The Danish Island That Makes More Energy Than It Uses Is Also a Beautiful Paradise

With cycle-worthy roads, scenic beaches, and eco-conscious businesses, Aeroe Island is serious bucket list material.

I bike a bucolic landscape on theDanishisland of Aeroe , passing thatched homes with rose- and apple tree - fill gardens and pasture that stretch toward the ocean . A pair of Equus caballus pasture by the roadside as I soar retiring , meandering along the restrained single - lane roads . My environment shift from dense forest , to wetlands , to beaches — all the varied landscapes of this barely-20 mile - long island in theBaltic Sea . notice a field of solar panels , and then spying the twirling propellers of wind turbines in the length , I veer towards my finish : Aeroskobing , the island ’s capital .

I roll into a wizardly porthole townsfolk , abundant with cobblestone lane lined with cast atomic number 26 street lamp , and C - one-time half - timbered buildings painted in color graze from babe blue to fire orangeness . Vying for my attention are an regalia of shops , some sell their products right outside the front door on the honor system . I watch over the aroma of cinnamon rolls emanating from a bakery where resident cram their bike baskets with loaves of drab rye and sourdough . But despite the quaintness , there ’s an energy here that feels decidedly modern . The town buzzes with a locavore - centrical entrepreneurial spirit , as does the rest of the island , wholeheartedly championing a green consciousness .

Here ’s how to make the most of a sojourn to Aeroe .

Aeroskobing, Aeroe, Denmark

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Get eco-conscious

The bikeable roads connection Aeroe — as well as the free buses outfitted with bike racks — make it easy to get around without a car , reducing your carbon footprint . And then there are those nothingness turbines on the sea-coast , which really generate140 % of the island ’s electrical energy ; the spare Department of Energy powers Ellen , an electric ferryboat . You ’ll find that most of the island is heated , cooled , and power by renewable energy . Solar and biomass fuel generator ignite and cool all the island ’s public buildings , and most home are heated with solar energy , too . In fact , theEU agnize Aeroefor its sustainability a few years ago . And Aeroe ( along with the entire archipelago it belong to to ) was just designated aUNESCO Global Geopark . The island ’s time to come is only going to be more sustainable , too ; Aeroe is planning to become carbon copy neutral and use only its own renewable muscularity by 2025 , and to eliminate fossil fuels by 2030 .

Walk or cycle the stunning landscape

Aeroe was originally create as a result of a striking rise in sea floor after the last Ice Age . therefore , the landscape painting is peppered with distinctive , picturesque features approachable bybicycleor along walk route .

For deterrent example , Voderup Klint , a craggy bluff that rise up almost 110 foot from a rocky beach , was formed by the bank deposit leave by glacier and then the slip - slip of clay layers as rainwater seep through . This breathtaking locus consists of a series of grassy terraces in a formation resemble stairs . With a few picnic tables , it ’s perfect for a scenic luncheon or stellar sunset screening . Walk along the paths and soak up the ocean views , or look for a variety of fauna , such as field lounge lizard or ship’s bell frogs , as well as the reed instrument , thistles , and other plants that thrive in this protected environment . Personally , however , I find myself so captivate by the wholesale views of sky and ocean that it was heavy to move from my child’s play table .

Another treasured nature locus is Vitsoe , an expansive wetland of marshland and meadows . Bird watcherswill specially enjoy ambling around the still lakes , hop to spy any of the migrating coinage that breed here , including northern lapwings and little grebes .

Aeroe island

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Eriks Hale , a beach just beyond the marine town of Marstal on a thin tongue of commonwealth , is also deserving a sojourn . It curve into the Baltic Sea with its wave tumble on one shore , and the body of water of a calm lagune lapping along the opposite shoring . Here , Danish ranger and edible works expert Nils Orum takes small groups onforaging walk , offering lessons on the area ’s biodiversity . “ My aim with these walks is to inspire people to take care of the abundant eatable plants found along Denmark ’s shores , ” says Orum . On his two - hour - some trek , Orum direct out the plant life and lets you sample edible plants , such as sea cress , beach heritage , and beach kale . Call or e-mail to sign up for a guided base on balls or workshop with Orum : +45 - 6128 - 6252 ornils@vesteraas.dk .

Learn, shop, eat and drink at these sustainable businesses

The Geopark designation is also all about using natural resource sustainably , promoting a respect for the environs , and fostering a inter-group communication between local communities and the satellite . Sustainable development within geoparks helps rear local makers . These are some of the modest occupation that highlight the island ’s sustainable and eco side .

Aeroe Soap Company

Here you ’ll find 20 unlike soaps with rally aroma such as rosemary , lemon grass , and lavender . Relying on the traditional soap making techniques , this troupe bring forth all - born , organic soap made with herbaceous plant and flowers grown on property , along with substantive oil and seaweed . Visitors can saunter around the garden , accept in the many scents , and tour the workshop . Kids can work with bags of finished grievous bodily harm piece , using a cookie cutter to make all sorting of shapes .

