Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
This small (22 by 6 miles) island on the south edge of Denmark is as salty and
sleepy as can be. A typical tombstone reads: “Here lies Christian Hansen at an-
chor with his wife. He'll not weigh until he stands before God.” It's the kind
of island where baskets of strawberries sit in front of houses—for sale on the
honor system.
Ærø statistics: 7,000 residents, 500,000 visitors and 80,000 boaters annu-
ally, 350 deer, seven priests, no crosswalks, and three police officers. The three
big industries are farming (wheat and dairy), shipping, and tourism—in that
order. Twenty percent of the Danish fleet still resides on Ærø, in the town of
Marstal. But jobs are scarce, the population is slowly dropping, and family
farms are consolidating into larger units.
Ærø, home to several windmills and one of the world's largest solar power
plants, is going “green.” They hope to become completely wind- and solar-
powered. Currently, nearly half the island's heat and electricity is provided by
renewable sources, and most of its produce is organically grown. New techno-
logy is expected to bring Ærø closer to its goal within the next few years.
Getting Around Ærø
On a short visit, you won't need to leave Ærøskøbing, except for a countryside
bike ride—everything is within walking or pedaling distance. But if you have
more time or want to explore the rest of the island, you can take advantage of
Ærø's
bus
network. Buses leave from a stop just above the ferry dock (leaving
the ferry, walk up about a block and look right). Ærø recently made its main
bus line, #790, free for visitors (Mon-Fri hourly until about 19:00; Sat 4/day;
Sun 3-4/day). There are two different branches—one going to Marstal at the
eastendoftheisland,andtheothertoSøbyinthewest(lookforthetownname
under the bus number). The main reason to take the bus is to go to Marstal on
You can also take a subsidized
taxi
ride to points around the island—but it
requires some planning ahead. To use this “Telebus” system, you have to make
the trip between 5:00 and 22:00 (from 7:00 on Sat-Sun). At least two hours in
