A LITTLE ABOUT OMØ
If you are considering a trip to Omø - either for a single day or for a longer period, we look forward to welcoming you.
Here you will find various facts about the island, as well as other useful information.
The people of Omø have a reputation for being very hospitable, and we look forward to welcoming you -
whether for a day, a week or a lifetime.
FACTS ABOUT OMØ
Omø is a small island of around 4.5 km2 with 11.6 km of coastline. The island lies with the Storebælt to the west, Omø Sund to the north and Smålandsfarvandet on the other sides. The widest place on Omø is barely 2 km wide. From Revspidsen in the north to Ørespidsen in the south, it measures 4.5 km.
Originally, the island consisted of two smaller islands, separated by a small strait, of which Lake Omø is the last remnant. The island has 162 residents (as of 1 January 2018), and the population is concentrated in the two towns Omø Kirkehavn and Omø By in the middle of the island.
The main occupations are still fishing and partly agriculture, just as some commute to the mainland Some have also established home workplaces.
WHY IS THE ISLAND NAMED OMØ?
Omø got its name from the breathtaking sound of the sea. In 1231 the island is mentioned for the first time as Oma and later in 1309 as Omae.
Place name researchers believe that the prefix Om comes from "omme", which means distant noise or rumble. Omø thus got its name from the sound that comes when the sea hits the coast.
Some believe that Omø's name has to do with Agersø, because Omø lies behind Agersø. Others believe that Omø got its name from the Gothic word Ôma, which means higher. The word alludes to the Skovbanken on Omø being higher than Agersø.
THE ESTABLISHMENT OF OMØ
The history of Omø's formation is not terribly different from the rest of the country, as here, as in most other places, moraine deposits from the Ice Age are involved.
Certainly, these are deposits from a standoff line for the Great Belt glacier during the last melting phase of the ice, and two separate islands were then formed, namely Skovbanke, whose highest point is 24 m above sea level, and the southern island, where the town of Omø is now located. The highest point here is 11 m above sea level.
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Since the Stone Age, the northern part of Denmark has risen, as is well known, while the southern regions have subsided. Omø is slightly north of the axis around which these changes have taken place. This has resulted in a rise since the Stone Age of 0.5-1 m, which can be observed in particular on the old coastal cliffs along the southern part of the east coast, which now have a narrow strip of foreland.
This uplift also led to the formation of Lake Omø, as a rampart, Draget, was deposited at the sizzling end of the shallow strait and a similar one between Kirkehavn and Skovbanke. The lake now drains through a dug trench south of Søgård. In connection with the ditch, there is a small pumping system, with the help of which the lakes water level can be kept lower than sea level, and the meadow area around the lake has thus become larger.
In connection with the above-mentioned uplift, there is also the formation of the low, completely flat area called "Støvlen" or Mosen, which is a marine foreland that is now protected by a dyke built in 1901 south of the lighthouse on Langelands øre.
In terms of climate, Omø is quite remarkable, as the island is located in the area with the countrys lowest rainfall and highest summer temperature, i.e. with a climate that approaches the subcontinental.
