Danish kings loved to hunt, and in the late seventeenth century they laid out forests north of Copenhagen in a geometric pattern of straight paths radiating from central points, designed for par force hunting, in which riders and hounds chased a stag until it was exhausted. Jægersborg Dyrehave, the deer park, and Jægersborg Hegn are included in UNESCO's inscription of the par force hunting landscape in North Zealand, together with forests further north. The star-shaped network of rides is still visible, with numbered stone posts at the intersections that helped the hunters find their way.
The deer park is a beautiful mix of open grassland, ancient oaks and beech woods, home to large herds of red, fallow and sika deer, which wander freely and can be approached quite closely. In the middle of the park, on a hill, stands the Eremitage, a small baroque hunting lodge where the king and his guests dined after the hunt. At the edge of the park, Bakken, said to be the oldest amusement park in the world, has entertained visitors since the sixteenth century with rides, games and beer halls. The park is a favourite place for Copenhageners to walk, cycle and picnic.
The park itself is closed to motor traffic, so you will be on foot or in a horse-drawn carriage inside. The riding around it is pleasant. The Strandvejen, the coastal road north from Copenhagen to Helsingør, runs along the Øresund with views of the sea and Sweden, past villas, harbours and beaches, though it is busy on summer weekends. Inland, the roads through the forests and lakes of North Zealand are gentle and scenic. Watch for cyclists, who are numerous and have their own lanes. Weather is changeable, with wind and rain.
Klampenborg, Kongens Lyngby and the surrounding towns have fuel, shops and restaurants. Danish food includes smørrebrød, open sandwiches, frikadeller, meatballs, and pastries, and Bakken has traditional restaurants. Helsingør, at the end of the coast road, has Kronborg castle, the setting of Hamlet. Park the bike at Klampenborg, walk into the deer park, and climb to the Eremitage; the view over the meadows with the deer grazing is lovely, especially on an autumn morning, when the stags are rutting and their roars echo through the woods.