Islands of Denmark

So, Denmark is actually a nation made up of islands, but for the purpose of this post we will be focusing on the islands that we visited by ferry while road tripping in Denmark. These islands are some of the bigger islands that tend to be popular summer holiday destinations for Danes and foreigners alike. While all part of the same country, each island posesses unique qualities and different characteristics that defines them. The one thing that these islands do have in common is that they are stunningly beautiful and are the perfect destinations for those wanting to enjoy nature.

*For anyone who get motion sickness or seasickness, I can say that the waters we went through to get to all of these islands were immensely calm and the boat was very steady going to and coming back from the islands; it was a very smooth ride.

Femo

Femo was the first island my family and I visited, and it was one of the most beautiful. It is a very small island with literally less than 100 people living there, but the scenery is stunning. We arrived on the island a little later in the day and had the chance to see a beautiful sunset. Mind you, during summer in Denmark the sun sets at like 10pm and takes about an hour to actually set. This was the only island we stayed over night and we stayed at the Femo Kro, founded in 1659, which was the only inn on the island. It was very sweet, the inn keeper and the chef were the kindest individuals and very attentive to their guests. A small note to be added, it is not the Ritz. The rooms look like they have not been updated since the 70s, but they were clean and the experience was very nice due to the lovely customer service. The true highlight of this trip, however, was the scenery. The nature was absolutely stunning especially during sunset.

Laeso

Laeso is the largest island in the north sea bay of Kattegat with a population of about 1,800 people and the island was declared a world heritage site in 1977. It was truly the most fishermans village of the islands we visited. To get to Laeso you first have to take a 90 minute ferry from Frederikshavn on mainland Jutland before arriving on the island. One of the first things I saw while driving around the island was a church, but it wasn't just any ordinary church. Since there had been a drop in population on the island and too many church buildings, one church was converted to a wellness spa center. I didn't personally go inside, but it's a very interesting building to look at because parts of the old church building were maintained while new elements were added for it's new purpose as a wellness center. One thing that Laeso is especially known for is their seaweed roofs which is part of their history and culture. While using seaweed as roofing used to be more prevalent in the early 20th century, it has become less common of a practice on the island with now only 19 houses on the island with seaweed roofing left.

While on the island, we stopped by a small farm that had a café and ordered some coffee. It was a truly unique experience because while enjoying our coffee we also got to play with newborn kittens, chickens, goats, and sheep which were just roaming around the property. I did unfortunately step in goat excrement, but I have to assume that to be karma for wearing all white shoes on a farm.

Aero

With a population of nearly 6,000 people Aero is a popular summer location for holiday in Denmark. One think especially notable about Aero is it's bright colorful houses and longstanding maritime history. The best way to describe the aesthetic of Aero would be like an old European city from a 1950s movie, but in real life. It has a very quaint and cottagecore feeling to it. Aero is a narrow island in the Baltic sea in the southern region of Denmark. Given that it is a small city, it's the perfect destination for a day trip. In one area you have a small city to walk through and enjoy the old architecture and historical buildings and lovely scenery surrounding it. We spent the day mostly walking around the city and then driving to see the nature around the island and the beaches as well! We stopped by the marina to each some late afternoon lunch and enjoyed watching the boats come in and out of the marina. It has many different options and tourist attractions for those of all ages! With stores to shop at, restaurants to dine at, and plenty of activities to chose from, it is a wonderful summer destination to visit!

Fano

We visited Fano on a Sunday and for most of the shops and restaurants they had Sunday off. So, while we were there not much was open or available. It wasn't that much of a problem, there was a lovely coffee shop that opened within the hour that we were there so we all got a good coffee, but for the rest of our adventure on the island we enjoyed looking at the old historical houses, which interestingly a lot were for sale, and enjoying the nature of the island.

Samso

I think I would have to say Samso was my favorite island of the islands my family and I visited together. Samso was not only a beautiful island, but it also has a wonderful energy to it that makes for a very wholesome and hyggiligt time. Something to be known about the island is they are world renowned for their Samso potatoes and naturally while we were on the island we had to scout for the best Samso potato dish. We looked up who had the best Samso potato dish and called ahead to see if they were open for the day. The restaurant that was awarded the best Samso potato dish on the island interestingly didn’t have the item on their menu anymore, so we went to the restaurant that was awarded second place. This place was called Kilo for Kilo (a name which I absolutely love). Located in the city on the island, we went to the restaurant and sat in their outside patio as it was a lovely sunny day. We were greeted by Axel who was enthusiastic and well versed with the functions of the establishment. With the amazing food we ate at Kilo for Kilo paired with Axel's amazing service it was one of the best dining experiences I have had in a long time (and in my opinion they definitely had the best Samo potato dish on all of Samso). The rest of the day on the island was spent enjoying it’s beautiful nature, visiting the manor house and walking the grounds around the manor house, making friends with a very fluffy brown cow, and otherwise enjoying the picturesque nature of the island.