The Bite Magazine - Spring/Summer 2020 - Issue 27

Samantha Morgan explores the Copenhagen way of life and is intrigued by the Danes’ ‘hygge’ concept and the bike-riding city. bite travel COPENHAGEN I t is estimated that Copenhageners cycle the equivalent of 35 times around the world every day. Whether it’s for pleasure, commuting, transport of goods, or family travel, come rain or shine, hail or snow, when visiting this Danish capital city with its extensive network of bike lanes and highways, expect to see scores of bicycles everywhere. As the saying in Denmark goes, “The bike is a Dane’s best friend” so, during rush hour, you will often find Copenha- gen as crowded as car traffic in other parts of the world. This preferred mode of transport started when bicycles were introduced to the country in the 1880s. During the 1920s and 1930s, it became a widespread symbol of equal- ity and freedom which allowed cyclists to ride to work and in the countryside on their days off. The 1950s saw some of the Danes replace their bikes with mopeds and cars but in the early 1970s, due to the Mideast oil crisis, ‘Car Free Sundays’ were introduced with the latter years bringing back the popularity of bicycles. Professional Travel Photography: Ian Gillett B ike C ity of the W orld Palm House at the Botanical Gardens