Hiking trails on Hjarnø

The charming island of Hjarnø is big enough to offer a diverse range of hiking experiences but small enough for you to walk around the island easily. On Hjarnø, there are marked hiking trails that guide you around the island in a way that allows you to experience the coastline, nature, and the island's attractions.

On foot in the East Jutland Archipelago

Hjarnø is a little gem in Horsens Fjord, located quite close to the coast. With continuous ferry departures throughout the day, it is easy to get to and from the island. Hjarnø has a bit of everything – from eateries to shops, galleries, beautiful beaches, historical attractions, wildlife, and, most importantly, friendly islanders. Hjarnø has signposted hiking trails that allow you to explore a large part of the island. The marked routes cover a total of 7.4 kilometers and function more like a network of roads than a direct A to B route. The route follows Hjarnø's southern coast and leads through the main road of the island, passing by eateries and shops.

Experiences along the way

The natural starting point for the trip is Hjarnø's ferry harbor, where you arrive with the Hjarnø ferry. You might also see the small bicycle ferry that sails between Hjarnø and the neighboring island of Alrø. When you reach the end of the road, we recommend heading east toward Denmark's second-smallest church, which is worth a visit. Along the south side, you follow the coastline. Once you reach the church, you turn down towards the coast and walk along Hjarnø Odde, where you have a view of the water on both sides. When you reach Hougård Strand, you turn inland and walk along Hovedvejen (the main road). This road can be followed all the way to the west coast. Along the way, you will pass by the campsite, which also has a kiosk, vegetable stalls, and Det Grafiske Magasin's (café) coffee hatch. Halfway along the road, there is also a larger resting area and a covered picnic shelter.

The trip around the island is 5.5 kilometers. If you wish to make the trip a bit shorter, you can turn left from Hovedvejen onto Østre or Vestre Kirkevej and walk directly towards the harbor. These roads are also signposted. In total, there are 7 kilometers of marked routes on the island.

Note: We do not recommend walking along the northern coast of the island as there are several bird colonies that breed there and thus can be extremely aggressive.

You can follow the route on your smartphone using this digital map.