Where to go in summer: Europe and Asia by bike and longboard
Summer is coming, and the holiday season with him. Many traditionally seek to get to the sea, but not everyone likes a measured beach holiday. For those who do not want to slow down the pace and on vacation, we have compiled a list of cities that are interesting to explore by bike, longboard, skateboard, scooter and not only - and at the same time asked tourists and locals where to go.
Vienna is not the most economical choice for a traveler, but definitely deserves attention. In addition to the obligatory museums and the Cathedral of St. Stephen in the summer, it is worth exploring the numerous parks in the city: Schönbrunn, located in the residence of the Austrian emperors, Stadtpark, Augarten, botanical garden.
In early April, my wife and I traveled to Vienna - this is a wonderful city, and the best way to explore it is to rent a bike. A network of conditionally free points is spread throughout the city, where it can be done. Registration costs one euro, plus twenty euros of security, which is then returned. The only condition: one bike for free, you can use no more than an hour. If you ride longer, you have to pay, but also a little. There are bike lanes (a hundred times more than in Moscow), traffic lights for cyclists, rental points are everywhere - from one to the other ten minutes on foot. We lived fifty minutes from the center, covered this distance every day, morning and evening, and it didn’t bother me at all. But we could save a lot on tickets and accommodation. For the three days that we were in the city, we did not spend a single cent on public transport, not counting tickets from and to the airport.
Of the minuses: although the network of bike paths is big, it is inferior to Berlin - there is a paradise for bicycle enthusiasts, although there are fewer rental stations. Riding in Vienna is much safer than in Moscow. Firstly, most of the streets have separate lanes for cyclists (even in the wilderness where we lived), secondly, motorists drive more carefully, follow the rules more often and are used to constantly sharing the road with cycling.
Another is not the most budget option - but Tokyo will give the impression incomparable with a trip to Europe. Here, antiquity and modernity are surprisingly combined, so it is worth trying everything at once: visit the temples, look at the famous intersection in the Shibuya area, take a walk near the Imperial Palace and look at the skyscrapers.
Tokyo is famous for congested public transport, and cycling through the sun-drenched streets is a great alternative. In addition, a bicycle is freedom: you do not need to worry about the schedule of the last trains, the cost of a night taxi, and if you change from car to bicycle, then about searching for parking. And of course, this is an opportunity to explore the city well.
Tokyo is full of cyclists - from young mothers, driving on electric highs with two children sitting at both ends of the bicycle, to semi-professional cyclists in tight-fitting uniforms and shiny helmets. The latter can often be found not in the center of the city, but in its eastern and northern parts, where along the Tamagawa and Arakawa rivers there are bicycle paths leading to the mountains.
It may surprise foreigners that there are almost no bicycle lanes in the city. But this is not a problem: in Tokyo, it is customary for cyclists to drive around the edge of the carriageway, and motorists (with the exception of taxi drivers) treat them with respect and understanding - they will always give way and wait patiently until you travel around using "their" part of the road standing in front of the truck. In a city with so many people, there is definitely not enough parking, and you often have to park where you have to, for example, tie a bicycle to an iron fence, hoping that before your return the police will not take it (with an ordinary cyclist this happens about once a year or two).
If you love nature, then definitely worth a ride on the embankments of the already mentioned rivers Tamagawa and Arakawa. The center is very nice to drive from Shibuya Station, known for its busy intersection, which is often shown in films, to the Imperial Palace (and around it) along the wide Aoyama-Dori. You can also build a route through the well-known Tokyo districts - from the fashionable Omotesando through Nagata-cho with the parliament building, ministries and embassies to the western side of the imperial palace, which offers an impressive view of the high-rises of Tokyo's Otemachi business center, above the alley of Japanese pines.
Barcelona is associated primarily with the name of Antonio Gaudi - even those who have never planned a trip to the city know about the Sagrada Familia and Park Guell. In addition, you can ride the funicular to Mount Tibidabo or climb the Columbus Tower and see the city from a height, or you can just walk along the sea, occasionally looking at bars.
Barcelona is my oasis and one of the most beloved cities to which I want to return, and at any time of the year. Barcelona is also an ideal city for a longboard ride: a lot of squares, wide streets, good coverage, slopes and crossings at pedestrian crossings - you can almost ride without stopping. The first time I tried to get on the longboard there. There were so many people around who rode around the city that the fear of driving in a crowd almost immediately disappeared. All the holidays, my boyfriend and I moved mostly on a longboard. There are a lot of points of sale and rental in the city, we took ours in a skate shop near the Citadel Park.
My favorite area is Montjuic, we usually stop there. You can go to the park to Joan Miro, to the Olympic arena of Montjuïc, or you can go to the Arc de Triomphe or to the embankment of Barcelona. It's great to ride along the Sea Boulevard along Barceloneta Beach - surfing the city with the breeze, and the sea is roaring nearby. And you can not go anywhere specifically, but just ride and enjoy the city, because Barcelona seems to be created in order to move along it on skateboards, bicycles and longboards.
