Christianso

Christianso and its neighbour Frederiksoe were fortified as a naval base in 1684, and the fortress town built then survives almost unaltered: two round towers, curtain walls, barracks, a church, a commandant's house and small gardens on granite, joined by a footbridge, with a population of around ninety and no cars, no dogs and no private land, since the islands are administered directly by the defence ministry rather than as a municipality. This is the easternmost point of Denmark. The third island, Graesholm, is a closed bird reserve holding a large colony of guillemots and razorbills along with eider and gulls, visible from the fortress walls. Boats run daily in summer and the crossing takes about an hour.

What you actually see

• An unaltered fortress town - towers, walls and barracks from 1684.
• Denmark's easternmost point - the far edge of the country.
• Graesholm seabird colony - guillemots and razorbills on the closed island.
• No cars and no private land - the islands run directly by the state.

When to go

May to September, when the boats run daily; winter service is minimal. A day trip works, but an overnight in the small inn gives the islands after the boat leaves, which is the better experience. Seabirds are best in early summer.

Honest expectations

Crossings are cancelled in rough weather and the return is fixed, so a day trip is on the boat's timetable. Accommodation is a single small inn and books out. There are no shops to speak of. Landing on the bird island is not permitted.

Nearby

Gudhjem and Svaneke on Bornholm are the departure ports.