Illum, Horsehoved and Vigø

A partly submerged continuous ridge starts at Helnæs, traverses the islands of Illum and Vigø, before ending west of Faldsled at Bjerghammer – as shown on the chart. In some places, the ridge breaks the surface; it reaches a height of 9 metres on Illum and 15 metres on Vigø. Between those two islands, is the small islet of Horsehoved, which barely reaches above sea level. Both Illum and Vigø have been inhabited for a very long time. Each of the three islands was copyhold belonging to Hvedholm Gods (Hvedholm Manor) until 1870, when they were sold to the copyholder. Illum and Vigø were used for traditional farming.

From the sea, one gazes in amazement upon the beautiful building that was built as a summerhouse for a member of the Illum family. The house has since been sold and no longer belongs to the Illum family; but it is still only used during the summer months. 

On Illum, there are two farms and a villa built in the 1920s by a member of the Illum family. None of the houses have a permanent resident and are all only used for leisure purposes. Through the years, Vigø has mainly been used for agriculture. A designer who lived there throughout the year built the first permanently inhabited house in the 1960s. In later years, the house was sold and is now in the possession of the Grønlykke family – the owners of the gourmet restaurant Faldsled Kro (Faldsled Inn) – these days, it is only used for leisure purposes.

The entire area is absolutely worth a visit by boat or kayak. There are no jetties on the islands, but the Danish Sailing Association has put down a number of anchor buoys. Moreover, there are possibilities of casting anchor for all wind directions. Nature on the islands is undisturbed – and you must respect the bird’s breeding periods if you decide to go ashore.