Samsø

A 100% renewable-energy island in the Kattegat: cycle past villages of half-timbered farmhouses, a giant maze and sheltered bays, and enjoy its famous new potatoes and strawberries in summer.

Samsø lies in the middle of the Kattegat in Denmark, between Jutland and Zealand. It covers about 114 square kilometers, has around 3,700 permanent residents and forms Samsø Municipality within the Central Denmark Region. The island is higher in the north and lower in the south: the north has the glacier-sculpted Nordby Hills and the Issehoved headland; the center has the Viking-age Kanhave Canal and Stavns Fjord, enclosed by sand spits; and the south has flat farmland, the harbor at Ballen and Vesborg Lighthouse at the southern tip. Samsø is famous as a 100% renewable-energy island, with most of its offshore and onshore wind turbines owned by islanders, and it is also one of Denmark's best-known producers of new potatoes and strawberries, sold at self-service roadside stalls. The best time to visit is June–August, when the maze, restaurants and summer music festival are all open; things are liveliest around mid-July, while most businesses close in winter. Getting there: take the ferry from Hou, south of Aarhus, to Sælvig on the west coast (about 1 hour); there is also a ferry route from Kalundborg on Zealand. In summer, be sure to book a car space in advance. The island is best explored by bike, with a loop of about 60 km; bikes can be rented at the harbors, and there are island buses in summer. Plan to stay 2–3 days: one day cycling the north (Nordby, the maze, the hills) and one day cycling the south (Ballen, the Energy Academy, the lighthouse).

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Itineraries