Venø - The heart of the Limfjord

Introducing Venø 

Venø is located in the western part of the Limfjord a bit north of the town Struer. The Island is 7,5 km in length and 1,5 km in width. As a result, the 6 km2 makes it one of the 27 Danish small islands. The population count 200 permanent residents and 80 boarding school students form the safe and dedicated local community.

The ferry link
Crossing the 17 meter deep fjord with strong current takes about 2-3 minutes by ferry and is one of the shortest ferry rides in the country. The ferry departs every 20 minutes on weekdays and every 30 minutes at night, during weekends and national holidays. It is not necessary to make reservations.

The natural surroundings
Venø is exceptionally beautiful and diverse with noticeable hillsides, ravines, forest areas, green fields and heathlands. The island hosts many wild animals as well as birds. Everywhere you will see
pheasants casually walking about and livestock occupying the grazing fields. Countryside idyll is in place.

The wild bird reserve by “Nørskov creek” is located in the northern part of the island. This area holds the title as international area of preservation (Natura, 2000). During the breeding season, the area is protected starting 1st of April and ending the 15th of July. The rest of the year, tourists are welcome to go for a walk, and with a bit of luck it is possible to get a glimpse of seals sunbathing on the beach.

All around the island you will encounter the beautiful view of the mainland coast and the peaceful atmosphere is present year-round.

Activities
Venø offers a wide range of opportunities for an active holiday and the beautiful outdoors attracts many hiking and biking enthusiasts. Furthermore, there are great opportunities to go for a swim, try fishing, go sailing or take advantage of the great conditions for different kinds of surfing.

Attractions
The local church measures only 74m2 and contains 55 seats, which make it the smallest in the country. It was built in the middle of the 16th century and the original frescos are still visible. As shown on the list of pastors during time, the vast majority did not last long. The pastor had another job, which constituted teaching in the local school. This arrangement lasted until 2004 when the school was closed.

Venø harbor was established by local fishermen and farmers more than 100 years ago. Today a great atmosphere surrounds the marina and visitors are welcome to use the barbeque facilities
and seating areas. The harbor is the home of the oldest still functioning car ferry in the country, “Venøsund” (1931), and inside the nearby shack, you are invited to learn about the history of the ferry ride that has been making Venø accessible throughout many years. “Venøsund” is from time to time the stand-in for the current ferry and offers special trips on occasion.

The town consists of both vacation homes, longstanding houses and a typical residential area. This is rather unusual for an island of this size but the ferry connection makes it possible to live on the island while working on the mainland.

Local foods
To the very north of the island, you will find the farm “Nørskov” which is known for its potato production. As of 2003 the farm breeds sheep. Venø Potatos & Lamb distributes its products to local restau-rants and shops and the great taste of Venø is popular in this part of the country.

The southern part of the island hosts another farm – a fish and shellfish farm. One of their specialties is the “Veno Oyster”. Another aim of the initiative is to repopulate the fjord with certain types of flatfish made possible by the fish cultivation facilities.

Artists on the island
Throughout time, Venø has inspired numerous artists amongst others Elise Konstantin-Hansen, Knud Agger and Niels Bjerre. Currently the island hosts two art galleries.

“Venø Galleri” is a combined gallery and workplace for the artist Lis Møller Jensen. Her own exhibitions include oil paintings, graphics and art with felt-tip. Additionally the gallery hosts paintings made by other artists.

“Galleri KK” is the other gallery on the island. Karin Kristensen masters both oil and acrylic paintings.