Fænø is a small Danish

Denmark

Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...

 island in the Little Belt

Little Belt

The Little Belt is a strait between the Danish island of Funen and the Jutland Peninsula.The belt is about 50 km long and 800m to 28 km wide, the maximum depth is approximately 75 m, and contains numerous small Danish islands....

 off the west coast of Funen

Funen

Funen , with a size of 2,984 km² , is the third-largest island of Denmark following Zealand and Vendsyssel-Thy, and the 163rd largest island of the world. Funen is located in the central part of the country and has a population of 454,358 inhabitants . The main city is Odense, connected to the...

 in Middelfart Municipality

Middelfart municipality

Middelfart municipality is a municipality in Region of Southern Denmark on the west coast of the island of Funen in southern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of 297 km². It has a total population of 37,274 . Its mayor is Steen Dahlstrøm, a member of the Social Democrats political party...

. With an area of 3.9 km², as of 1 January 2010 it has a population of just 2. Reaching a height of 39 metres above sea level at its highest point, the island is privately owned. Fænøgård which used to be the island's farm has now been completely rebuilt in an architecturally modern style. It caters for private parties and has residential facilities. The island is separated from Funen by the 500 meter wide Fænø Sund and can be reached by private ferry.

Fænøgård

Built in the middle of the 18th century, Fænøgård used to be the island's farmhouse. However, in 2000, Flemming Skouboe, former owner of LM Glasfiber

LM Glasfiber

LM Wind Power is the largest manufacturer of wind turbine blades in the world. LM Wind Power has manufactured more than 130,000 blades since 1978, contributing to saving nature more than 74 million tons of each year....

, a Danish windmill firm, purchased the island. He replanted the estate with 700,000 trees and bushes, and put up a modern, three-winged red-brick building designed by Schmidt hammer lassen

Schmidt hammer lassen

Schmidt hammer lassen architects is an international architectural practice founded in 1986 in Aarhus, Denmark. It currently has four offices in Aarhus, Copenhagen, Oslo and London....

, one of Denmark's leading architectural firms. Completed in 2005, it houses works by many of Denmark's most famous artists including Asger Jorn

Asger Jorn

Asger Oluf Jorn was a Danish painter, sculptor, ceramic artist, and author. He was a founding member of the avant-garde movement COBRA and the Situationist International...

, Per Kirkeby

Per Kirkeby

Per Kirkeby is a Danish painter, poet, filmmaker and sculptor.-Biography:1962 Studies at the Experimental Art School in Copenhagen; works in the School on painting, graphic arts, 8 millimeter films and performance pieces...

, P.S. Krøyer, Carl-Henning Pedersen

Carl-Henning Pedersen

Carl-Henning Pedersen was a Danish painter and a key member of the COBRA movement. He was known as the "Scandinavian Chagall", and was one of the leading Danish artists of the second half of the 20th century....

, Christian Lemmerz and Michael Kvium. In addition to the modern manor house, there are also four separate buildings to accommodate guests. The facilities can be used by private groups whether for banquets, hunting parties or to experience the island's natural beauty.

Further reading

• Hjort Per, Als Roald, Wiklund Bert: Fænø, Frederiksværk: Cervus, 2004, 192 pp.
• Fetersen Åge; Fænø, Middelfart: Udgivelsesselskabet i MiddeIfart, 1970, 91 pp.

External links

• Official website (Danish)