Welcome to Ungdomsøen

Ungdomsøen opened on August 24th, 2019.

Ungdomsøen (aka Youth Island) is located just a short ferry ride from Copenhagen and is a historic youth project in the middle of the Øresund!

Ungdomsøen aim to strengthen young people in their journey to become active, committed and curious citizens who take responsibility for each other, for their communities, and for the development of our societies.

The old sea fortress was originally built in 1894, and was acquired and donated to the Danish Scout movement by The A.P. Møller Foundation and the Nordea Foundation in 2015 – and so the creation of a Youth Island was started. In 2016, the Nordea Foundation donated a further DKK 128 million to the project, enabling the major renovation of the Island.

Ungdomsøen has an area of 50.000 m2 and inside the island there is more than 16.500 m2 and 2.5 km of pathways, so even though the island may seem small from the distance there is plenty of space for activities.

Dogmas

Ungdomsøen has five dogmas. They have developed through conversations with thousands of young people leading up to the opening of Ungdomsøen. The five dogmas are the base of future activities at Ungdomsøen, and set the direction of the island.

Doing > learning

This dogma is a counterweight to the focus on learning found in formal education systems. Action is valuable in-and-of itself, and experience creates learning.

Youth for youth

Real influence. An island by, for and together with young people. Unique organizational trust in young people’s abilities.

Disturbance

Ungdomsøen must challenge, interfere with existing thought patterns and provide new perspectives. We must challenge habits and traditions and do something outside what we usually do.

Outreach

Many doors in, so everyone can join. The island must gather individuals – who do not naturally come together – into new communities.

Island and Country

Ungdomsøen is not just something we play at. It will change and create cohesion beyond its physical borders. You do not have to be on the island to do Ungdomsø-activities.

Facts

Ungdomsøen (The Youth Island) is still the world’s largest artificially landscaped island that is not landbound by a bridge

The island is a unique piece of Danish history, which began with the excavation of Copenhagen’s harbor in the late 1800

The total area is 50,000 m2. 16,500 m2 is underground with 2.5 km hallways and tunnels distributed on three levels

The nature on The Youth Island is unique and extremely concentrated. All the way around the island, you are surrounded by the Oresund Strait

Grass, wildflowers and herbs grow side by side to old gun positions, platforms and hangars

The dining hall is for 200 people, indoor accommodation for 120 people and workshop and teaching rooms for 250 people

There are tent pitches for 350 people as well as a large number of rooms, corners and hiding places all over the island

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