Berlin will appeal to those who are there for the first time, and sophisticated tourists - from the obligatory Museum Island, the remains of the Berlin Wall, the famous cathedral and the Bundestag (do not forget to register for a visit in advance!) To street food and doners. In addition, there is perhaps the best in Europe system of bike paths.
In Berlin it is very convenient to travel by bicycle: the system of bicycle lanes is well thought out, there are some traffic lights, the lanes themselves sometimes “creep out” into the middle of the roadway. If in Germany people move to everything marked “eco”, including transport, then specifically in Berlin, many citizens move on bicycles in order not to pay for public transport. All bicycles are cheap, which in case of something is not a pity. Renting a city bike per day costs twelve to fifteen euros, you can take them from almost any hotel, hostel, museum, cafe, where there will be a sign "rent a bike".
Some bicycles do not fasten at all: they are for general use. It's like the action "suspended coffee": found - well done, use it carefully and then put where you took it. In Berlin, every Sunday in almost all districts they arrange flea markets, where the old one can be bought for ten to fifteen euros. If you later want to take him home, then just in case, ask for a receipt from the seller with his contacts.
Another tip for those who want to take their bike to Berlin: either take one that is not expensive for you, or park it right next to your bed. For beautiful and, for example, mountain bikes can be hunting, and no protective chain and thick u-lock lock will not save. Alas, it is verified by personal experience. Well, do not forget that on bicycle paths the movement is also right-hand: riding against the movement can be life-threatening.
Another city that is convenient to explore by bike - if you want, you can even take it with you on the subway if you buy a special ticket. Visit the unusual area ("city in the city") of Christiania, take a look at one of the bars in the Nörrebro district, do not forget about the Royal Gardens and Tivoli Gardens - if the rides do not interest you, musicians often play here in the evenings.
Copenhagen is one of the most convenient cities for cyclists in the world. The first thing my colleagues asked when I moved to Copenhagen was whether I bought a bicycle. I will always choose it if I need to drive within eight kilometers. Sometimes it is even faster than using public transport.
For comfortable movement on a bicycle in Copenhagen, without exaggeration, incredible possibilities. The whole city is covered by a network of bicycle paths that go along highways, parks, canals and pedestrian streets. Bicycle tunnels, bridges, trails, individual traffic lights, parking lots - there is no such urban space where there would be no bicycle infrastructure. You can take a bicycle with you in electric trains and subways, and more recently in some buses, where there is also a dedicated area (although at rush hour it is not so convenient to do this).
On my first bike rides around the city, I was very scared of two types of cyclists: fast-moving professional athletes and slow wheelchairs with children. Both those and others created discomfort, and it seemed that you were about to come across someone. But if to be attentive, to pay attention to the signs and behavior of other people and not to wear headphones, then it is a pleasure to move around the city.
In many cities of the world tourists can rent a bike, and Copenhagen, of course, is no exception. Over the past three years, the bike park has been updated, they have a built-in tablet with navigation, and parking systems have been expanded throughout the city. Such a city bike is a bit heavy, but you can use others from private rentals. Those who come to Copenhagen, I would advise to ride along the paths along the canals and along the bridges built exclusively for cyclists. For example, Sykelslangen (Cykelslangen) near the shopping center Fisketorvet (Fisketorvet), or the new bridge Inderhavnsbroen (Inderhavnsbroen), which separates the area Nyhavn (Nyhavn) and Christianshavn (Christianshavn). My favorite route in the summer is along the sea to the north from the city center, through the area with the modern architecture of Nordhavn and on to Hellerup and Klampenborg, to city beaches.
Amsterdam is famous for its noisy center, but those who prefer a more relaxing holiday will also like it here: you can visit one of the many museums (alas, not the cheapest - the Museum Map is useful), or you can just walk along the canals.
Historically, I do not like to ride a bike. Run, walk, jump - yes, pedal - no. But I still remember my first meeting with Amsterdam: I was traveling by night train Zurich - Amsterdam, when I came to the Central Station I saw a girl in high heels, in a dress, with a cup of coffee in her hand and on a bicycle. This is the face of the country. In the evening I met a friend: he showed me the city and immediately said that he would move faster on bicycles. He had his own, mine, we rented and drove around the center for four hours: we looked at the flamingos in the park and ate the best burger in the city, went on an excursion to the Anne Frank house, and then parked and walked along the tourist center along the canals. I fell in love with the city, I go back there again and again. And always take a bike - it's fast, cheap, useful, and you can endlessly consider the city around.
