About Botrnholm Bornholm by bike Route 2

Routes around Bornholm

Route 1: Ronne - Hasle - Vang - Hammershus - Allinge - Sandvig.

Every journey around the island has to start in Ronne as this is the only place where ferries arrive. Ronne is the capital and the centre of culture, trade, industry and administration. It is the biggest and the most modern city on the island, but there are very few modern buildings and none of them is higher than two storeys. The streets are quite narrow, especially in the Store Torv - the centre of the town. Ronne seems very quiet and peaceful as for the capital but later, in comparison with other "cities" on Bonholm, you will find that it really is a city.

Though Ronne was given town charters in 1327, not before the 17th century the city took over the duties of the capital from kirkeby. And that happened mainly because of the development of the port. Also today the port is very important - it is being continually enlarged and modernised.

Ronne - Saint Nicholas Church
Picture 3. Ronne - Saint Nicholas Church

Among numerous monuments in Ronne, greater attention should be paid to: the former Custom-house (Toldboden) - the oldest lay building in the city (1684), the lighthouse (1880), St. Michael's Church where you can listen to wonderful concerts of the organ music (1300), the post-office building (1900), the Citadel (1650) and Ronne Teater (1823) - the oldest theatre in the provinces. You should also visit The Bornholm Museum, The Defence Museum (Forsvarsmuseet) and The Museum of Ceramics (Hjorts Fabrik).

Ronne - The Defence Museum Ronne - Hjorts Fabrik
Picture 4. Ronne - The Defence Museum Picture 5. Ronne - Hjorts Fabrik

The next stop is in Hasle, the oldest market town on Bornholm. The most precious monument there is a gothic church (1460), with a triptych and a font dating to 16th century. Charming houses and steep and narrow streets make this city very special and unforgettable. Well-known tourist attractions are also five restored smoke-houses, with typical huge chimneys, where you can not only taste how delicious the smoked herring is but also watch the traditional way of smoking it.

Smoke-house in Hasle Helligspeder
Picture 6. Smoke-house in Hasle Picture 7. Helligspeder

Going farther north you will pass two hamlets, Helligspeder and Teglkas, where the time seems to stand still, where small, beautiful houses are just as they were one or two hundred years ago. Not far away from this place you can find a scenic lonely rock called Jons Kapel and amazing caves, really worth taking a roundabout way.

On the very northern peninsula of the island there are large, mysterious ruins of the medieval castle Hammershus (1250). The monument is one of the best preserved among other medieval monuments in Europe. In its long history the castle did duties for a fortress, a convent, a prison, caserns until 1822 when the ruins were acknowledged as a historical monument. Among buildings that survived till today you can find a tower, a chapel, stables, a smoke-house, an arsenal and a bridge - the only way to the ruins.

Hammershus ruins
Picture 8. Hammershus ruins

The castle has wonderful surroundings. Steep, rocky cliffs with beautiful caves, Salomons Kapel - ruins of a fishers' chapel, old lighthouses, and scenic Hamerso lake in the moorlands let us forget everything else and feel entirely relaxed.

Hammershus surroundings
Picture 9. Hammershus surroundings

Few kilometres farther north you will find Allinge-Sandvig - a complex of two resorts. Picturesque, historic villas with smoke-houses stand next to luxurious and also historic hotels. Worth visiting are a town-hall dating to 17th century and a nice church (1500). Also very interesting is a cemetery with a monument raised to commemorate the Soviet soldiers, who died in 1945 defending Bornholm.

Yachting port in Allinge
Picture 10. Yachting port in Sandvig.

There are two more things to see in the close vicinity of Allinge-Sandvig: zoological garden Dyrepark, where animals live at large, and Madsebakke Helleristninger - twelve rock engravings dating to 1800 - 500 BC - probably one of the oldest in Denmark.


About Botrnholm Bornholm by bike Route 2