Drejø is a tranquil, low-lying island in the South Funen Archipelago, lying in the Baltic Sea south of Svendborg on the Danish island of Funen. Just 4.26 square kilometres in size and home to only around sixty year-round residents, it is one of the most peaceful and unspoiled corners of Denmark — a place where car traffic is minimal, where hedgerows and heath reach down to the shore, and where the pace of life is set by the tide and the ferry timetable.
The island was originally two separate islands, Drejø to the east and Skoven ('the forest') to the west, joined by a slender sandy isthmus called Drejet, from which the island takes its name. This gentle landscape of salt meadows, coastal heath, grazed commons and beaches is a haven for wildlife: Drejø is known for its herd of rare white fallow deer, and its meadows and shallows draw large numbers of breeding and migrating birds, which is why leisure sailors and nature lovers treasure it.
At the heart of the island lies Drejø By, a village laid out in an unusual star shape around its church. Until 1942 it was one of the best-preserved village environments in Denmark, but on Midsummer Eve that year, during a hot, dry summer, a fire broke out with devastating consequences. Most of the men were out at sea fishing and, in the bright summer evening, did not see the flames; by the time they returned it was too late. The fire consumed eleven farms and seven houses and left a hundred people homeless — a catastrophe made worse because the fire engines had to be ferried across from Svendborg. Local lore blames a careless thatcher who knocked the ashes from his pipe. The village was rebuilt on its old street pattern, and today its half-timbered farmsteads and cottages once again form a charming, harmonious whole.
Drejø Kirke, which survived the fire, is the island's most cherished building. It began in 1535 as a simple fieldstone chapel raised by thirteen local farmers and was elevated to a full parish church in 1555. It was enlarged in the early 1600s with a vaulted chancel and a western tower, and inside you can still see a Romanesque granite font and a pulpit from the 1620s.
Visiting Drejø is delightfully simple and slow. Walking and cycling are the natural ways to explore; paths and quiet lanes lead through the village, past the church and mill site, out across the heath and along the shore. The village inn, shop and small local archive offer a warm welcome, and the harbour is a lively meeting point in summer. The terrain is flat and easy, though the village lanes are cobbled and some nature paths are uneven.
The best time to visit is late spring through early autumn, when the birdlife is at its richest, the heath is in flower and the ferry runs most frequently. You reach Drejø on the little ferry M/F Højestene from Svendborg, which calls at neighbouring Skarø on the way; the crossing takes about an hour and a quarter, and booking ahead is wise in high summer if you bring a car.
A local's tip
Walk out to Drejet, the narrow isthmus linking the two former islands, and look for the herd of rare white fallow deer grazing the heath at dawn or dusk.
Getting there
Take the passenger ferry M/F Højestene from Svendborg harbour; it calls at Skarø on the way and reaches Drejø in about 1 hour 15 minutes. Book ahead in summer if bringing a car; on the island, explore on foot or by bike.
Best time to visit
Late spring to early autumn, when the heath flowers, birdlife peaks and the ferry runs most often.
Accessibility
The island is flat and easy to walk, but village lanes are cobbled and some nature paths across the heath are uneven; the ferry and harbour are the main access points, with limited facilities on the island.
