Faaborg and the South Funen Archipelago

Sheltered Archipelago Of Small Islands South Of Funen, Sailed And Kayaked By Danes, With The Old Harbour Town Of Faaborg And Its Art Museum, And The Archipelago Trail On The Islands And Coast · Faaborg, Region of Southern Denmark

The South Funen Archipelago is a sheltered inland sea of some fifty or so small islands between Funen, Langeland and Aero, many of them farmed or wooded, a few with only a handful of residents. Danes know it as the best sailing and sea kayaking water in the country: calm compared with the open North Sea, with short crossings, small harbours and little island ferries. Faaborg, on its western shore, is an old market and harbour town of cobbled lanes, a medieval town gate and a lone church bell tower, and home to the Faaborg Museum, built for the Funen Painters, a group of early 1900s artists who painted this landscape. The Archipelago Trail (Oehavsstien), a long-distance walking route, follows the coasts of Funen and several islands. People come to sail, paddle, hike, hop to islands like Lyo and Avernako on small ferries, and eat at harbour restaurants. The caveat: without a boat, kayak or bike it is hard to feel the archipelago, and public transport to Faaborg from Copenhagen is slow.

Faaborg and the islands of the South Funen Archipelago, from Faaborg to Svendborg, Faaborg, Region of Southern Denmark, Denmark

The towns, coast and trail are open at all times. The Faaborg Museum is usually open daily in summer and closed Mondays, with shorter hours, the rest of the year - check the current schedule. Small island ferries from Faaborg to Lyo, Avernako and Bjorno, and the larger ferry to Soby on Aero, run several times a day, fewer in winter - confirm timetables. There is no train to Faaborg: take the train from Copenhagen to Odense, then a regional bus (roughly 1 hour), or drive roughly 2-2.5 hours. Guided kayak tours, sailing trips and summer boat excursions must be booked ahead, and many run only from late spring to early autumn.

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