This city is created for bicycles: rusty, brand new, green, with a basket and a compartment for dogs - eyes diverge from diversity. Cyclists have their own lanes, traffic lights, and parking. Residents move on bicycles to work, on dates, to meetings in a bar (and leave for the night their two-wheeled friend in the parking lot next to him). Most rides in helmets, each in his pocket lock for parking. I think in this country to be a pedestrian is less safe than a cyclist.
If one day you get tired of the center, come with your bicycle to the Central Station and leave by subway by train. For example, in The Hague - a ride along the sea, exposing the face to the wind, and eat a sandwich with herring. Or in Rotterdam - look at the unusual architecture and go to Markthol. The suburbs are very beautiful and quiet, definitely worth a visit.
Lisbon is not the most obvious choice for cycling trips: there are many steep streets in the center, and it will be hard to ride along them. Nevertheless, the city even organize cycling tours - the main thing to count their strength. You can stop for a break at one of the many street kiosks, symbols of the street food of the city: here you can eat a sandwich, drink coffee or even a glass of liqueur.
Portugal is similar to a little poor and dilapidated Spain - even in large cities there are a lot of abandoned houses. As the locals say, because of the expensive utility fees and housing tax. At the same time here are surprisingly welcoming residents, delicious food, beautiful views and cheap rent. This is a great place to ride a bike, though, as in many cities near the water, if you are not ready to perform feats, it is better to ride along the coast and not go into the mountains. Because of such hills, as in the center of Porto or Lisbon, I have never met anywhere.
I rode Portugal on a road bike from Lisbon to Porto with stops in small villages. Surprisingly, everything is pretty smooth between cities, and if you want to go on a bike trip, you can easily choose this route. But there are three important points: ideally, you need to bring your bike (I don’t trust the rented one and always drive my own in the aircover), choose secondary routes and go in the direction from Porto to Lisbon so that the wind is in the back. If you plan to ride in Lisbon and the surrounding area, then go to the parks or a small resort Cascais. Not confident in their abilities - the suburbs can be reached by train, along with the great.
The minimum program for a tourist in Budapest is the baths, the famous ruin bars (you can spend the whole evening moving from one to another), the symbol of the city is the parliament building, as well as the fishing bastion (it’s not necessary to go inside) and the Danube embankment. If you get tired to ride, you can take a ride on an unusual cog tram: it rises uphill, from where a good view of the city opens up.
My husband and I travel a lot and almost always rent mopeds or bicycles. It is fun, fast, convenient and helps to look at the city with completely different eyes. Of all the countries where we rode bikes, the most comfortable was in Hungary. We traveled all over Budapest on both sides of the river, got to the most distant parks, where we could not reach on foot, and just gladly drove along the streets as full participants in road traffic. In Budapest, there are bike lanes everywhere, regulated by traffic lights, drivers of cars do not try to squeeze you to the side or frighten you with a beep, as we do in Russia. Therefore, it is safe and pleasant to move around the city. It's funny that on the first day a local resident, whom we asked for the way to the hostel, said that in Budapest we would not be able to ride a bike, because the sidewalks are very narrow and in the cobblestones.
At first glance, there were really few bicycle rentals in the city, I had to google it. There is an official city rental system, but all the information is in Hungarian (and this language is completely incomprehensible for a non-carrier), so we took bicycles from a private company - rather battered, but comfortable both for the city and for the parks. In addition to the “sightseeing” trip around the city, I would advise you to go to the Varoshliget Park. There are both the most beautiful castle of Vajdahunyad, the zoo, the Széchenyi swimming pool with a picturesque pool, and the Museum of Fine Arts. It is also easy to get to the park on the island of Margit. There you can look at the "dancing" fountain, lie on the grass or by the pool on the largest beach in Budapest, drink healing water from the springs and return to the city through the Margit bridge, which offers a great view of the parliament building.
As a rule, people go to Florence to learn more about Italian art - hardly anyone who arrives in the city, misses the Uffizi Gallery. When choosing a longboard, scooter or bicycle as the main means of transportation, keep in mind that in the summer it can be unbearably hot in the city, and expect strength.
Florence is a very small city, the center of which is easy to get around on foot. It cannot be said that the bicycle culture is strongly developed here: sometimes bicycle lanes appear from nowhere, and the old streets are so narrow that people, cars and cyclists move along them at the same time. But the big plus of the bicycle is that at any moment you can drive off a little bit away from the historic center, crowded with tourists, and get into real Florence, where the locals live and walk. For example, you can drive to the Kashin park and ride along the long green alleys, stop at the Arno embankment and read a book in silence. На велосипеде можно уехать вглубь квартала Ольтрарно, где живёт флорентийская богема, и понаблюдать за городом оттуда. Кроме того, при желании на велосипеде можно доехать до пригорода Флоренции - маленького, но очень красивого городка Фьезоле.
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