Ærø (pronounced “air-rue”) is known as the most beautiful island in Denmark.
It is nestled in the “South Funen Archipelago”. It is a magical place to live - and to visit.
Danish Island Weddings’ office and wedding room is located in the centre of the award-winning old town of Ærøskøbing, also known as the "fairytale town". One of the best preserved complete historic small towns in Denmark, it is famous for its colourful wonky houses with their unique front doors, and for its cobbled streets dating back to the middle ages.
The town of Marstal, a 20 minute drive away, has an extraordinary maritime history and is famous as the setting for author Carsten Jensen's bestseller "We the Drowned".
Regular ferries link the island to the “real world” year round. There is practically no traffic, the buses are free, and the crime rate is as close to zero as you can get anywhere on this planet!
Location, Location, Location.
If you are planning to get married in the best location in Denmark - Ærøskøbing - then we strongly recommend staying in Ærøskøbing itself. For one thing Ærøskøbing is an amazingly beautiful and romantic little town.
We have lost count of how often couples have told us that they were blown away by how enchanting our island is.
The joy of just walking around the cobbled streets and peeking through the windows of the old houses, or stopping at the cafes in the square or by the harbour – it is brilliant! And the other thing is that it simply makes it very easy to organise everything, especially if you have guests. Everyone can walk everywhere in the town – there is no need for a car here.
There are of course some lovely places to stay elsewhere on Ærø Island – but think about transport, access to restaurants, and that you will probably end up spending most of your time in Ærøskøbing anyway.
Getting married on Ærø is a special experience, but to create the best experience for yourself, it is not just the ceremony - the accommodation and food are so important as well.
How We Choose Our recommendations.
We do not take commission – we simply recommend places where we know our couples will be happy, and where we trust the management to be sympathetic to the special needs of our wedding couples. If you like the look of somewhere that we have not recommended, do check with us and we’ll give you an honest assessment; Louise and the DIW team have far and away the best network and local knowledge, and we live and work right here.
We have hand-picked places that we recommend, based on years of feedback from our couples and our own experience. Please contact them directly, and be sure to mention that we recommended you, since then they will take extra good care of you! Do be very wary of the big online booking agencies who do not seem to serve Ærø well.
Recommended places to stay on Aeroe island:
Elly’s House (self catering). A beautiful little Hansel & Gretel house, newly renovated, right in the historic centre of Aeroeskoebing. Can be rented through us at DIW.
Pension Vestergade 44. A beautiful house, immaculately run, stylishly furnished, and with a stunning garden to sit and enjoy afternoon tea in. This award-winning guesthouse oozes simple Nordic "hygge", and is one of the most romantic places on the island. Rated "Traveller's Choice 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020 and 2021" on Trip Advisor - one of the top 25 best romantic hotels in Denmark. Under new management in 2021 but standards have been kept high.
Andelen. So cool. An old warehouse, where the island's jazz festival started, and with Denmark's smallest cinema tucked below. It has lovely rooms with exposed beams, and the wedding suite is exceptional. Awards from trip Advisor, Booking.com, and more. Run by Adam.
På Torvet. Smart and minimalist apartment-style newly-renovated rooms, with bathrooms en suite, and an excellent cafè. It overlooks the church & town square opposite the Old Merchants' Court. It closes in January and the winter months but reopens around Easter 2024.
The Monica. The most stylish and expensive boutique hotel on Ærø - everything is immaculate, top quality, and testimony to Monica’s taste. It’s not cheap but for those who really care about design and style it is amazing.
Hotel & Café Aroma. Mainly a café but it has a few modern retro rooms. Good location, near the harbour, with a cool vibe inside and out. It is open in high season only, from April until October.
KEFS Guesthouse. Next to a bakery, and with a good cafe that opens early. It has 7 simple but nice rooms and is a friendly and well-run place, budget-friendly and perfect if you are a big group that don’t mind shared bathrooms.
Kjøbing Manor (self catering). A beautiful big town house on the main square in Ærøskøbing, with rooms to let. Great location, lovely rooms, and a good option if you want to take over the whole place! Run by Colette.
Hotel Ærøhus. Old charming family-run hotel in the center of Ærøskøbing.
Recommended Places To Eat on Aeroe island:
Kraut and Koala - new from 2023, run by a lovely Aussie/German duo. It is tiny, right by the tourist office close to the ferry, but the food is exceptional and probably the best on the island right now.
Restaurant Mumm. The traditional favourite restaurant in town. International cuisine, warm atmosphere, very friendly and professional service. Perfect for receptions and parties. A favourite for couples getting married in Denmark. Open all year. Run by Pia.
