Island Tour

We've already visited the two major islands of Denmark, both Funen and Zealand, even the peninsula of Jutland. The two tours above have covered all the highlights of the island, even the offshore islands of Fanø and Ærø. There are many other offshore islands, some of little interest to visitors. But Denmark has some major vacation islands not documented, notably Bornholm, Møn, and Rømø. We'll visit all of them in this nutshell tour. Except for the longer passage to Bornholm, all of these islands can be quickly reached by causeway or else car ferries.

Days 1 & 2: Bornholm: Pearl of the Baltic

On the morning of Day 1, assuming you've wrapped up your visit to Copenhagen, you can sail over to the island of Bornholm in the Baltic. This is where Copenhageners themselves go for their vacations. From Copenhagen you can take a 7-hour car ferry to Bornholm, where you can check into a hotel for 2 nights, since you will have spent most of Day 1 getting to the island.

On the morning of Day 2, you can set out to explore most of the island, which can be easily accomplished in 1 day. Highlights of a visit to the island include the capital of Rønne, where you can visit Ericksson's Gård,, a well-preserved 19th-century farmhouse. Other major stopovers include Svaneke and Gudhjem. Pick up a map from the tourist office and plot a day tour to see how much ground you can cover. Complete coverage of Bornholm's highlights is found in chapter 8.

Day 3: Møn & Its Chalk Cliffs

On the morning of Day 3, return to Copenhagen by the 7-hour car ferry. Once in the capital, head south to Møn, an island lying off the eastern coast of Zealand, a drive of 130km (81 miles) south of Copenhagen. From Copenhagen follow the express highway E20 south (it becomes the E47/E55). At the junction with Route 59, follow it east, crossing the Dronning Alexandrines Bridge, which will take you into Stege, the capital of Møn. You can overnight here.

Since you won't have time until the following day, you can save the sights of Møn until the following morning of Day 4.

Days 4 & 5: Ærø: The Most Beautiful Island

Plan an early-morning visit to Møns Klint, the famous chalk cliffs on Møn. After a drive around the scenic highlights of the island, you can cross the bridge back onto the island of Zealand. From here you can drive to our next destination, Ærø, an island off the southern coast of Funen.

From Stege, drive west along Route 59 to the express highway, E47/E65. Follow it north to E20, cutting west toward the port of Korsør. Once here you can drive across the Great Belt Bridge. In Funen continue along the E20 to the junction of Route 9 going south to Svendborg. At Svendborg you'll be at a point 146km (91 miles) west of Copenhagen. Because the distances are so short, you can hop across the country, going from island to island easily in just 1 day.

From Svendborg take a car ferry to the island of Ærø, where you can book into a hotel for 2 nights. You'll need the second night here because you will have spent a good part of 1 day reaching Ærø itself. The best bet for a hotel stay is in the little capital of Ærøskøbing, which can easily be explored on foot in the late afternoon of your arrival on the island.

On the morning of Day 5, while still based in Ærøskøbing, set out on a leisurely motor tour of the island, stopping at random to enjoy anything that fascinates you. We'd head east to the "second city" on Marstal, really just a modest port town. After a 2-hour visit here you can take the southern road all the way to the little port of Søby in the northwest. From Søby you can drive southeast back to Ærøskøbing for the night.

The following morning you can take the ferryboat back to Svendborg, where you can drive north once again toward Odense, linking with the E20 to carry you east across the Great Belt Bridge to Zealand and back to Copenhagen, where you can make air or rail connections to your next destination.

Day 6: Rømø: The Gem of North Frisian Islands

On the morning of Day 6, leave Ærø, taking the car ferry back to the port of Svendborg. Follow Route 9 north to the junction with express highway E20 heading west to the peninsula of Jutland. Stay on E20 all the way to the city of Esbjerg on the west coast of Jutland, where you take Route 11 continuing south, cutting west across the causeway leading to the island of Rømø. The stone causeway from the mainland is a 10km (6 1/4-mile) drive. Once at Rømø, you will have come a total distance of 288km (179 miles) southwest from Copenhagen.

Check into a hotel on Rømø and set out for a wild romp on the beach if the weather's warm and sunny. Like most offshore islands of Denmark, the man-made attractions here hardly compete with the beauty of the island itself. The best sandy beaches are found on the west side of the island.

Day 7: Fanø: North Sea Haven for Beach Lovers

On the morning of Day 7, leave Fanø and cross back over the causeway to the mainland of Jutland. Once here, return to Route 11 heading north toward Ribe. Bypass Ribe, taking Route 24 to the port of Esbjerg. From Esbjerg a car ferry transports motorists to Fanø, where you can check into a hotel for your final night.

Once on the island, check into a hotel for the night, then set out to explore. But most motorists will want to skip any of the man-made attractions and devote the rest of the day to exploring this most beautiful of North Sea islands itself. If the weather's fair, try to get in some beach time.