“This is not normal,” my friend Katharina said with a flick of her bike bell. “Stopping!”
We were in Copenhagen, halfway across the Dronning Louises Bridge, where 35,000 people pedal to and fro every day. Off to the side, we stood straddling our stadsfiets, hearts pounding, as hundreds of helmet-less cyclists in protected lanes whirred by automobiles, looking totally relaxed on their way to work. No wonder the Danes are the happiest people on the planet, I thought, calling to mind the claustrophobic interior of New York subways. As the sun perforated the clouds, we jumped back on the saddle and spent the following four days dissecting the town on two wheels, feeling like part of some miraculous urban experiment where bicycles and cars coexisted peacefully on the road.
Biking fuels the senses. Come springtime, it’s the prescribed mode of transportation if you want to experience the town like a local, rolling along a charming, eco-conscious rhythm of life. When the bike traffic light turns green, here are the best eco things to do in Copenhagen, from where to eat, sleep, drink, and get inspired by a city well on its way to becoming the first carbon-neutral capital in the world.
For the full story, go to offManhattan.com