Hvens

Hvens, known in Swedish as Ven and in Danish as Hven, is a small island in the Øresund strait, located off the coast of Skåne, Sweden, near the mainland town of Landskrona. It is administratively part of Landskrona Municipality in Skåne County. The island covers only a small area and has a population of a few hundred residents, making it one of the more rural populated places in the Øresund region. Its landscape includes cultivated fields, woodlands, and rocky shores, set in a temperate maritime climate.

Historically, Hven was part of Denmark until the Treaty of Roskilde in 1658, when Skåne and nearby areas were ceded to Sweden. In the late 16th century the island gained fame as the site of Tycho Brahe’s astronomical laboratories, Uraniborg and Stjerneborg, where Brahe conducted precise measurements that advanced early modern astronomy. The island’s strategic and economic importance declined in subsequent centuries, but it remained inhabited and cultivated.

Today Hven is noted for its cultural and natural heritage. It is accessible from the mainland by road and ferry. Visitors can explore remains associated with Brahe’s observatories, enjoy the rural landscape, and use networked walking and cycling routes. Local agriculture supports small-scale production, and the island hosts visitors through tourism and hospitality services that emphasize sustainability and regional products.