Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ærøskøbing is Ærø's village in a bottle. It's small enough to be cute, but just
big enough to feel real. The government, recognizing the value of this amaz-
ingly preserved little town, prohibits modern building anywhere in the cen-
ter. It's the only town in Denmark protected in this way. Drop into the 1680s,
when Ærøskøbing was the wealthy home port of a hundred windjammers. The
many Danes and Germans who come here for the tranquility—washing up the
cobbled main draginwaves with the landing ofeach boat—call it the fairy-tale
town. The Danish word for “cozy,”
hyggelig,
describes Ærøskøbing perfectly.
Ærøskøbing is simply a pleasant place to wander. Stubby little porthole-
type houses, with their birth dates displayed in proud decorative rebar, lean
on each other like drunk, sleeping sailors. Wander under flickering old-time
lamps. Snoop around town. It's OK. Peek into living rooms (if people want
privacy, they shut their drapes). Notice the many “snooping mirrors” on the
houses—antique locals are following your every move. The harbor now caters
to holiday yachts, and on midnight low tides you can almost hear the crabs
playing cards.
