A day on Askø and Lilleø, two flat islands off the coast of Lolland

One of the things I was most excited about when I moved to Lolland in November, was all the opportunities for adventure, and in particular, on the smaller islands off the coast of Lolland. Two of these islands are Askø and Lilleø, connected by a 700-metre long dam.

On a cloudy Saturday morning in mid December, I caught the tiny ferry from Bandholm, taking me across Smålandshavet to the quaint harbour of Askø. I was hoping for lots of Christmassy atmosphere to brighten up the day and get me in the right mood for my favourite holiday of the year.

I wasn’t immediately met with Christmas lights as I had hoped, but as I walked the long way into town, past farms and country cottages, many of them hauntingly dilapidated, more and more Christmas decorations came to view in the tiny windows.

Askø and Lilleø are both small and flat islands, in fact they are so flat that they are protected from flooding by dikes! The islands have no “must-see” sights to offer, but what they do have is solitude and birds in abundance. My plan for the day was to just walk, explore and discover. And hopefully meet some of the 50-ish inhabitants, the majority of whom are 65+ years of age.

As I continued along the quiet main road to town, a few locals drove past me, all waving as if to say “welcome to our island”.

I entered the village and walked past the tiny island museum. I would’ve loved to visit but unfortunately, it’s only open in the summer. But I guess that makes sense as I was probably the only tourist all month. The tiny grocery store was open, so I bought myself some breakfast before heading towards the island church from the 15th or 16th century.

I left the village behind and headed towards the dam to Lilleø which looked even flatter than Askø, if that’s even possible.

Arriving on Lilleø, I followed a sign pointing towards a beach, but it really wasn’t much of a beach. So I returned to the narrow main road, passing some of the fruit tree plantations that Lilleø is well-known for. Since I was visiting in winter, the fruit trees weren’t in bloom, so I could only imagine how beautiful the island must look in the spring. Maybe I’ll return to see it for myself!

There isn’t really much to see on Lilleø, especially when the fruit trees aren’t in bloom, so I just took a stroll along the main road before returning over the dam to Askø. I walked back through the cozy village and followed a narrow road to the islands’ summer house area. A local man on his bike stopped to tell me where to spot sea eagles. I guess he thought I was there to photograph birds!

I continued down to the end of the summer house area and then found a dirt track that guided me past endless flat fields and back to the tiny harbour where the ferry was just about to leave and bring me back to Lolland.

My visit to Askø and Lilleø was short and sweet. I have to admit that I don’t think they are the most interesting islands in Denmark. They don’t have much natural beauty and there is a complete lack of archaeological sights,  but having said that, I do think the village is worth a stroll through as it’s really cozy. However, I’m sure a spring/summer visit would be a lot more pleasant – and more beautiful with all the fruit trees in bloom!

Travel info on Askø and Lilleø

GETTING THERE: A ferry departs many times daily from Bandholm on Lolland, arriving on Askø ca. 30 minutes later. Book your ticket here!

GETTING AROUND: It’s possible to bring a car onboard the ferry, but I recommend either walking or biking. Both islands are tiny and you could comfortably walk around both in 4-5 hours including time for breaks. Bicycles can be rented at the harbour for just 50 DKK for the day. The concept is self service with a box to pay the fee.

ACCOMMODATION: If you fancy staying overnight on Askø, there are a few options. For fellow budget folks, there’s a tent site by the harbour with a toilet in the nearby Havnehuset. If you want a more comfortable night’s sleep, you could for example choose to sleep in a cozy b&b or at Askø Mejeri. See more here!

EATING AND DRINKING: There’s a small grocery store which is open a few hours most days. You can find the current opening hours here. There’s a restaurant at Askø Mejeri, but it wasn’t open when I was there and I haven’t been able to find any info on opening hours. My guess is that they’re only open during the summer.

PUBLIC TOILETS: You can find a public toilet in Havnehuset, the black building at the harbour, and another next to the church.