Ærø:Denmark's Ship-in-a-Bottle Island
Send a postcard from the island.
Few visitors to Scandinavia even notice Ærø, a sleepy, 6-by-22-mile island on the south edge of Denmark. Ærø has a salty charm. Its tombstones are carved with such sentiments as: "Here lies Christian Hansen at anchor with his wife. He'll not weigh until he stands before God." It's a peaceful and homey island, where baskets of new potatoes sit in front of farmhouses — for sale on the honor system.
Ærø's capital, Ærøskøbing, makes a fine home base. Temple Fielding said it's "one of five places in the world that you must see." Many Danes agree, washing up the cobbled main drag in waves with the landing of each ferry. In fact, this is the only town in Denmark that is entirely protected and preserved by law.
Ærøskøbing is a town-in-a-bottle kind of place. Wander down lanes right out of the 1680s, when the town was the wealthy home port to more than 100 windjammers. The post office dates to 1749, and cast-iron gaslights still shine each evening. Windjammers gone, the harbor now caters to German and Danish holiday yachts. On midnight low tides you can almost hear the crabs playing cards.
The Hammerich House, full of old junk, is a 1900s garage sale open to visitors. The "Bottle Peter" museum on Smedegade is a fascinating house with a fleet of 750 different bottled ships. Old Peter Jacobsen died in 1960 (probably buried in a glass bottle), leaving a lifetime of his tedious little creations for visitors to squint and marvel at.
Touring Ærø by car is like sampling chocolates with a snow shovel. Enjoy a breezy 18-mile tour of Ærø's subtle charms by bike. On Ærø, there are no deposits and no locks. If you start in the morning, you'll be home in time for a hearty lunch.
Ready? Leave Ærøskøbing west on the road to Vrå past many U-shaped farms, typical of this island. The three sides block the wind and are used for storing cows, hay, and people. "Gaard " (meaning "farm") shows up in many local names. Bike along the coast in the protection of the dike, which turned the once-salty swampland to your left into farmable land. Pedal past a sleek modern windmill and Borgnæs, a pleasant cluster of mostly modern summer cottages. (At this point, bikers with one-speeds can shortcut directly to Vindeballe.)
After passing a secluded beach, climb uphill over the island's summit to Bregninge. Unless you're tired of thatched and half-timbered cottages, turn right and roll through Denmark's "second longest village" to the church. Peek inside. Then roll back through Bregninge, head a mile down the main road to Vindeballe, and take the Vodrup exit.
A straight road leads you to an ancient site on a rugged bluff called Vodrup Klint. If I were a pagan, I'd stop here to worship. Savor the sea, the wind, and the chilling view.
Pedal to Tranderup, passing a lovely pond famous for its bell frogs, happy little duck houses, and the Sami-style tepee (a nature camp). At the old town of Olde, you'll hit the main road. Turn right toward Store Rise, marked by its church spire in the distance. Just behind the church is a 5,000-year-old neolithic burial place, the Langdysse (Long Dolmen) Tingstedet. Hunker down. Ærø had more than 100 of these. Few survive.
Inside the Store Rise church, notice the little ships hanging in the nave, the fine altarpiece, and Martin Luther in the stern making sure everything's theologically shipshape.
Continue down the main road, with the hopeful forest of modern windmills whirring on your right, until you get to Dunkær.
For the homestretch, take the small road past the topless windmill. Except for "Lille Rise," it's all downhill as you coast home past great sea views to Ærøskøbing.
After a power tour of big-city Scandinavia, Ærø offers a perfect time-passed island on which to wind down, enjoy the seagulls, and pedal a bike into the essence of Denmark. After a break in this cobbled world you may understand the sailors who, after the invention of steam-driven boat propellers, decided that building ships in bottles was more their style.
For up-to-date specifics, see the latest edition of the Rick Steves' Scandinavia guidebook. We also offer free-spirited tours of Europe.