Amager Nature Park

Amager Faelled and Kalvebod Faelled together make up one of the largest natural areas of any European capital that lies inside the city boundary, about thirty-five square kilometres of common, reclaimed marsh, birch scrub, meadow and coast reached from a metro station. The southern part was drained in the 1940s and left largely alone, and it is now grazed by horses and cattle to keep it open, with a herd of red deer, hares and a very substantial bird list, including sea eagles, cranes and large numbers of geese and waders on the shore and lagoons. There are hides, a network of gravel paths and cycle routes, and a nature centre. It is startlingly empty given how close it is to the centre of Copenhagen.

What you actually see

• Grazing horses and cattle - stock used to keep the common open.
• Red deer - a herd on the reclaimed southern flats.
• Bird hides on the lagoons - waders, geese and raptors on the shore.
• Thirty-five square kilometres inside the city - open country at the metro station.

When to go

April to October for the general walking, but autumn and winter for the birds, when geese and waders arrive in numbers. Half a day; a bike covers far more ground than feet. Spring for orchids on the drier ground.

Honest expectations

It is flat and can feel monotonous in poor weather, with little shelter from wind. Paths flood after rain. Mosquitoes are bad in the marsh sections in summer. Some areas close seasonally for breeding birds. There is very little in the way of facilities.

Nearby

Amager Strandpark is on the eastern coast; central Copenhagen is a short metro ride.