Bicycle Tour Bornholm 2000

In the following report I want to present a few buildings and landscapes of the island Bornholm and of the neighbouring Pea Islands. I saw them from my bicycle in the summer 2000.

My 16 pictures with comments in the large picture gallery ->

Bornholm is the easternmost island of Denmark and situated in the middle of the Baltic Sea between Sweden, Poland and Germany. Bornholm is nearly as large as the German island Rügen and a good place for going by bicycle and tent around the island. You can reach Bornholm by ferry from Denmark (Copenhagen), Sweden (Ystad), Poland (Swinoujscie on Wolín) or Germany (Mukran on Rügen). Taking the bicycle with you is hardly more expensive than a normal ferry passage.

The four Round Churches are typical and well known sights at Bornholm. They were built in the 12th Century and you find them in Olsker, Nyker, Nylars and Østerlars. The fortress ruin Hammershus is also very famous. It is the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe (free entrance, 2000). Hammershus was built around the year 1250 as a usual castle. Nine years later it was rebuilt into a solid castle fortress after the first destruction.

At Bornholm the varied landscape is very interesting and also somewhat unexpected: endless golden fields, deep dark forests, steep rock coasts and large sand beaches, hills and mountains. And everywhere you see small farms in the nature.

On Bornholm there is a well kept and often asphalted bicycle way net. Many ways are far away from the main streets on former railway lines. In addition there are also busses into all towns and villages.

If you go one hour by ferry from Bornholm into the northeast you will reach the Pea Islands (Ertholmene) with the two islands Christiansø und Frederiksø and many smaller rock islands. Christiansø is 22 hectares and Frederiksø four hectares large. About 120 people are living on these both islands. And everytime the wind is blowing, sometimes also a very strong wind. Therefore the journey by boat (about 20 EUR, 2000) could become somewhat more adventurous...

Putting up the tents in the nature (as it is possible in Sweden or Norway) is not permitted on Bornholm. But there are commercial campgrounds, which can be used only with a Campingcard and yearly mark (available at the campgrounds).

This is an insider tip: annually changing farmers offer the possibility to camp at their fields. At these marked places you can find fresh water, a dry toilet and a fire place. The night cost only 15 DKK (two EUR) in the year 2000. In this time there were seven of such places on Bornholm, which we could not find in any brochure. You will get the only information at the tourist office in the capital Rønne or in the net at  www.a7.dk

Cycling on Bornholm is really a great adventure because of the manifold landscapes and the good conditions.

If you want you can correct my English because it is not my native language.
Just send me an e-mail: webmaster@nordpaul.de

• Special campgrounds     on farmer fields (insider tip!), Danish website
• Ferry link     from Bornholm to Christiansø
• Bornholm      at Wikipedia
• Link collection Northern Europe     with more links to the world wide web

... Gotland     and Skagen     with more of the Baltic Sea ...