Ven

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 and is mostly a flat plateau; there are a few hills that connect the shore to the higher level. Much of the land is still used for agriculture, such as durum wheat and grapes. 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.

Ven has four villages (Bäckviken, Tuna By, Norreborg and Kyrkbacken) with a combined permanent population of 372 (as of 2020), almost all of whom live in Tuna By. All are part of the Landskrona municipality in Scania. The island's population peaked in the 1930s at about 1,300. In the past, factories operated on Ven, but now the island is a nature reserve relying more on tourism than on industry.

Get in
All ferries arrive at and depart from Bäckviken harbour, on the east side of the island. No passport check is required for visitors from Denmark. Private boats may stay in Bäckvicken or Kyrkbackens harbour.





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 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.

See




Buy
Like the rest of Sweden, Ven uses the Swedish krona (SEK) as its primary currency. There are no ATMs, banks, or currency exchanges on the island. Almost all vendors accept major international credit cards, including contactless payment. Some merchants accept Danish kroner coins and banknotes at par value; this is a poor exchange rate, so only pay in foreign currency as a last resort.



There is one grocery store (too small to be rightly called a "supermarket") on the island.



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.



Respect
Two buildings at the Tycho Brahe Museum look like tourist attractions, and are in the area where tourists have to pay for admission, but they are in fact the Uranienborgs skola, the school for local children (all eleven of them, as of 2022). There are educational displays outside that are fine to view, but do not trespass inside the school.

Connect
The island is well-covered by Swedish mobile phone networks. Visitors from Denmark using prepaid Danish phone plans may incur roaming charges, as no Danish networks are available and not all prepaid plans include international roaming, even to other EU countries.

Spirit of Hven has free WiFi for customers and guests.

Stay safe
If traveling by bike, stay on posted bike trails, some of which (despite their rough appearance) are roads that motor vehicles use. Ride on the right and let faster traffic pass on the left. Wear a helmet; you are more likely to need protection against natural hazards than against motor vehicles.

Stay healthy
There are no medical facilities on Ven. For anything other than basic first aid and over-the-counter medicine available at the market, you will need to take a ferry off the island.

Go next
Unless you have your own boat, your next destination will be by ferry, to Landskrona in Sweden or to Copenhagen or Helsingør in Denmark. Book your tickets in advance, especially if you intend to travel on a summer weekend.