Venøsund is Denmark's smallest active car ferry

On the island Venø, you will find not only Denmark’s smallest church, but also Denmark’s smallest active car ferry. Venøsund was built for ferry service at the island Fur in 1931 and was then known as Fursund. It could carry three cars across, but in the 1950s, it became too small for the Fur residents.

Meanwhile, the residents of Venø had grown tired of rowing across to the mainland. The mail boat Svanen would carry farming goods across once a day, but apart from that, there was no regular service to Venø at the beginning of the 1950s. When the farmers of Venø – whose need for a ferry was most pressing – heard that Fursund was for sale, they established the co-operative society Venø Færgefart and raised money for the ferry and ferry berths.

The Venø residents were denied any grant assistance from the state, so the founders themselves had to go to the banks and borrow DKK 30,000 for the ferry, as well as DKK 130,000 for repairing the 20-year-old ferry and establishing ferry berths.

In 1958, the construction of the ferry berths was complete, and Fursund had been refurbished and re-christened Venøsund. The crossing took just three minutes, but now, cattle, milk, potatoes, cars, machinery and passengers could be transported across the water several times a day. In 1971, Venøsund was replaced by a new Venøsund, which was again replaced by the current ferry in 2010.

But the old Venøsund still calls Venø its home and functions as an emergency and replacement ferry. The association Venøsund Færgelaug – ‘Venøsund Ferry Guild’ – maintains and operates the ferry. And in addition to having been deemed worth preserving by the National Ship Preservation Fund, appointed an important representative of Denmark’s sailing cultural heritage as well as a landmark of Venø, Venøsund is Denmark’s smallest active car ferry and must of course comply with the same regulations as modern ferries.

During summer, Venøsund sails ticketed tours and can be booked for private events.

Explore exciting stories from the small islands.
Learn more about Venø Harbor here.

Source: Venøsund Ferry Guild.

Jubilee writing: Venøsund 50 years.

Ticket tours with Venøsund.