Bro on Ærø: Island Trails, Coastal Landscape and Culture

Bro is located near Dunkær and Ærø’s main island road. This makes many destinations on the Baltic Sea island quickly accessible. Around Bro, the themes range from coastal trails and cycling routes to island history, brewing culture and nature.

Trails for Hiking and Coastal Walks

In Ærø Municipality, the Ærø section of the Øhavsstien is 36 kilometres long and leads through Vitsø, Lille Rise Skov and Toftegårdsskoven. The marked footpath is reserved exclusively for hikers; the entire route is marked with posts and blue pictograms. The Kyststien leads from Marstal to Vitsø near Søby and runs mostly along the coast. The Ø-CAMINO Ærø is approximately 64 kilometres long and runs predominantly along the coast around the island. The circular route around Vitsø is approximately five kilometres long.

Cycling Routes and Getting There

In Ærø Municipality, there are 150 kilometres of good, scenic cycling routes with no or very little traffic. The 32-kilometre Ærøskøbing–Marstal cycling circuit connects the two towns via a signposted cycling network with villages, open fields and views of the sea. Free buses operate year-round, with many stops between Søby, Ærøskøbing and Marstal. Ferries to Ærø operate from Svendborg and Faaborg on southeastern Funen, from Rudkøbing on Langeland and from Fynshav on Als.

Churches, Crafts and Søbygaard

Near Bro stands the originally Romanesque Rise Kirke, dating from the late 12th century.

Borgnæs Teglværk was founded in 1847 and was one of the first brickworks on Ærø. Ærø Bryggeri is located in former dairy buildings dating from 1880; beer was brewed there from 1926, and brewing resumed in 2004 after an interruption. Ærø Bryggeri offers beer tastings, guided tours and lunch.

Søbygaard is located just outside Søby. Søbygaard is Ærø’s last ducal estate and offers insights into the island’s history from the Ice Age to the present day. At the same time, Søbygaard is a seasonally open visitor centre with exhibitions, children’s activities at the castle moat, classical concerts and guided tours; the season runs from May until the autumn holidays. Nearby are a medieval hillfort and a bird area.

Voderup Klint and Geopark

Voderup Klint offers walking paths, a staircase down to the beach and green areas for picnics. As a coastal landscape, Voderup Klint features step-like formations. They were created by blocks of landscape that moved downwards along the cliff after the last Ice Age. Geopark Det Sydfynske Øhav tells the story of rising sea levels after the last Ice Age and a landscape shaped by ice for more than 10,000 years; in April 2024, the area was designated a UNESCO Global Geopark.

For your further choice of location on Ærø, you can include Dunkær, Marstal, Skovby, Ærøskøbing, Kragnæs and Søby Ærø in addition to Bro.

For the overarching travel overview: Ærø Municipality.