Bornholm

Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, lying far east of the rest of the country between Sweden and Poland. Granite cliffs, sandy beaches, forests and small harbour towns give it a landscape unlike anywhere else in Denmark, and its mild, sunny summers have earned it a reputation as the sunshine island.

History is written in stone here. Hammershus, one of the largest castle ruins in northern Europe, crowns a cliff in the north, and four medieval round churches, among them Østerlars, combined worship with defence. Fishing towns such as Gudhjem and Svaneke keep half timbered houses, steep lanes and harbours, and the Bornholm Art Museum stands above the Helligdomsklipperne cliffs. The tiny islands of Ertholmene with Christiansø lie offshore and can be visited by boat. Show more

Nature is varied for such a compact island. The north is rocky with the Hammerknuden headland and the Opal lake in a former quarry, the interior holds the Almindingen forest and the Ekkodalen rift valley, and the south ends in the fine white sand of Dueodde. Smokehouses with tall white chimneys serve smoked herring, and glassblowers, ceramicists and other craftspeople keep studios across the island.

Bornholm is reached by ferry or by plane from Copenhagen, and a well marked cycle network circles the coast. Three to five days allow time for coast, forests and towns. Summer is liveliest, while spring and autumn are quieter and many seasonal businesses keep shorter hours.