Hven is Heaven

Author: monaco98
Date of Trip: May 2009

The scenic island of Hven is a great day-trip from Copenhagen.

After a cruise through the beautful fjords of Norway, I had an extra day to spare in Copenhagen. I’d seen most of the major sites before, and just wanted to relax. So I booked a trip to nearby Hven, a small but tranquil and historic island located in the bay between Denmark and Sweden.

The SPAR ferry takes about an hour from Copenhangen’s popular Nyhavn terminus. On my trip, the only other passngers were a bunch of school kids who were planning to visit a campground there for the weekend, and so had brought packs and sleeping bags and gear of all shapes and sizes.

The island is swedish territory, and can also be accessed via another ferry from the nearby town of Landskrona.

Once there, the best thing to do is simply to walk, or bike slowly through the small vilages and scenic farmlands. It really hasn’t changed much since the time of famous 16th century astonomer Tycho Brahe, who was given the entire island and its inhabitants as his own by the Danish monarchy. He built the first major research institure and telescope of the times here, and began the scientific studies of the cosmos that made him famous.

The scenery is still stunning. From one side you can see Helsingor, Shakespeare’s castle setting for Hamlet, on the Danish mainland. From the other side, the farmlands of Sweden seem only a stone’s thow away.

You can while away the hours here without difficuulty. Have lunch at a friendly seaside cafe. Sip some local aquavit. Listen to the waves crash on the beach, and the gulls cry. Or just watch the sailboats slip by. It’s truly a great way to spend an afternon, a weekend, or even an entire week. Hven really is a little slice of heaven.

Links:

Copenhagen: http://www.visitcopenhagen.com/tourist/what_to_see_and_do/
tours_&_excursions/day_trips_outside_copenhagen/boat_trip_to_hven/

Ferry: http://www.sparshipping.dk/00256/

Hven: http://www.visithven.dk/

Brahe Museum: http://www.sfv.se/cms/sfv/english/holiday/The_Tycho_Brahe_Museum_on_Ven.html

Aquavit: http://www.hven.com/?id=2646