Day 1: Copenhagen to Bornholm — Welcome to the Sunshine Island
Depart Copenhagen by morning flight to Romne (35 minutes) or take the combination train-and-ferry via Ystad, Sweden (approximately 3.5 hours total). Bornholm lies in the Baltic Sea, 169 kilometers east of Copenhagen, closer to Sweden and Poland than to the rest of Denmark. Known as the “Sunshine Island” for having more annual sunshine hours than any other part of Denmark, Bornholm feels like a different country entirely. Pick up your rental car at Romne Airport and drive across the island — it’s only 36 kilometers from end to end. Check into your guesthouse or B&B in Gudhjem or Svaneke, two of Bornholm’s most atmospheric villages. Spend the afternoon exploring Gudhjem, a vertical fishing village cascading down a rocky hillside to the harbor. The name literally means “God’s Home” in old Danish. Walk down the steep streets past half-timbered houses to the harbor, where brightly painted fishing boats bob and the unmistakable aroma of smoking fish fills the air. Visit a traditional rogeri (smokehouse) — Bornholm has dozens, many family-run for generations — where herring, salmon, mackerel, and cod are hot-smoked over alder wood. Order the classic “Sol over Gudhjem” (Sun over God’s Home): a piece of smoked herring on rye bread topped with a raw egg yolk, radish, chives, and salt — the iconic dish of Bornholm. Watch the sunset paint the Baltic gold from the harbor wall. Overnight Gudhjem area.
Day 2: Hammershus Castle & Bornholm’s Northern Coast
Drive to Bornholm’s northwestern tip and the island’s most dramatic sight: Hammershus. This is Northern Europe’s largest medieval fortress ruin, built in the 13th century by the Archbishop of Lund (then part of Denmark, now Sweden). The castle sprawls across a 35-meter-high granite plateau overlooking the Baltic Sea on three sides. The natural rock combined with massive walls made Hammershus virtually impregnable — though it was finally captured by Lubeck troops using cannon in 1522. Walk through the atmospheric ruins: the castle courtyard with outlines of great halls and kitchens, the Mantel Tower (the round keep), and the lower bailey. The visitor center offers an interactive exhibition telling the castle’s dramatic history of bishops, kings, pirates, and prisoners. From the ramparts, the views sweep across to the Swedish coast on clear days. In the afternoon, follow the coast north to Hammershot, Bornholm’s northernmost point. Walk the coastal trail to the Hammershot Lighthouse standing above dramatic granite cliffs pounded by the Baltic. The terrain here is rugged — cracked granite, heather, and wind-twisted pines — a landscape more reminiscent of Norway than Denmark. Continue to nearby Olsker Round Church, the highest and most slender of Bornholm’s round churches, perched on a hilltop. Its massive central pillar supports the three-story structure built around 1200. The gallery level could hold the entire local population during pirate raids. Overnight Gudhjem area.
Day 3: Round Churches, Svaneke & Smoked Herring
Today is dedicated to Bornholm’s unique round churches — four magnificent structures found nowhere else in Denmark. Start at Osterlars Round Church (Osterlars Rundkirke), the largest and most impressive, built around 1150. The whitewashed cylindrical exterior rises from a tranquil cemetery. Inside, the massive hollow central pillar is painted with 14th-century frescoes depicting the Last Judgment. Walk around the upper gallery for a close-up view. Next, visit Nylars Round Church (1165), whose interior frescoes are the best-preserved on Bornholm — vivid red and ochre paintings of the Creation, the Fall, and Archangel Michael weighing souls. Nyker Round Church (early 13th century) is the island’s smallest and westernmost. Drive to Svaneke, awarded the European Union’s Gold Medal for preservation — this picture-perfect market town on Bornholm’s east coast avoided the modernization of the 1960s and retains its authentic medieval street plan and half-timbered houses painted in warm yellows, ochres, and reds. The Svaneke Torv (market square) is one of Denmark’s most beautiful, surrounded by 18th-century merchants’ houses. Visit Svaneke Brewery for a tasting of Bornholm’s craft beers. For lunch, stop at Halleskov Rogeri between Svaneke and Listed — a legendary outdoor smokehouse with picnic tables overlooking the Baltic where you’ll eat the freshest smoked herring of your life. Afternoon: drive to Paradisbakkerne (Paradise Hills), a protected forest with dramatic rift valleys, enormous boulders, and peaceful beech groves — perfect for family walks. The deep crevasses were formed by glacial meltwater during the last ice age. Overnight Svaneke or Nexo area.
