Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
off (right of altar), double seats (so worshippers can flip to face the pulpit dur-
ing sermons), and Martin Luther in the stern keeping his Protestant hand on
the rudder. The list in the church allows today's pastors to trace their pastoral
lineage back to Doctor Luther himself. (The current pastor, Janet, is the first
woman on the list.) The churchyard is circular—a reminder of how church-
yards provided a last refuge for humble communities under attack. Can you
find anyone buried in the graveyard whose name doesn't end in “-sen”?
The buzz lately in Ærø is its
brewery,
located in a historic brewery 400
yards beyond the Store Rise church. Follow the smell of the hops (or the
Rise
Bryggeri
signs). It welcomes visitors with free samples of its various beers.
The Ærø traditional brews are available in pilsner (including the popular wal-
nutpilsner),lightale,darkale,andatypicaldarkIrish-stylestout.TheRiseor-
ganic brews come in light ale, dark ale, and walnut (mid-June-mid-Sept daily
10:00-14:00; mid-Sept-mid-June Wed-Fri10:00-14:00,closed Sat-Tue;tel. 62
52 11 32,
www.risebryggeri.dk
).
• From here, climb back to the main road and continue (direction: Marstal)
on your way back home to Ærøskøbing. The three 330-foot-high modern
windmills on your right are communally owned and, as they are a nonpollut-
ing source of energy, state-subsidized. At Dunkær (3 miles from Ærøskøbing),
take the small road, signed
Lille Rise,
past the topless windmill. Except for
the Lille Rise, it's all downhill from here, as you coast past great sea views
back home to Ærøskøbing.
Huts at the Sunset Beach:
Still rolling? Bike past the campground along
the Urehoved beach (
strand
in Danish) for a look at the coziest little beach
houses you'll never see back in the “big is beautiful” US. This is Europe,
where small is beautiful, and the concept of sustainability is neither new nor
subversive. (For more details, see “Beach Bungalow Sunset Stroll,” later.)
Rainy-Day Options
Ærø is disappointing but not unworkable in bad weather. In addition to the
museums listed earlier, you could rent a car (such as the TI's electric cars)
to cruise the island. Also, many of the evening options under “Nightlife in
Ærøskøbing” (next) are good in bad weather.
