Ven Island

Ven (Danish: Hven) is a small Swedish island which lies in the middle of Öresund Sound, between southern Sweden and Denmark. It is best known as the site of the renaissance-era astronomical observatory built by Tycho Brahe.

Understand

Ven is roughly 4.5 km by 2.5 km in size. It was part of the Kingdom of Denmark until 1658. The island is popular with hikers and cyclists and can get fairly crowded during weekends in the summer.

Getting there

Ferries from the Swedish town of Landskrona run about every 90 minutes; the trip takes 30 minutes. In the summertime, there are also ferries from Copenhagen and the town of Råå, south of Helsingborg.

If you come in your own boat you can stay in Kyrkbacken on the west side or Bäckviken on the East side.

See

• Tycho Brahe Museum, Landsvägen 182, + 46 (0)418 72530, (Email: tychob@landskrona.se), . Ven's historic claim to fame, Tycho's observatory, which is considered one of the first modern scientific research institutes, was built in 1576, abandoned in 1597, and subsequently destroyed. The museum is housed in the former All Saints' Church, near the grounds of the first observatory, Uraniborg. The observatory once stood at the center of the Renaissance Garden, which has been partially restored. Just down the road, the ruins of Tycho's second observatory Stjerneborg have been incorporated into a small multimedia theater.

Things to do

Ven has a 9-hole golf course on the northern coast.

Eat

The island has numerous small restaurants and cafes.

Sleep

Inns, rooms in private homes, and campgrounds are available. There is a hostel in Bäckviken and also on the mainland in Landskrona.

By bus

An infrequent bus (matching the ferry timetable) runs between the two ends of the island. You can get on and off anywhere along the route.

By bicycle

Bikes can be rented at various places.

By cart

For a leisurely, scenic view of the island, travel by tractor or horse-drawn cart.

By foot

Given its small size, much of the island can be covered by foot in a day.