The small island of Ven shows Sweden in miniature. Whether along the coastal path or across the fields to the sights and culinary highlights – the bike is ideal for exploring the island. Ven rises 40 meters above sea level. From the cliffs, you can see as far as the Swedish and Danish coasts. Hares hop across the fields, while partridges and pheasants flutter in front of the cyclists. Three women enrich Ven with culinary specialties, and an extraordinary museum honors Tycho Brahe, the most famous astronomer of the Renaissance. On sunny days, the ancient church of St. Ibb with its gleaming white walls is reminiscent of a house in the Greek Aegean.
Biking through the microclimate
The island of Ven lies four kilometers off the Swedish coast, northwest of Landskrona. Its microclimate makes the fields on the high plateau particularly fertile. On average, it is one degree warmer on Ven than on the mainland in Denmark and Sweden. The sun also shines more often on this five-kilometer-long and two-kilometer-wide patch of land in the Öresund. In late summer, durum wheat grows here, a hard wheat that otherwise only thrives in southern regions. In summer, the island attracts many day trippers. As soon as the ferry from Landskrona docks, visitors flock to the bike rental point above the harbor. Once at the top, a sea of yellow bicycles awaits them.
Specialties from Ven
A simple wooden sign with the words “Durum Bakery Shop” opposite the Touristgården hotel and restaurant points to the mill that sells delicious baked goods. Britta Ossler has been growing durum wheat, which is usually used for pasta, for 30 years. Her experimental husband and her pasta-loving Italian sister-in-law brought durum wheat to the island. Durum needs soil that warms up quickly and is not normally grown in these latitudes, explains Britta Ossler. The experiment in the early 1990s was a success, and she sold the durum wheat at good prices to restaurants in Copenhagen. In the “Durum Bakery Hven”, Britta Ossler bakes bread and kanellbullar, the typical Swedish cinnamon buns, with her own ground flour. The place is perfect for a coffee stop on a bike tour around the island. The Durum Bakery Shop is open all year round on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 am to 2 pm.
Rape seed oil by the wayside
On Ven, it’s not just the rapeseed and wheat fields by the side of the road, but also Julia Lundahl Persson’s farm store. Her stall operates in self-service mode. Her cold-pressed rapeseed oil has slightly grassy and nutty notes and is of excellent quality. If you miss Julia’s mobile stand, you can also find the rapeseed oil in the Tycho Brahe Museum store.
From observatory to star cuisine
Turistgården is the only hotel on the island. Kathrin Braake, who used to work as a chef in a Michelin-starred restaurant in Malmö, cooks here. Her dishes are sophisticated and creative. She uses ingredients from the island whenever possible. The menu includes partridge, pheasant and hare as well as durum and rapeseed oil, herbs from Tycho Brahe’s Renaissance garden and seaweed from the beach.
Tycho Brahe and the supernova over Ven
In 1576, a great moment in science began with the support of King Frederick II of Denmark. The science-loving monarch gave Tycho Brahe the Öresund island of Ven for his celestial observations and financed instruments, buildings and staff. His commitment is said to have accounted for up to two percent of the royal income. The foundation stone for one of the most famous observatories was laid in August 1576. It was completed in 1580. Tycho Brahe built all the instruments himself and printed his books. There was no telescope at the time. On Ven, he discovered and cataloged 777 stars, assisted by his sister Sophie Brahe. Their observations of the positions of the fixed stars and planets were the most precise of their time. Brahe believed that scientific progress in astronomy was only possible through careful observation and data collection. An unusual view, as divine inspiration was considered the only source of knowledge at the time.
Spirit of Hven
Since 2008, Ven has become the epicenter of first-class spirits. Anja and Henric Molin founded the distillery, taking advantage of the island’s ideal conditions. Many of their creations honor Tycho Brahe, the island’s most famous inhabitant, with names such as Tycho’s Star, Stjerneborg or The Nose, a reference to Brahe’s lost nose. Today, Spirit of Hven exports whisky, vodka, gin and aquavit to over 40 countries. High-quality spirits are created with attention to detail and a love of experimentation.
A long-term experiment is investigating whether music influences taste by exposing the same whisky to classical, reggae or rock music in wooden barrels for seven years. The Molins collect flavors worldwide and compose new varieties of spirits. Henric Molin also reconstructed a distillation device that once revolutionized the distillery. For 100 years, no one built the Coffey Still until Molin realized it. The Molins also advise other distilleries and share their knowledge of equipment, regulations and recipes.
Tips for a day trip to Ven
- Tickets for the ferry from Landskrona with Ventrafiken should be booked online in advance. Show the booking code when boarding
- In high season, guests who have a ticket with the right departure time are allowed on board first
- Own bicycles require an extra ticket
- During the summer months there is also a ferry connection from Ven to Copenhagen and Helsingør
- Britta Ossler’s Durum Bakery Ven is only open on Saturday and Sunday between 8 am and 2 pm
- Tycho Brahe Museum is open daily from May to the end of August. September and October only at weekends
- Book Spirit of Hven tasting, guided tour or overnight stay online.
- Products from Spirit of Hven can not be purchased on site! Alcohol is only available in Sweden at the state-run Systembolaget. The whiskey from the island of Ven is available on the mainland, for example at Systembolaget Landskrona or in the online shop
- Table reservations, overnight stays, packages for island activities at House of Ven – Turistgården
- More information about Landskrona and the island of Ven
- For vacation planning: Ven and Landskrona are located in the Swedish province of Skåne
The research was supported by Visit Landskrona
More Sweden Stories
Landskrona in the province of Skåne offers nature and culture. The world-famous writer Selma Lagerlöf wrote her first novel here. The Landskrona Photo Festival showcases the old fortress town every two years. Just opposite Landskrona is the Öresund island of Ven, a very popular excursion destination. The Stockholm Metro is considered the longest art exhibition in the world and every year in December is Nobel Prize Week. The Swedish city of Uppsala, 80 kilometres north of Stockholm, is one of the most important in the country. Many centuries before Stockholm was mentioned as a small trading post, Uppsala was the pagan centre of the Vikings. We report on cult and culture in Gamla-Uppsala and on the entertaining messages of the Swedish rune stones and reveal Stockholm’s secret eye-catchers.
