The Island of Årø - a dreamy island in the Little Belt

25.07.20

The day begins with rain and a late breakfast. Around half past twelve, we leisurely drive north on State Road 170 and turn right towards the water at Harderslev.

In Årøsund, we get caught in a downpour. The ferry is already there and shortly after half past one, we cross for free as pedestrians. This year, the domestic ferries in Denmark are free for pedestrians to keep the Danes in the country during the Corona year. They have not only offered cheap train passes, but also made the ferries free for foot passengers.

The journey takes only 8 minutes and then we explore this almost car-free island, which is 12 square kilometers in size and home to only 150 people.

We walk along an asphalt road at first, with waving grain fields and pine trees next to us, and in the distance, sailing boats and a view of the Funen coast.

The weather remains moody, and we not only keep moving by walking, but also by constantly putting on and taking off jackets. The play of clouds is great.

We pass by the winery, Aaroe Vingaard, which produces recognized high-quality wines in a quantity of around 20,000 bottles per year.

The distribution is mainly in the region and in some high-class restaurants in Copenhagen. In light of the paths ahead of us, we forgo a wine tasting and satisfy ourselves with two glasses of excellent-tasting honey on the way back.

The path leads us along endless fields, distant views of the water, large pine trees with thick pine cones, and only occasionally through a village.

We walk a large loop around the island, getting well blown around at times, and after about two hours, we are back at the small harbor.

Here the last hiking trail of Årø begins, which we have not yet discovered.

The Årø Fyr, the lighthouse from 1905, is located on our path, which now becomes narrow and sandy, and we soon walk along the tide line on stones. There is no one here now, except for a few Galloway cattle, we only see cormorants, seagulls, and bees.

A 'trampesti', a small path leads us back to the main road. At 5:00 pm, we sit in the windy sun with a coffee and take the ferry back to Årøsund at 7:10 pm, and we are back in our house at 8:15 pm.

Eating leftovers, chatting a bit, sorting photos. Then it's 11:00 pm, Ingrid has left us the house tonight, and we enjoy the freedom to spread out in the kitchen and at the dining table.