Hou

Description

NV Cruising Guide

Navigation

The approach to the partially lit harbour is possible day and night. At night you need a spotlight and navigational experience because of the unlit buoyage. A dredging channel branches off WSW from the fairway designated from north to south (water depth over 4 m). As far as the ferry port, the approach is marked with a green fired pile and an N cardinal buoy.

Berths

Guests will find free places in the old harbour (alongside or in the box) or at the jetties of the marina on 2.2 - 3.2 m water depth.

Surroundings

In the village there are good supply and repair facilities. The ferry harbour to the northeast is closed to recreational boating. The ferry connects the harbour with Samsø and Tunø.

NV Land Guide

The spelling of the place name is somewhat inconsistent. Besides the locally more common "Hou" you can also find "Hov", see also "Hov Løb" and "Hov Røn" in the nautical chart. Adding to the confusion, there is another harbour town of the same name (HL S31/2) on the east coast of northern Jutland just north of the entrance to the Limfjord.

The days when Hou was mainly a pure ferry and fishing port are over. The boats of local sailors now dominate the picture in the old harbour basin with a small shipyard as well as the adjacent new marina. Hou offers rather little space for guest boats and hardly anything worth seeing. The harbour may serve as a stepping stone to the Kattegat islands of Tunø and Samsø, but it is not an absolutely recommendable travel stop.

The ferries to Samsø or Tunø used to share the old harbour basin with fishermen and sailors. In the meantime, a new ferry harbour has also been built immediately to the north-east in front of the old harbour and the newly created marina. If a strong wind keeps you in Hou, you can still take advantage of the ferry connections and fill the time with excursions to Samsø or Tunø. Right at the ferry port of Samsø there is the possibility to rent bicycles and explore the island.

The 3000 inhabitants Hou itself is a rather desolate nest, which, however, comes up with beautiful beaches north of the ferry port. The only cultural attraction in the vicinity is the "Bjørnkær Slot", a medieval castle, of which only a few wall remains and the moat still exist.

You can reach the ruins by walking for about two kilometres on the road leading west out of the town (at the crossroads), turning right and continuing on a side road after 300 metres on the left. After another 300 metres, at the end of the side road, there is a wooded area with the remains of the Zwingburg. If you have folding bicycles on board, you should not miss a visit to the beautiful island of Alrø, which is connected to the mainland by a narrow, 1.5-kilometre-long causeway. The approximately 12-kilometre-long way to Alrø in a south-westerly direction leads via the village of Gylling (with a windmill worth seeing).

For larger purchases, we recommend Odder, ten kilometres north-west of Hou, where you will also find the tourist information office. But also in Hou itself there are already enough opportunities to supply yourself. And also the lovers of "Danish hamburgers" and the colourful snack sausages get their money's worth directly at the harbour. The kiosk and sausage stand are also a meeting place for young and old alike.

Marina Information

Contact

Surroundings

Electricity

Water

Toilet

Shower

Imbiss

Crane

Internet

Fuel

Grocery

Boatyard

Ramp

Public Transport

Bikerental

Garbage

Sewage