Welcome to Hjarnø

You can get to Hjarnø on the Hjarnø Ferry, which departs from Snaptun on the southern side of Horsens Fjord. The ferry crossing takes only around five minutes, with frequent departures throughout the day. You can bring both your car and bicycle on board, but Hjarnø is small and easy to explore on foot or by bike.

During the summer months, you can also reach Hjarnø from Alrø on a small bicycle ferry, which sails twice a day in each direction.

Sailors can berth at Hjarnø Marina on the southern side of the island, right next to the ferry port.

Yes, you can take your car on the Hjarnøfærgen ferry from Snaptun. However, you will rarely need a car on the island, as Hjarnø is small and easy to explore on foot or by bicycle. You can therefore also park your car in Snaptun and take the ferry as a foot passenger.

Yes. You can take the bus to Snaptun, where the Hjarnøfærgen ferry departs. Bus 104 runs to Snaptun from Horsens and Juelsminde, and the ferry terminal is only 100 metres from the bus stop. Check Rejseplanen before your trip for up-to-date departure times and connections.

Large parts of Hjarnø are accessible on foot, and the island is small enough for most people to get around on two legs.

The island has its own walking trail called ‘Discover Hjarnø’, where you can scan a series of QR codes to read or listen to stories about the island and the places you pass along the way. The route takes you around most of the island and is approximately 8 kilometres long.

Technically, it is possible to walk all the way around the island, but please be aware that the northern coast is an important breeding ground for birds and is therefore closed to visitors from 1 April to 15 July. Access is possible during the rest of the year, but the birds along the northern coast have gained something of a reputation for being rather feisty. We therefore recommend avoiding walks along the northern coast altogether.

You CAN bring your car to Hjarnø, but we actually recommend leaving it behind. The sound of engines and music from the car radio is simply not the ideal way to experience the atmosphere of the island. The sounds of nature and the sense of tranquillity are a big part of the Hjarnø experience.

The island is generally easy to explore on foot, but you can also hire a bicycle or a golf buggy at the harbour.

Alternatively, groups can book a tractor tour with Hjarnø Traktorture. They also offer scheduled tours that you can sign up for.

You can easily experience Hjarnø in a day. The island is small, and the short ferry crossing from Snaptun makes it ideal for a day trip. Allow around 4–6 hours if you want to explore the island on foot or by bicycle, visit some of the sights and still have time for lunch or a break along the way.

A couple of hours can also be enough if you simply want a taste of island life as part of a longer day out. And if you fancy staying a little longer, you can spend the night on Hjarnø and experience the island’s special sense of tranquillity after the day visitors have caught the ferry back to the mainland.

The main place to eat on Hjarnø is Den Gamle Smedie, located on the island’s main street. Here, you can sit down for a meal in cosy surroundings and enjoy a break while exploring Hjarnø. Near the harbour, you will also find Pølsekrogen, a classic Danish hot dog stand.

You can also bring your own food and, for example, enjoy a packed lunch at the picnic shelter in Skolehaven, also located on the main street.

The places to eat on Hjarnø are seasonal, and opening hours vary throughout the year. It is therefore a good idea to check your options before your visit.

If everything happens to be closed, there is also a café at the harbour in Snaptun, where the Hjarnøfærgen ferry departs.

There is no supermarket or large grocery shop on Hjarnø. However, Hjarnø Camping on the main street has a small shop that is open during the summer months. Here, you can buy drinks, sweets and ice cream, coffee, groceries, ready meals and freshly baked breakfast rolls.

Around the island, you will find several roadside stalls selling locally produced goods, while the Vestergårds Mølleri farm shop is located at the western end of the island.

On the main street, Det Grafiske Magasin serves delicious barista coffee in artist Jane Willumsgaard’s studio.

Hjarnø Camping is the island’s main accommodation option, offering cabins and glamping tents for hire. You can, of course, also bring your own tent, caravan or motorhome.

