Something about Bornholm

Bornholm doesn't really look like anything else. Bornholm is unique. Nowhere else you'll find, within so short distances, so great and remarkable contrasts in nature as on the sunshine island of Bornholm, that with its 587 km2 – together with the islets Christiansø and Frederiksø – is Denmark's eastern outpost.

Ekkodalen (the Echo Valley), Paradisbakkerne (the Paradise Hills – yes, the Hell Hills are close nearby) and Denmark's third biggest forest, Almindingen, are some of the places that will make memories come alive in anybody who have visited the island. Bornholm is practically created for families with children. There are countless possibilities for easy trips to woods and beaches – on foot, on bicycle or by car. A quite special paradise for the children is Joboland (or Brændesgaardshaven) not far from Svaneke. In the great park there are birds and animals – and beside a waterland a lot of other entertainments for great and small.

One glance at the map will convince you that Bornholm is also an eldorado for all kinds of sea-sport.

Luckily, there are no big cities as the total number of inhabitants on the island is about 43.000. The coastline is a pearl necklace of small towns, cosy harbours, smoke-houses, restaurants and good beaches. No wonder that one of the greatest Danish painters, Oluf Høst, returned to the island of his birth and, for the remaining 30-40 years of his life, was quite unwilling to leave it. Why go away, when you are living at the most wonderful place of all.

For those interested in history and architecture, the medieval fortress Hammershus and the characteristic round churches from the early middle ages are a must. Everywhere you'll find examples of Bornholm arts and crafts in the form of glass, ceramics and stoneware.

That the sun shines more hours on Bornholm than on the rest of Denmark is a fact, proven by statistics, and as the island is situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea, late summer is considerably warmer on Bornholm than in the rest of the country.

In short – and without exaggeration – Bornholm is a concentrate of the most wonderful and varied Scandinavian nature, with a bit of southern Europe added.

If you click on GALLERI you'll find a number of photos from Bornholm