Samsø

Nationally, Samsø's main claim to fame is that the first potatoes of the year hail from the island. It has more garnered international attention because the heat and energy used on the island is exclusively produced from renewable sources.

Samsø is ideal for bikes. Bring your own or rent one. You can also drive your own car around to most places, as most roads are paved and of a good quality. Samsø has a network of bus routes too.

• 🌍 Museum Samsø, Museumsvej 10, ☏ +45 86 59 21 50. Visit the Eco Museum Samsø in Tranebjerg. The museum has several departments spread out across the Samsean landscape, and tries to communicate the cultural history of the island through activities, events, exhibitions and restored historic buildings. The headquarters in Tranebjerg are situated in an old restored half-timbered and thatched roof farm from 1917. It has been furnished and decorated as a Danish farmhouse from the 1850s (supposedly wealthy residents) and the garden has several activities going on throughout the summer months, including weaving, spinning and folk music arrangements. A part of the farm house has been dedicated to exhibit Samsø's pre-historic past, from the Stone Age to Medieval times. Other Eco Museum buildings on Samsø includes two old style mills, several different historic farm house types, an old post office, a blacksmith shop and archives on local history. Open from April to October all days. Some locations are only open in June, July and August. Interesting for both kids and adults. 50 kr (headquarters). (updated Mar 2018)

• 🌍 The Morgan Garage (Besser). Museum of Morgan cars from 1937 to 2017 20 kr. (updated Jun 2019)

Although cars are allowed and public transportation by bus is available, Samsø is ideal for a bike ride. It allows you to take in the nature and countryside much better, do small side trips and get some fresh air in your system.

Samsø is great for surf fishing. The coast is varied and you can change location easily on an island the size of Samsø, so you should have a good chance of catching a nice fish. Trout, mullet and flatfish are common, great for garfish in May-June.

Soak some sun, play or swim at the beach. Nearly everywhere you go, the beaches are good and accessible. Go to the Stavns Fjord laguna on the northwest coast. Besides the beautiful scenery here, the shallow waters and sandy beaches north (Mårup strand) and west (Sælvig strand), makes for a very good and child friendly beach experience in the summer. Go on a seal safari from Langør with the old wooden fishing boat M/S Tunø in the summer.

Pick up some fresh produce from the farmers. The groceries are displayed in front of many farms, when they are in season. You just pay for what you pick up and it is good quality. Strawberries, potatoes, onions, leeks, carrots, green peas, you name it. Some sell local honey, pickles or jams as well.

With plenty of fresh local produce, good dedicated cooks and a broad interest in organic farming and experimentation, Samsø offers many good to excellent dining opportunities. Cafés and restaurants are to be found all across the island.

• 🌍 Samsø Perlen, Sælvig 48 (at the ferry terminal in Sælvig), ☏ +45 86592500, mail@samsoeperlen.dk. Tu-Sa 10:00-21:00; Su 10:00-16:00 in the summer. This restaurant also has take-away and they bring out all across the island for 50 kr extra. It is also a hotel. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Smokehouse Langør, Langør 25 (AT the Langør harbour), ☏ +45 61519165. 08:00-22:00. Smokehouse and restaurant with big terrace with a great view. 110 kr fish cakes. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Carlos Corner, Langgade 15, Tranebjerg, ☏ +45 27 29 45 20. Closed Sundays. A cosy lunch eatery with attached café, wine, liquor and gift shop in the center of Tranebjerg. Great open-faced sandwiches, plenty of seafood options, but also other dishes. Cakes and coffee and many luxury liquors to go along. Sometimes arrangements or musical events. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 Maarup Havn, Mårup Havn 1, ☏ +45 81933322. Cozy and quiet atmosphere at the small harbour. The menu consist of mainly seafood, but also Bulgarian tapas. The wines are from Bulgaria 150 kr mains. (updated Jun 2019)

Ballen has the most restaurants:

• 🌍 Dokken, Strandvejen 83, Ballen, ☏ +45 86591072. Lunch and evening dinners with traditional Danish food. Discotheque every Saturday night in the summer (above 18, show identity). (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 SAK, Aavej 10, Ballen, ☏ +45 28 77 38 77, info@saksamsoe.dk. Every day. Gourmet restaurant with plenty of local produce. Lunch and evening menus. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 Skipperly, Havnevej 9, Ballen, ☏ +45 86 59 10 18, skipperly@skipperly.dk. Lunch 12:00-15:00, dinner 18:00-21:00. Great quality lunch and evening menus every day of the week. Modern Danish cuisine with plenty of local seasonal produce, including seafood. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 Behrnt, Åvej 21, Ballen (in Ballen Badehotel just east of Ballen Harbour), ☏ +45 20349319. Ambitious restaurant focusing on products from the island. 280 kr mains. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Røgeriet, Havnevej 3 (right at Ballen harbour). Small seafood restaurant. (updated Jun 2019)

