn, you’ll cycle in a gradual, but not strenuous, climb to the top of the 130-meter-high (427 feet) white chalk cliffs of Møns Klint, which rise steeply from the sea, comparable to those in Dover and on Rügen. The GeoCenter at the top shows the 70-million-year-old history of the cliffs, which are known for the numerous fossils that can be found there. Next, via the charming 18th-century castle of Liselund with its English-style landscaped park, you’ll cycle through woods and rolling countryside to the cute little village of Borre, then back to the harbor of Klintholm. In the afternoon, the Atlantis sails to Rødvig to drop anchor for the night.

Day 7: Rødvig Havn – Køge (37 km / 22 mi.) | afternoon sail to Copenhagen

The last cycling route of the trip follows the coast first from Rødvig. On quiet country roads and cycle paths, you’ll take the long-distance cycle route Eurovelo 10 and ride through the rolling countryside past Denmark’s oldest medieval castle Gjorslev and the 16th-century Renaissance and Baroque Castle Vallø. Your route ends in the medieval town of Køge where the ship awaits you in the harbor. Visit the picturesque old town before re-boarding. In the afternoon you’ll sail on the last sailing trip of the week to the Danish capital, Copenhagen, where the ship will moor again in the old city center.

Day 8: Copenhagen

This is the end of your tour, but we won’t let you leave on an empty stomach. Before disembarkation by 9:30 am, enjoy a tasty breakfast and say your farewells.

Good to know

• Cycling route distances in the travel program are approximate.
• On some days you can choose between a longer and a shorter cycling route. Please note that
  on the shorter routes you may not be able to visit all the highlights mentioned.
• If you prefer not to cycle on a particular day, you’re welcome to stay on board and relax while
  the ship cruises to the next landing place. No lunch will be served, but you can have your
  packed lunch along the way.
• The tour itinerary and route are subject to possible changes due to nautical, technical or
  meteorological reasons, or other unforeseen events.
• On the arrival day, you can leave your luggage on board the ship from 15.00 am.
• A detailed cycling ma and a GPS app are available for guests who wish to cycle individually
  and at their own pace. The tour guide is always available via cell phone in case of questions,
  breakdowns or emergencies.

Important observations for the Sail & Bike program

A little bit of adventure is a part of every Sail
& Bike tour: the departure and arrival day and the location are a certainty, 100%. For the rest, the planned daily sailing routes are partially dependent on the strength and direction of the winds.
The skipper decides the best route to be taken day by day, and discusses the options with his
guests. The crew does everything in its power to enable the program to run according to plan and
to offer you as fascinating, varied and active a week as possible, in which nature and culture play
a major part. It is, however, also possible that departure times and the time spent on the water –
and even the order of the program itself – may be adjusted. Enjoy the ride and let yourself be led
by the elements! Whenever possible, various passages will be undertaken fully rigged and anyone
who would like to help the crew to sail and steer the boat is welcome to do so. This is of course
absolutely up to you and no sailing experience is necessary.