Prostitutes who exhibit themselves from behind windows in the narrow alleys in the old city center, has become synonymous with Amsterdam. But maybe not for much longer. The city's Mayor, Job Cohen, has announced plans to clean up Amsterdam's infamous red light district and replace prostitutes' windows with upmarket boutiques.
According to the Mayor the initiative has been taken to tackle abuses in the city's sex industry which has gotten out of control.

"The romantic picture of the area is outdated if you see the abuses in the sex industry and that is why the council has to act," Cohen said at a press conference in Amsterdam Monday 17. December 2007. "We don't want to get rid of prostitution, but we want to cut crime significantly."

The city has decided to raise the minimum age for prostitutes from 18 to 21 and demanded that brothel owners and escort agencies apply for permits.
 

For the Danes, cycling is an integral part of daily life. We cycle to work, to school, when we bring the kids to kindergarten, to keep in shape and not least - we cycle because it is fun. Therefore, there is a vast network of cycle paths and routes throughout which makes life easier and safer for cyclists.

You can comfortably explore Copenhagen by bike on your own. Many of the main sights of Copenhagen are situated in the inner city, so it is easy to get from one place to the other. The harbour front is also close by with all the new, exciting buildings from Islands Brygge and the new Amager Beach Park to Langelinie where you find the Little Mermaid and the Gefion fountain, or for example to the 'bridges', i.e. Nørrebro, Vesterbro and Østerbro which is the 'real' Copenhagen to many of its inhabitants.

Compared with many other capitals Copenhagen is a small city. It makes it easy to get to the forests and beaches around Copenhagen by bike. There are many good excursion paths, e.g. Vigerslevstien connecting to Vestvoldstien and the popular tour runs north through Østerbro, Hellerup and along Strandvejen (The beach road) to Klampenborg and Jægersborg Deer Park. - If the legs are getting tired or you have a flat tyre, it is good to know that you can bring along the bike on the regional trains and S-trains on return, but remember to get a ticket for both yourself and the bike.

Guided tours
If you don’t like to go on your own, you can join a guided cycle tour, where you can see and learn more about the capital, its sights and the history behind. Some tours are theme tours, e.g. "Danish Design tour", "Green oases" etc. And then there is the extremely comfortable tour - on a rickshaw, where others do the pedalling for you while you sit back and relax. Read more about guided tours in Copenhagen on VisitCopenhagen.com.

Rent a bike
I Copenhagen you can rent good bikes with or without gear for one or more days, and during the summer season you also have 'free' city bikes, i.e. free in accordance with the shopping cart-principle: You deposit a 20 krone coin which you get back when you return the city bike. Read more on Bycyklen.dk.

Read more about biking in Denmark on VisitDenmark.com.

Other relevant links: Copenhagenize and Copenhagen Cycle Chic.  

VisitDenmark is the national organisation for marketing and development of Danish tourism.