• 🌍 Samsø Bryghus, Østre Ringvej 22, Nordby, ☏ +45 86 59 68 98, kimvest@mail.dk. Try the Samsø Bryghus brewery and farm in Nordby. Here local organic brews of all kinds are produced from scratch. With more than 11 standard brews, you should be able to find a favourite. The many flavours of beer can be enjoyed in a nice attached café.The café also sells hot meals, cake and assorted organic and locally produced groceries such as wine, candy, vegetables, meat and even yarn. The meat and vegetables is produced on the farm. Every Tuesday evening in the summer you can participate in a beer tasting and guided tour. Reservation required. 100 kr. (updated Sep 2015)
• 🌍 Høst. 11:00-17:00. You can have a glass of wine or champagne on the terrace. It is also a fashion store. (updated Jun 2019)

There are plenty of options for a place to stay on Samsø, but the island is a popular destination in the summer, so you might not always get what you hoped for.

• 🌍 Ballen Strandcamping, ☏ +45 86 59 12 10. Check-in: 15 April, check-out: 30 September. A camping ground near the town of Ballen on the east coast. Bring your own tent, rent or bring your own caravan or rent a small cottage. Most sites have sea view. 92 kr per person (46 kr for children). (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Ballen Badehotel, Aavej 21, Ballen, ☏ +45 86591799. Historic high-end seaside hotel from 1928 in Ballen. The hotel restaurant Restaurant Behrnt serves excellent gourmet food, mentioned in The White Guide (2015). Good choice for romantic weekends or mini-vacations. Several room type options. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Flinch's Hotel, Langgade 23, Tranebjerg, ☏ +45 86 59 17 22, info@flinchshotel.dk. Historic high-end and old-fashioned city hotel from the late 1800s in Samsø's capital of Tranebjerg. At Flinch's Hotel you can both eat and sleep. High quality dining. Good choice for romantic weekends or mini-vacations. (updated Sep 2018)
• 🌍 Casa Tua, Svedskegyden 2, Nordby (Go to the central pond in Nordby), ☏ +45 86 59 69 22. Small charming town-hotel in Nordby with both double and single rooms open throughout the year. Dogs allowed. The price includes breakfast. From 600 kr. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 Oasen, Søndre Møllevej 5-7 (Nordby), ☏ +45 22 27 44 23. Check-out: 10:30. Small rooms but huge common areas. It used to be a school. kr 800. (updated Jun 2019)
• 🌍 Sælvigbugtens Camping, Staunsvej 2 (On the west coast near Stavns Fjord), ☏ +45 86 59 07 07, saelvigbugtens-camping@mail.tele.dk. Beachside camping ground in the Sælvig Bay. Family oriented with playgrounds, space for kids activities and bicycle rental. Bring your own tent or rent a hut or a room. Open from April through October. (updated Jul 2018)
• 🌍 Klitgård Camping, Campingvej 7, Nordby, 8305 Samsø, ☏ +45 86591722. (updated Sep 2018)
• Summer house, ☏ +45 86 59 00 80. You can rent one of the many summer houses on Samsø for an extended stay. (updated Sep 2018)

It is fairly easy for you to stay safe on Samsø, but be aware of your surroundings and take care of the environment and the bird life here. A few areas are closed to human traffic when the birds are breeding and nest their eggs, as many species are nesting on the ground. Keep your dogs on a leash and don't let your pets run wild. Don't start a fire outside of carefully marked fireplaces. If you go by car, drive carefully and be aware of both bikers and hikers, as the roads are often narrow.

• 🌍 Tunø (A boat regularly ferry passengers to and from the nearby island of Tunø). Tunø is a small car-free island and is perfect for a day trip. It offers good quality beaches; sandy, shallow waters that are child-friendly; and good opportunities for surf fishing as well. There is a small central village on Tunø and most of the residents are farmers. It is a beautiful, slow-paced island and there are several options for staying here overnight. You can bring your own tent to the camping grounds, or pay more and stay in a small cosy house in the village, at the old inn or you can rent a summerhouse for an extended stay. The four-day music festival Tunø Festival is held every year in early July. (updated Jun 2019)

• Depending on how you got to Samsø in first place, you can either take the ferry to Zealand (Kalundborg) in the east or to Jutland (Hou south of Aarhus) in the west.