The island is best known as the location of the observatories Uraniborg and Stjerneborg, both of which were established and operated by the Danish Renaissance astronomer Tycho Brahe.

Unlike the relatively flat islands Amager and Saltholm, Ven rises from the Öresund with steep and dramatic coastlines.

[2] There are no large forests, but smaller stands of trees occur closest to the coast the slightly higher altitude, the climate on the island in general is similar to that of the lower terrain coastal areas around Öresund.

The island has three smaller fishing ports: Bäckviken (where small ferries depart to Landskrona), Norreborg and Kyrkbacken.

The older one, St Ibb's Church, is located at the top of a hill in the churchyard close to the west coast of the island, overlooking the Danish town of Rungsted.

The younger church, which has been converted into a museum, is located in the middle of the island, near Uraniborg, one of the two observatories built by the astronomer Tycho Brahe.

The island is home to the St Ibb Golf Club, founded in 1972 by Gösta Carlsson, who also operated nearby Barsebäck G&CC.

[6] The nine-hole par-68 course hosted the St Ibb Open, a professional tournament on the Swedish Golf Tour 2000–2010.