Trip of the week: a cycling tour of ‘pristine’ Zealand

With its “quaint” fishing villages and peaceful sandy coves, the north coast of the Danish island of Zealand is “pristine perfection”, says Sudi Pigott in The Daily Telegraph.

Promoted by the tourist board as “the Danish Riviera”, it is rich in cultural sites – from medieval castles to modern art galleries – as well as excellent restaurants where young chefs feel free to experiment, away from the “frenzied competition” of the capital, which is only an hour away. Yet it remains “blissfully quiet”, unspoilt and understated – and a delight to explore by bicycle or e-bike on a self-guided tour with an operator such as Inntravel.

The “charming” town of Helsingør is full of half-timbered shops and cafés serving Flødeboller, the chocolate-and-marshmallow cakes that are a “childhood favourite” for most Danes. But it is better known for its huge medieval castle – the Elsinore of Shakespeare’s Hamlet – which towers over the narrowest point of the Øresund, the sea channel between Denmark and Sweden.

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Six miles south, the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art occupies an equally “magical” coastal spot. Sculpture gardens tumble down to the shore, and the galleries house a collection that includes work by Picasso and Bacon. Not far beyond, in Rungsted, the “elegant” former home of Karen Blixen (the author of Out of Africa) is also worth a visit. It is now a museum, with a “resplendent” garden.

The region’s most important fishing port is Gilleleje. The town has an “unmistakable buzz”, with lots of “alluring” independent shops and good restaurants including Gilleleje Havn, which serves a local variety of lobster that is quite “heavenly”. But equally appealing are villages such as Sletten, Tisvilde and Snekkersten – and nothing can beat the cycling itself, past thatched cottages fringed with hollyhocks, through quiet woodlands and along seashore paths where wild roses bloom in profusion.

Inntravel (inntravel.co.uk) has a four-night trip from £1,066pp, excluding flights