Bornholm

Bornholm is a Danish island set far out in the Baltic, closer to Sweden and Poland, blessed with more sun than the rest of the country and a landscape all its own: pink granite cliffs and rocky north coast, sandy beaches in the south, and unique round white churches. Add fish smokehouses and a strong craft scene and it is a beloved summer island.

Background

It is known as solskinsøen, the sunshine island, for its weather, and klippeøen, the rock island, because its bedrock is granite everywhere except the southern coast. The rocks store summer heat, keeping the weather fairly warm until October, and a local fig variety, Bornholm's Diamond, grows here. In the north the land is rocky, falling away to pine and deciduous forest, farmland in the middle and sand in the south. Older names include Burgendaland in the 9th century and Burgundehulm in 1145. Early in the 20th century painters such as Oluf Høst, Karl Isaksson, Edvard Weie and Olaf Rude formed what is now called the Bornholm school. The island covers 584.59 square kilometres and had 38,966 residents in January 2025.

Source: Wikipedia, "Bornholm"

What's there

• The round churches - the distinctive white fortified round churches, unique to the island.
• Hammershus - the largest medieval castle ruin in Northern Europe on the north cliffs.
• The rocky north and sandy south - the granite coast and the Dueodde beaches.
• Smokehouses and crafts - the fish smokehouses and the island's ceramics and glass.

When to go

High summer for the beaches, ferries and warm weather; it is very much a summer island, quieter and with reduced services outside. Cycling is a lovely way to see it.

What to expect

It takes a ferry or flight to reach, so it is a destination rather than a day trip, best over a few days. Summer is busy and accommodation books ahead. Outside summer many places close and the ferries thin.

Nearby

Ferries connect to Ystad in Sweden and Copenhagen; the Ertholmene islets lie further out.

Key facts