Day 4: Dueodde Beach, Almindingen Forest & Helligdomsklipperne
Drive to Bornholm’s southern tip and Dueodde (pronounced doo-a-da), consistently ranked among Denmark’s finest beaches. Dueodde’s sand is legendary — it’s so fine it was used in hourglasses and scientific instruments. The bright white sand shimmers against the clear Baltic waters. The beach stretches for kilometers, backed by dunes and pine forest. Climb the Dueodde Lighthouse (Dueodde Fyr), Bornholm’s tallest at 47 meters, for the best view of the island’s southern coast. Swim in the Baltic — the water is shallower and warmer here than elsewhere on Bornholm — or try the Bornholm Sea Sports center for kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, or windsurfing. After beach time, drive to the center of the island and Almindingen (meaning “the common”), Denmark’s third-largest forest at 5,000 hectares. This was once the common land where Bornholm’s farmers grazed their livestock. Climb Rytterknagten (the Rider’s Knoll), at 162 meters Bornholm’s highest point, with a view over the forest canopy. Visit the Ekkodalen (Echo Valley), a dramatic rift valley with 20-meter-high granite walls where your shout echoes back 3-4 times depending on where you stand. Later, drive to the northern coast to walk a section of the Helligdomsklipperne (Sanctuary Cliffs) coastal path from Gudhjem to Tejn. These cliffs rise up to 22 meters above the sea with deep caves carved into the base — in the Middle Ages, a spring here was believed to have healing (holy) properties, giving the cliffs their name. Overnight Gudhjem area.
Day 5: Bornholm Art Museum to Nexo & Coastal Villages
Visit the Bornholm Art Museum (Bornholms Kunstmuseum), dramatically perched on a cliff top above the Sanctuary Cliffs north of Gudhjem. The museum houses the finest collection of Bornholm School paintings, including works by Oluf Host, Karl Isakson, and Olaf Rude. This early 20th-century movement was drawn to Bornholm for its unique light — the reflection off the Baltic Sea and the clean air create painting conditions that attracted artists from across Scandinavia. The museum’s architecture incorporates a stream that flows through the building. Outside, the sculpture garden leads to spectacular sea views. Continue to Nexo, Bornholm’s largest town and its primary fishing port. Bornholm’s smoked herring is so central to the island’s identity that the smokehouses of Nexo ship their product across Denmark and into German specialty shops. Walk the harbor to see today’s catch being unloaded. Drive the southeastern coast road past the fishing hamlets of Snogebaek and Balka to Ostre Somark, a thatched-roof village that’s one of Denmark’s best-preserved traditional fishing settlements. The low, whitewashed houses with red-tiled roofs crouch between the beach dunes and a small stream — the scene has barely changed in 200 years. In the evening, treat yourself to a farewell Bornholm dinner at Kadeau Bornholm in Klemensker (reservations essential) or a more casual feast at the Gudhjem Rogeri with a panoramic terrace over the harbor. Overnight Gudhjem or Svaneke.
Day 6: Last Morning & Return to Copenhagen
Enjoy a leisurely final Bornholm morning. Depending on your departure time, choose between a few options. Art lovers should visit Oluf Host Museum in Gudhjem — the home and studio of Bornholm’s most famous painter, preserved exactly as he left it. His paintings of Bognemark Farm, a black-tarred half-timbered farmhouse with yellow walls, are Bornholm’s most recognized artwork. Nature lovers can take the coastal path from Gudhjem to the Jon’s Kapel (Jon’s Chapel), a natural rock pulpit in a deep gorge where a 17th-century hermit named Jon lived and preached. Or simply stock up on Bornholm souvenirs — smoked herring vacuum-packed for travel, Bornholm honey, glassworks from Hjorths Fabrik, and Bornholm ceramics. Drive to Romne Airport, return your rental car, and board the short flight back to Copenhagen. If traveling by ferry, drive to Romne’s port for the 80-minute crossing to Ystad, Sweden, then train to Copenhagen. As you watch Bornholm recede into the Baltic, you’ll understand why Danes have made this island their best-kept summer secret for generations — and why Bornholm’s combination of medieval history, pristine nature, world-class local food, and the warmest sunshine in the kingdom makes it an island like no other.
