10 Best Islands in Denmark to Visit This Summer

Go on a fantastic summer holiday with the whole family on Samsø. The small Danish island offers a wealth of wonderful experiences. For instance, you could bike along Samsø's 75-mile-long coast, ending the day by spending the night in a relaxing environment at a camping place, family-owned summer hotel or under the open sky in a shelter. Find your inner farmer and get some dirt under your nails when you dig up Samsø potatoes for your dinner, or relax on the beautiful beach in Ballen. If you dare, you can also step into the world's largest labyrinth, which is the size of 12 football pitches. If that's too much, you can make do exploring the winding streets among small, thatched half-timbered houses in the cosy villages.

Ærø is a small moraine island located in the South Funen Archipelago, and with its modest 34 square miles, it is one of Denmark's smallest island communities. When you arrive on Ærø, it will seem like time stands still. Step into a bubble where you can experience everything from fascinating hikes in beautiful natural areas to tours at a small whisky distillery where the famous (or infamous) Ærø Whiskey is made. Take a walk in the small villages and admire the charming houses that can be dated all the way back to the 17th century, when Ærø played an important role in Denmark's naval history.

When you arrive on Bornholm, you'll find it hard not to break into song. Bornholm is a wonderful holiday island, which offers experiences for the whole family, from the youngest to the oldest. The nature on Bornholm is exceptionally beautiful and very different than what you will find other places in Denmark. The landscape of the island is adorned with rugged groups of rocks, which are unique in Denmark, as well as a dramatic coastline, where you will find the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe, Hammershus. Apart from incomparable nature experiences and medieval ruins perched on rocks, you can also enjoy lots of gastronomic experiences. For instance, have you tasted Sol over Gudhjem (an open-faced sandwich with herring) or sunk your teeth into genuine Krølle Bølle ice cream?

In Kattegat, between Jutland and Sweden, there is a small island that is home to no more than around 160 inhabitants, living on an area of about 8.5 square miles. The island is called Anholt, and if you aren't already familiar with it, we can give you several reasons that you should be. Despite the island's small size, the landscape is extremely varied, and you can experience long sandy beaches, wild dune landscapes, impenetrable forest and desert areas covered by dense heather. This is Denmark's most isolated society, and over time, the inhabitants have adapted to island life away from the mainland. Keep in mind that driving a car is not permitted in many places on the island, so lace up your hiking shoes!

If you go to the largest island in Kattegat in the North Sea, you will find Læsø, which offers relaxation and fun for the whole family. The island has miles of beaches, where the family's water enthusiasts can enjoy the child-friendly waves and vast forests, which invite you to take long walks in the green surroundings. If you need to get away from your everyday life, Læsø is the perfect place. Here, you will find lots of room among moors, heather and marshes to catch your breath, relax and recharge your batteries.

North of Bornholm, you can find a small archipelago called Ertholmene. The archipelago got its name due to the size of the islands, which look like two small peas. Of the archipelago's nine islands, only two of them are inhabited: Chrisiansø and Frederiksø. The remaining islands mostly consist of rock formations, which contribute to the uniqueness of this archipelago. Visitors can go from Christiansø to Frederiksø and back again by crossing a 100-foot-long footbridge. Due to the islands' remote location, it feels like a true time capsule. When you set foot on the island, you'll quickly realise that, compared to the rest of Denmark, development has stood still in many areas since the 1800s.

Sejerø is a small island located in Sejerø Bay (Sejerøbugten) in Kattegat, about five kilometres west of Zealand. The island is no more than 7.5 miles long and 1.25 miles wide. Sejerø is one of the places in Denmark that is fortunate to have the most hours of sunshine, so it is a great summer holiday destination – particularly if you want to spend your holiday in peace and quiet. On the island, you will find several burial mounds and monoliths as well as beautiful frescos in the island's church, which was built around 1300.

Spend your summer holiday at Limfjorden on Fur! On this 8.5-square-mile island, you will find geological wonders, burial mounds from the Bronze Age and a local brewery, which brews beer for the whole island. In particular, it is Fur's spectacular nature that has turned this island into a popular destination. On the island, there are tall cliffs of moclay, where geology enthusiasts can find fossils, reptiles and insects. The moclay consists of around 200 ash layers, which can be seen in the well-preserved structures of the cliffs. Other areas on Fur consist of ravines created by erosion from the ice age, making it a uniquely beautiful natural area. In other words: If you are planning to go on holiday on Fur, don't forget your good hiking shoes.

Hjarnø is a small Danish island with an area of just 1.2 square miles and a population of just over 100. The island is a flat moraine which was formed during the last ice age, and its small size makes it ideal for hiking. For example, you can take a walk to the ancient burial monuments from the Viking Ages, which you can find east of the lagoon at Hjarnø Odde, and admire the huge boulders placed in the outline of an old Viking ship. On Hjarnø, you can also find Denmark's smallest church, where traces of the Viking Ages are also visible.

In the middle of the Wadden Sea National Park is the island of Rømø, which is particularly famous for its bird life. However, birds are not the only creatures that wade here. During summer, this beautiful island attracts lots of tourists, who fill up the mile-long sandy beach. The long and wide sandy beach is great for sunbathing and swimming in the (often) cold water. Actually, the beach on Rømø has been named one of Europe's best, so it's definitely not a bad place to spend your summer holidays.