Somewhere in the middle of the strait that separates Denmark from Sweden, you will find the island of Hven.

To get here from Sweden takes only about half an hour on a ferry coming from Landskrona. Dave and I came from Copenhagen, Denmark and it took us about an hour and a half.

We could’ve brought our bikes with us, but we didn’t. Luckily, there is a bicycle rental depot near the ferry terminal. They have over one thousand bikes for rent! (Total population of the island is 371)

This is a very pretty island. It has a few little villages, a whiskey distillery, and the Tycho Brahe museum.

Tycho Brahe (the one on the right) was a Swedish/Danish astronomer of the 16th Century. Things get fuzzy in this part of the world. The Island of Hven (or is it Ven?) belonged to Denmark, but now it belongs to Sweden. Brahe was born in Sweden, but lived under a Danish king and was considered a Danish nobleman.

Cycling around the island is one of its attractions, but if you’re planning to bring your own bicycle, make sure it is not a road bike.

Most of the roads are not paved.

Many quickly narrow down to paths and some are steep!

The roads that are paved seemed too dangerous for me to enjoy! All of the rental bicycles are the kind with back pedal brakes. I saw plenty of people zoom down this hill (and survive), but I opted to walk my bike down. I’m ultra cautious and terrified of brakes I cannot trust.

Very pretty scenery, but next time I’d like to bring my own bike. One with brakes.

Oh yeah, and no helmet. That’s me, doubting the safety of this expedition.

Alpaca sightings always make any bike ride enjoyable though…

• This Ride: 9 miles (12.8 km)
• Elevation Gain: 417 ft (127 meters)
• Additional Miles Biking Around (stores and such): 27.6 miles (44.4 km)
• YTD Biking Miles: 52.3