There are also several smaller places to stay on the island, including a holiday apartment at Galleri Kirkesvinget and a cabin at Vestergård Mølleri.

Staying overnight gives you the chance to experience Hjarnø at a more leisurely pace and enjoy the special island atmosphere after most day visitors have caught the ferry back to the mainland.

Yes, you can go swimming on Hjarnø. The island is not a classic beach destination with wide, sandy beaches, but there are several good spots if you fancy a dip.

Hjarnø Odde, by the lagoon on the southern side of the island, is a good choice. The beach is mostly sandy, and the swimming conditions are generally good. However, be aware of the shipping channel in Horsens Fjord, where the current can be quite strong and unpredictable. We therefore recommend swimming east of the tip of Hjarnø Odde, towards the Viking ship settings, and staying in water shallow enough to stand.

You can also go swimming at Hougård Beach on the eastern side of the island, at the end of Hovedvejen.

First of all, Hjarnø is worth visiting all year round. The ferry runs back and forth throughout the year, and nature is always open. However, the island receives most of its visitors during the summer months, so you may find that restaurants and attractions are closed if you visit outside the main season.

Islands like Hjarnø are naturally tempting in summer, with the fresh sea breeze and that special coastal light. Outside the main season, we recommend visiting on days when the wind is not too strong and the sun might even make an appearance. There is something magical about visiting Hjarnø during the winter months, when there are few other tourists and you have the countryside and roads almost to yourself. When autumn and winter show their harsher side, however, it is better to save your visit for another day. There are not many sheltered spots on the island, and getting caught in a fierce November shower is no fun.

Our favourite time of day on Hjarnø is the peaceful morning. We recommend catching the Hjarnøfærgen ferry before 9 am and heading east along the southern side of the island. By the time you reach Hovedgaden on the eastern side of Hjarnø, the island’s cafés, shops and attractions will be starting to wake up for the day.

Yes, Hjarnø has several fascinating traces of the Viking Age. On the south-eastern side of the island, you will find Kalvestenene, a Viking burial site featuring ship settings, where stones have been arranged in the shape of ships. And in 2017, a spectacular discovery was made on the island when amateur archaeologists unearthed a large hoard containing gold and silver jewellery from the Viking Age.

The Vikings also feature prominently in the island’s legends. According to Saxo’s chronicle of Danish history, Hjarnø was named after the poet-king Hjarne, who is said to have been buried on the island at Kalvestenene alongside his men after his death. King Hjarne was married to Queen Alrune, who had the neighbouring island of Alrø, and together they had a son named Endlau (Endelave). However, there is no historical evidence to support the legend, and the name Hjarnø is instead thought to derive from the Old Danish word ‘Hiarni’, meaning an area of raised ground.

Yes, there is a public toilet building at the harbour on Hjarnø, at the end of the road leading inland from the ferry terminal. You can use the toilets both when you arrive and before catching the ferry back to Snaptun. One of the two toilets in the building is an accessible toilet.

There is also a public toilet building halfway along Hovedgaden, just west of the campsite.

In addition, there is a public toilet building with an accessible toilet at the harbour in Snaptun, where the Hjarnøfærgen ferry departs.

It is possible to visit Hjarnø as a wheelchair user, but not all parts of the island are equally accessible. Wheelchair users can board and disembark the ferry without difficulty, and you can also bring a car to the island. From the ferry terminal on Hjarnø, a wide, paved walking and cycle path leads up to the village. Much of the island’s remaining road network is paved, but there are no pavements or cycle paths. On the plus side, there are very few cars.

All of the island’s businesses can be reached via the road network. Not all facilities, places to eat and other attractions have been designed with accessibility in mind, but the friendly locals are happy to help.

A visit to the island’s southern coast, including Hjarnø Odde and Kalvestenene, is a popular part of a trip to Hjarnø. However, this area has sandy and grassy surfaces and is therefore not accessible for visitors with limited mobility or wheelchair users.