The small island of Ærø is one of Denmark’s most popular vacation spots as it boasts a warmer climate than the rest of the country and is a tranquil, picturesque place. We stayed in the fairy-tale town of Ærøskøbing to soak up some sun and enjoy a Danish-style summer vacation.
Ærøskøbing is the perfect little town for a stroll with cute homes, colorful gardens, and ocean views. The original plan with just 12 streets laid out by its founder still survives, and the city looks almost the same as it did 300 years ago. The narrow cobblestone streets, flickering lampposts, and charming 18th century homes will transport you back a few centuries.
Two of the oldest homes in town still have the original door and proudly display their birth dates 1647 and 1690.
The former with the door in the slight red-hue still has the original paint – ox blood. The finely carved doors on the homes throughout town are all unique and a trademark of the city that is actively preserved.
Ærøskøbing’s cutest 18th century house has a tiny window on the roof that came from an old ship’s poop deck. The builder/owner loved it so much that he had to have it as part of the house, but the window is actually fake with the roof immediately underneath.
Molestien Lane is a lovely gravel path lined with gorgeous homes and gardens on one side and ocean waves on the other.
In Torvet Square, I was first drawn to this building because of the well-manicured trees, but we got a good laugh out of the story behind it. The contractor who came to build it in 1788 didn’t bring two of every number, so he left the date as 1782 and promised to return with another 8. Obviously, he did not keep his promise.
In 2002, the city won the Europa Nostra Prize for Cultural Heritage. Ærøskøbing is the only town in Denmark preserved like this. Modern buildings are prohibited in the city center, and homeowners must follow strict rules regarding home improvements. A couple museums in town showcase artifacts and describe the history of Ærøskøbing over the last 300 or so years. Of course, my favorite piece was a penny-farthing, a modern bike predecessor, from the late 1800s.
My favorite museum in town was the museum of Bottle Peter. Peter Jacobsen was born in 1873 and learned to be extremely handy from his father. At one point, he spent 11 months at sea, which gave him the inspiration for his hobby. In his lifetime, he made over 1700 ships-in-a-bottle including right-handed bottles, left-handed bottles, up-side down bottles, right-side up bottles, and many unique shaped bottles sent from people all over the world.
The Bottle Peter museum showcases many of his creations including his personal favorite the “diver-bottle”, a bottle that has a shipwreck at the bottom of the ocean with another ship “floating” on the waves above.
Here are a few of our favorites:
After museums and strolling through town, we were ready for some Danish-style relaxation. We grabbed a bottle of wine and headed out to a strip of tiny beach bungalows that face the sunset. These small “monopoly houses” are a Danish tradition and have been handed down from generation to generation.
These decks have seen lots of beach parties and romantic sunset evenings. We were told that it was perfectly acceptable to “borrow” someone’s porch for the evening. So, we peaked inside the tiny, one-room cabin to make sure nobody was home, popped open the wine, and enjoyed the sunset and ocean breeze.
Okay…maybe we didn’t enjoy the ocean breeze as much as we thought we would. We were freezing! Dang Scandinavian summers. But somehow, a couple local kids were surfing in the water and others jumping off a nearby dock like it was no big deal. Must…embrace…brrr….hygge!
The following day was much warmer and perfect for the other top activity on the island: biking! We rented bikes, gathered a few items for a picnic, and headed off for a spin around the island. I convinced Jimmy to do a 15mi loop with me on this beauty.
Huge thanks to our favorite travel guide, Rick Steves, for his bike route with commentary of interesting sights to see.
Two 12th century Lutheran churches were open for us to explore. Bregninge Church is still painted in a Gothic style and has a gold-leaf on carved oak altarpiece from 1528 by the German artist Claus Berg.
The church kept great records and had the names of every pastor from present day all the way back to 1505.
Along the route, we also got to see some ancient history: a 6,000-year-old Neolithic burial place. This holy place, called Langdysse Tingstedet, was used as an assembly spot for thousands of years, and Vikings may have burned and buried a ship here. The burial mound is approximately the shape and length of a Viking ship.
Of course, this bike route had no shortage of stunning panoramic views and chances to dip your feet into the chilly ocean waters.
We picked a gorgeous bluff overlooking a beach with Germany in the distance for our picnic spot.
Last but not least, Æro even has its own brewery. So, of course, we stopped in for a quick tasting.
Wheat fields blowing in the wind…Sailboats gliding across the sparkling blue water… Sea gulls floating through the air as waves crash along the shore…Horses and cows grazing next to classic thatched-roofed old farms… Danish flag pennants fluttering in the wind. Biking around Æro was a lovely experience and an awesome way to see the slower-paced life in the Danish countryside. The tranquility of the island is what keeps bringing many Danes and Germans every summer, and we greatly enjoyed our few days relaxing here with good food and wine.
The fairy-tale town of Ærøskøbing was the perfect home base to experience this beautiful island and get a taste of Danish history as well as modern Danish summer fun.
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