Bangs Mad og Vinbar. Bangs has just (Nov 2023) been refurbished and enlarged after a successful first year, and it’s a great addition to the burgeoning Ærøskøbing food scene. Lars Bang keeps it pretty simple, with a set menu or tapas, but the quality is great and we have really enjoyed eating there. There is nice little courtyard with tables out at the back, too.
Den Gamle Købmandsgaard. Probably the best place for lunch or lunchtime wedding celebration. At the heart of the town in every sense, this historic building has a very special feel. The café is home to locals, wedding couples, and tourists; upstairs is the wedding room, and outside in the charming courtyard is the tiny Ærø Whisky distillery and its new microbrewery. The café provides the best wedding cakes and rustic reception lunches, and sells mostly local products. Run by Rikke & Lennart.
Lendas Grill’er. A famous high-quality burger and sausage booth by the harbour - but Lenda has just retired. We’ll let you know what is planning once we find out.
Aroma. Relaxed place by the harbour with excellent upmarket burgers, chicken etc, and sensational homemade ice-cream. It has a great terrace by the harbour. Aroma is usually open April to October. Run by Fie.
Røgeriet. Fresh smoked fish and draught beer right on the harbour. Not fancy, but great for a lunch watching the boats on a sunny day. Run by Ebbe.
På Torvet. Excellent café in the square, with food too. One of the best places in Denmark to just sit with a beer and watch the world go by. Now run by Gunnar and Lily.
KEFS (formerly Ærø Guesthouse and Cafe). A cool little bar for breakfast or great cocktails in the evening, and they serve snacks. They also have some nice rooms.
Landbogaarden. A really good bar, slightly funky, and we have had some wedding groups have great parties there. They also do a dish of the day.
Cafe KaRo. Only open in summer, it has such a good location, overlooking the marina, next to the minigolf. Ronja serves excellent coffee from 7am, and has good drinks, sandwiches and salads until late.
Franz Brød. Previously a highly popular pop-up sour-dough bakery now in permanent location in the middle of Ærøskøbing. Owner Andreas bakes amazing bread, delicious pastry, and the world’s best cookies. Usually open thursday-sunday every week all year round.
Things To Do On Aeroe Island:
Many couples stay at least a few days to enjoy the island – and many more come back for anniversaries or on holiday to “their” island. Two of our couples loved it so much they actually moved here permanently! If you do have some time to spend, here a few suggestions for things to do on Ærø Island:
Walking. Ærø is an outdoor island – if you can, bring walking shoes and do part (or all) of Øhavstien (“The Archipelago Trail”). The Ærø stretch is beautiful, fairly easy walking, and by using the free buses it is a doddle to plan an easy section. You can see more walks on John’s website Hike Ærø.
The beach. All the beaches are “blue flag”, clean and safe. The most popular are Vesterstrand (which is where our own family beach hut is located), close to Ærøskøbing, and Erik’s Hale, close to Marstal. Both are excellent and very safe even for small children, but you can find many other beaches, such as Rise Mark, which are often deserted.
Cycling. The island also has some excellent cycle routes, which go right around the island. Maps can be found at the tourist office by the harbour, and bikes can be hired at Pilebaekken petrol station, opposite the tennis courts, or from Adam at Andelen guesthouse. A new route around Funen called the Herregårdsruten has recently opened - the Ærø section is one of the best and well signposted.
Golf. We also have one of the most beautiful golf courses in Europe, with the sea on 3 sides and the lighthouse (which we also use sometimes for lighthouse weddings and elopements) as the clubhouse.
Museums. There are several small museums in Aeroeskoebing, but the best is a free bus ride away in Marstal. The Maritime Museum is excellent and reflects the town’s extraordinary seafaring history – it still supplies many of Denmark’s merchant fleet crews and officers. Surprisingly good for children too, with a playground and other activities.
Cinema. We love our cinema, Andelen – it is the smallest in Denmark and has a unique character. But it gets the latest international films which it shows in the original language.
Bowling. We have a modern bowling alley, with a cafe. Could be an option for a rainy evening…
Fishing. Aeroe is known for its sea trout. You’ll need a licence (not expensive) from the tourist office who will also give advice about where to go.
Boat trips. There are several options for boat trips – ask at the tourist office by the harbour.
Brewery visit. We have our own award-winning brewery on the island – Rise Bryggeri. You’ll find the beer in most of the cafes on the island, and you can visit the brewery for a tour and have lunch there.
Whisky distillery. We also have Denmark’s smallest (and best) whisky distillery right in the courtyard of the Merchants House! https://aeroewhisky.com/
Voderup Klint. A beautiful, quiet spot, with unusual “stepped” cliffs shaped during the last ice age. It’s on the cycle route.
