Nordby, Samsø: The Best Place to See Half-Timbered Houses in Denmark!

During my visit to Samsø, I stayed in Besser and took a day trip up to Nordby. It was chilly and rained the ENTIRE time I was there, but Nordby, Samsø was so pretty, even covered in puddles! Half-timbered houses in Denmark are my favorite kind of houses, and Nordby had more than enough for me to photograph 🙂

Getting to Nordby, Samsø

I took a bus from Besser to Nordby, and the ride was pretty scenic! I did run into a little trouble with the buses, so if you go to Nordby, learn from my mistake! The buses don’t run very often on some days, and I visited on a Sunday when they really weren’t running often. I was going to get the last bus back from Nordby to Besser, but Google Maps directed me to the wrong place for the bus stop and I had to literally chase after the bus waving my hands around so I could get on and not be stranded in Nordby for the night! Don’t listen to Google Maps, the bus stop is in the city center, and you will see a little street sign for it.

History of Nordby and the famous half-timbered houses in Denmark

Nordby is the northernmost town in Samsø, and it literally translates to “north town.” It dates all the way back to the Viking Age when it was a fort village. Farms and houses built up around the area, and it turned into the town it is today.

Today, Nordby only has 214 inhabitants, but there are lots of shops, cafes, restaurants, and even a brewery! Like I said before, there are tons of half-timbered houses dating back to the 18th and 19th centuries, and because they are so well-preserved, Nordby was named the best-kept village in Denmark. Most of the time I was in Nordy, I just wandered around and took photos of all the colorful half-timbered houses!

Nordby also has a historic bell tower where farmers would gather for town meetings, and there’s also a historic maypole, post office, library, and lots of wells scattered around the town. And there’s a cute pond in the center of the town that would make for some great reflection photos on a sunny day!

Samsø Bryghus

I stopped by a cafe for a cup of tea to warm up when I first got to Nordby, and for lunch, I went to Samsø Bryghus. You can take guided tours of the brewery, but there weren’t any going the day I went. I got a beer and ordered lunch, and everything was great! There were a few groups of people who got drinks and food, but it was mostly empty the whole time I was there. Since the weather was so rainy and chilly, I hung out at Samsø Bryghus for a bit and read a book I brought, and it was a great place to escape the bad weather.

There are a few shops you can explore!

If you’re looking for a place to see half-timbered houses in Denmark, you need to go to Nordby, Samsø! It’s such a pretty town with great shops and restaurants, and it would be an even nicer place to visit on a warm, sunny day 🙂

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