Aeroe Whisky

Sourcing organic barley from Aeroe ’s farms and obtaining the wort for the initial distillation from their own brewery across the street , this still in Aeroeskobing is housed in a reanimate 19th century washables house . Among its spirits , the Aeroe Local Oak Single Malt Whisky is their most locally sourced product , aging in oak tree barrels craft from Aeroe ’s Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree that have to be felled anyway . The best means to revel your visit is by signing up for a 45 - minute tasting or a guided term of enlistment that also includes sampling two spirits . After the turn , if you decide to purchase any whiskey of your own , you’re able to enjoy it in the distillery ’s cobblestone courtyard , wall by honeysuckle , ferns , and tree .

Hattesens Konfektfabrik

In Aeroskobing , this honour - winning confectionary follows a traditional recipe to produce handmade liquorice treats . Using only natural element , including freeze - dried berry , whole food grain Timothy Miles Bindon Rice flour , lifelike oils , and new licorice , possessor Claus Hattesen aims to reduce the scratch content while also bring home the bacon delectable sensory delights with bright color and flavour . Aside from licorice - flavored items , there ’s a rainbow of others to sample , including chocolate , pineapple - coconut palm , and Ribes uva-crispa . On the twice weekly tours , you ’ll learn how the confections are made , taste at least six of these delicacy , and also get a coup d’oeil of the mill .

“ The good thing about living on a minor Island is also that 50 % of our employee live within walking length and , therefore , do n’t take the railroad car to work , ” says Hatteson . How ’s that for eco - friendly ?

Kraut and Koala

Sitting beside the port wine in Aeroskobing , this unassuming brick restaurant could n’t be more aptly named . The carte is influenced by the background of the married man and married woman Centennial State - owners , who acclaim from Berlin and Sydney , respectively . Chef Mario and Jaraya have a warmth for sustainability , and topically source constituent for their cuisine . each year , they buy one cow — for the marrow on their fare — from Lars , an Aeroe life scientist and James Leonard Farmer who crop the kine on renew estate . “ We were always interested in sustainability , especially having worked in gastronomy for some time and see bad practices . Our commitment to sustainability was at the forefront of the concept of our business , and meeting Lars was the cherry on the top , ” says Jaraya .

The eating place serves a scrumptious five - course dinner computer menu that ’s influence by the owners ’ homelands . For example , their carte du jour has included a edition of an Australian classic , sticky toffy pud , but fill in Aeroe plums for dates , and dish it with a plum sorbet . In the give , many contribution of Germany celebrate white asparagus time of year , inspiring Kraut and Koala to do up light white asparagus bouillon with sea trout balloutine and a livid Asparagus officinales espuma .

Marstang Mad & Vin

Set along Kirkestraade , a walking street in the town of Marstal , Marstang Mad & Vin ( co - owned and operate by Camilla Sommerfelt and Ida Munter ) is a quick and welcome restaurant attend to bare , aesthetically delicious culinary art . The warm welcome comes from personal touches ; for example , as I sat outside sipping a glass of Grauburgunder from Germany , Sommerfelt pass me a blanket because I reckon a scrap chilled .

The creative three - course dinner menu changes every week , base on what they can source locally . For example , the card might include codfish carpaccio with ocean buckthorn ; crispy oyster mushrooms grown in remnant coffee tree ground from the restaurant ’s cafe ; and a brioche with blackcurrants , buttermilk parfait , and whipped honey . Most of the ingredients come from Aeroe , include green goods , herb , and proteins ( such as lamb , boeuf , Pisces or mollusk ) . “ Working on sustainability as a community of interests has definitely barrack us , ” says Sommerfelt . “ There ’s utterly no question that we all have to make conscious decisions to do more , and for us that ’s to choose local , which is only potential because of the quality ingredients that very passionate and skilled people give rise on our island . ” And no matter what they do , you ’ll find one of their more than two dozen European wines , some on wiretap , that pair well with your repast .

Den Gamle Købmandsgaard

Just a minute from Aeroskobing ’s harbor , this cafe and shop class has an inventory revolving around gamy - calibre products sourced mostly from the island . Wander inside the workshop with its people of shelves and you ’re hold to find something of interest , such as a cordial with local apples and pears , pumpkin ketchup made with local produce , and marmalade composed of gooseberries and pickle wild onions — all picked on the island . Aside from consumables , you’re able to buy Aeroe Soap , notecards produced on an honest-to-god fashioned letterpress , and much more .

Serving lunch that include homemade waffles and charcuterie with local meat and Danish high mallow , the cafe has a cozy Department of the Interior , furnished with vintage and second - hand items . Or eat out of doors in the backyard surrounded by edible organic flowers , tomato plant plant , and herbs such as common fennel and dill .

Aeroe Bryggeri

Located in a hush up , red - trimmed construction dating back to the late 1800s , this brewery bring about 20 different beers , eight of them organic . The brewery ’s touch product , which also comes in an organic diverseness , is Aeroe No . 5 Walnut , cite the island ’s many walnut tree Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree . Ever eco - conscious , they use the leftover from beer brewing to make beer french-fried potatoes , and as animal feed . For an in - deepness experience , there ’s a taste where you’re able to sample five different beers , or take a tour where you ’ll rule out about the brewing process and the history of the brewery . you’re able to enjoy your deglutition in the Beer Room with its exposed brick wall or outside beside the garden at one of the umbrella - shaded table . you could also ordinate a barbeque tiffin , or snack on a slice of homemade beer patty made with organic imperial stout .

Voderup klint on Ærø Denmark