A Few Helpful Links:
www.visitaeroe.com – the official website (in English) for visitors to Ærø.
Ærø ferry schedule and bookings (all other routes)
ÆrøXpressen (Marstal to Rudkøbing route) ferry schedule and bookings
US travel writer Rick Steves loves Aeroeskoebing (although his information needs updating)
Fylla – Your wedding reception on board a tall ship.
Starling Air – Ærø’s own airline; travel to Ærø in style or get married aloft!
The Local is an English-language round up of Danish news.
Toytowngermany – Forum for English speakers in Germany.
How to Get to Aeroe island:
Travelling and driving in Denmark is easy – everything is calm and well organised, the roads are usually quiet and well-signposted, most drivers are Danishly laid back, and everyone speaks English. As such, getting to Ærø is relatively simple.
Driving from Germany to Aeroe:
Stay on the A7 as you cross the Danish border. At junction 75 take the 8 towards Sønderborg. Stay on the 8 all the way to the ferry at Fynshav. The address is Faergevej 4, (Fynshav) 6440 Augustenborg (NOT Mommark! That route is no longer in use!) It takes 2:30 from Hamburg to Fynshav.
Specific directions from Berlin:
Follow A10/A24 towards Hamburg.
Leave A24 at Junction 6, B404 Grande/Luebeck.
Stay on B404 as it becomes A21.
Leave A21 at Junction 11a, B205 towards Neumunster/Flensburg.
Take A7 and stay on A7 over the Danish border.
At junction 75 take the 8 towards Sønderborg. Stay on 8 all the way past Sønderborg to the ferry at Fynshav.
The address is Faergevej 4, (Fynshav) 6440 Augustenborg (NOT Mommark! That route is no longer in use!)
Allow 5 hours from Berlin to Fynshav. Allow 1hr 45 mins from joining the A7 near Neumunster. Allow 1 hour from the Danish border to Fynshav harbour.
Fynshav to Søby (Ærø) ferry:
(Fun fact about Ærø: the ferry “Ellen” is the biggest electric ferry in the world – and was built on the island!) There are up to 6 sailings a day, depending on the season. Book and pay in advance online Welcome to Ærøfærgerne (aeroe-ferry.dk). If you get stuck the helpline is +45 62524000. Check the website for the current price – it can change depending on the season (and at times is even free). You should be there 15 minutes before departure. They will just check your car registration against the booking list, but have a copy of your booking just in case. Park in lane 1 or 2 for Søby/Ærø & pay attention, as there is another ferry which uses the same facilities.
From Søby to Ærøskøbing:
As you leave the ferry follow everyone else! There is one road out of Søby, signposted Ærøskøbing. After 11.7km (past the village of Tranderup) take the left turn signposted Ærøskøbing. After 3.5km (past the windmill) you will come to a roundabout. Second exit (straight across), and then second right (Søndergade). That takes you to the little church square where you will find us at Torvet 5, 5970 Aeroskoebing.
Travelling from Copenhagen Airport to aeroe:
By hire car from Copenhagen.
It takes around 1:50 to Svendborg – all motorway. Take the E20 towards Odense and then motorway 9 to Svendborg. (The back route via Nyborg on the 163 is also good, you’ll see more of Fyn and it only takes 10 minutes longer). Be aware that you must pay to cross the enormous bridge to Fyn – they take visa and mastercard. In Svendborg the signs for the Ærø ferry are hard to see – the address is Havnepladsen 3, 5700 Svendborg. Join the queue at the ferry - the left lane 1 is for those with no booking for that departure.By public transport from Copenhagen airport.
There is a station in the airport; trains to Svendborg go via Copenhagen main station and Odense (it can sometimes be quicker to swap to bus at Nyborg). The trip takes from 2:00 to 2:40. Bus and train stations in Svendborg are close together, and it takes 10 minutes to walk (down the hill & turn right) to the ferry. Use Rejseplanen to plan your journey. You can buy a ticket all the way to Ærøskøbing. You can also buy tickets at the station. It is usually cheaper to book ahead.By ferry from Svendborg to Ærø.
The ferry trip is a wonderful scenic mini-cruise past several small islands (and there’s a café/bar on board). It is beautiful! Whether on foot or in a car you need to book and pay in advance – go Welcome to Ærøfærgerne (aeroe-ferry.dk), or use the helpline +45 21394569. There are up to 12 departures a day. The price varies with the season and at times is actually free. Cars join the queue; foot passengers go along the quay on the left. They will simply check your name or car registration, but have your booking confirmation handy just in case. Use queue 1 on the left only if you are not going for the ferry you actually booked. Sailing time is 75min and the ferry arrives in the heart of Ærøskøbing.
