Discover Ærøskøbing

Ærøskøbing is a suitable destination for travellers interested in the history of towns: its houses, museum collection and church reflect different centuries. If you are looking for a hotel in town, consider not only these themes but also whether you would like to include other places on Ærø in your plans.

Ærøskøbing and planning your island visit

Free buses run year-round on Ærø, with numerous stops between Søby, Ærøskøbing and Marstal. If you would like to include Søby or Marstal in your travel plans, you can take the bus service into account. For specific journeys, it is worth checking the timetable. This makes it possible to coordinate visits to other places with your plans for Ærøskøbing, without assuming a particular route or journey time.

A guided tour of Ærøskøbing can be booked year-round. This gives you the option of choosing a guided activity as a separate part of your stay. Whether you would like to get to know the town this way or prefer to plan your time around individual interests is something you can decide based on your travel plans.

Houses, collections and town history

Ærøskøbing is more than 750 years old and is considered Denmark’s best-preserved 18th-century town. Hammerichs Hus offers a specific example of its architectural history: it was built in 1803 and is among Ærøskøbing’s first holiday homes. More than 2,500 objects are still in the places designated by Gunnar Hammerich inside the house. Both its early use as a holiday home and the distinctive arrangement of the objects are part of its history.

The former poorhouse of Ærøskøbing tells a different story about a building. The collection of the Flaskeskibsmuseet has been exhibited there since 1943. The former poorhouse and Hammerichs Hus represent different uses and historical contexts in the town. Flaske-Peter is also one of the people whose life dates are linked to a specific body of work: he lived from 1873 to 1960 and built more than 1,700 ships in bottles.

The church and its preserved furnishings

Ærøskøbing Church was built in 1756–1758, replacing a dilapidated medieval church. It preserves a baptismal font from the 13th century. The pulpit is also part of its furnishings: it dates from 1634 and was donated by Duke Philip of Glücksborg. The construction period, the predecessor building and the preserved objects bring together several periods in the church. Those interested in historic buildings can find not only the history of the building itself but also older furnishings and their place in time.

Torvet and Vesterstrand

Torvet has shops, cafés, an ice cream shop and benches where you can rest. The square brings together different options for a break, whether you want to sit down briefly or are interested in shopping and dining. These facilities give an impression of what makes the central square part of everyday life in the town.

Vesterstrand is a few minutes’ walk from Ærøskøbing marina. At the bathing houses, a guided tour tells the story of the town’s iconic bathing houses and lasts about an hour. This approximate duration helps you plan the tour as a separate activity. In Ærøskøbing, historic themes in the town centre and the history of the bathing houses on the beach offer different focuses for planning your trip.

Discover more destinations: Bro, Søby Ærø, Marstal, Dunkær, Skovby, Kragnæs.

Return to the main travel overview: Ærø Municipality.