8 Best Sights in Bornholm, Denmark

Perched atop the dramatic stretch of cliffs called Helligdomsklipperne is this light-filled museum with a permanent collection mostly focused on artists with a connection to Bornholm. Though the art is beautiful, the architecture and surroundings are as much of a reason to visit. Make sure to walk down to the coast after visiting the museum; the walk from the museum to Gudhjem is one of Bornholm’s most spectacular hikes. You can get aboard the lovely MS Thor, which cruises between Gudhjem and Helligdomsklipperne in the summer months, and sail back.

Hammerknuden, the northernmost tip of Bornholm, is home to the island’s most dramatic cliffs and some stunning coastal walks and also to northern Europe’s biggest fortress ruin, Hammershus. The medieval fortress is perched atop a windy cliff with views of the Baltic Sea, and it’s the perfect crowning of a walk around the coast. Close to the ruin you’ll find Opalsøen, a jade-green lake in a former granite quarry. It’s popular for swimming, and the brave try the 8-meter (26-foot) cliffside jump. Scale the steep hill behind the lake to access a heath-clad area where sheep graze between lighthouses. The top of the island offers stunning views of Hammershus and a beautiful walk around the tip of Bornholm and back into charming Sandvig.

United by a stretch of cliffs that are popular to swim from, Allinge and Sandvig used to be two separate coastal towns, but both have grown and they’ve now joined forces. The towns are home to sandy beaches, small guesthouses, a bustling music venue, and several yacht harbors and smokehouses. There are beautiful walks to take along the cliffy coast north of Sandvig and south of Allinge.

Bornholm’s most famous beach is known for its blinding, fine-grained sand, which you reach after strolling through a beautiful pine forest. The sand is easily moved by the wind, and the beach is made up of an ever-changing landscape of shifting dunes as well as a wide, windswept area leading down to the coast. The beach stretches for 30 km (19 miles) without interruption, and it’s popular year-round with beachgoers, picnickers, and dog walkers. Amenities: lifeguards, parking (no fee). Best for: solitude, swimming, walking, sunrise, sunset.

Its location in the south Baltic has drawn settlers and traders to Bornholm since prehistoric days, and much of that 10,000-year history is recorded and displayed at this centrally located museum. It pays special attention to the island's clock-making past and its role during the occupation by Germany and the Soviet Union in World War II. The museum also manages three other historical sights within Ronne: a 19th-century farmhouse with attached flower and herb garden, a farm museum, and a ceramics factory.

It's fitting that the first building most people see when arriving by ship is dedicated to the patron saint of seafarers. Dominating the skyline, the Lutheran St. Nikolai Church dates back to the 12th century, but has been extensively remodeled and refurbished over the centuries. 

Originally built for military drills, this cobbled square has since become the main town center of Rønne and the hub of its cultural and business life. In addition to the numerous shops, cafés, and restaurants surrounding the space, there are often booths set up where locals sell handicrafts, farm produce, and fish. The large neoclassical building at the top of the square is the former town hall, courthouse, and jail.

This town is known for its pretty houses, which are dressed in hollyhocks and painted the same shade of yellow. The area between the bustling harbor and the small main square is packed with ice-cream parlors, cute cafés, small restaurants, design shops, and a number of artisan candy shops producing everything from caramel to licorice. There's also a brewery with a restaurant and a very ambitious and creative bakery with a flower shop attached to it. Walk south through the idyllic streets and pass the lighthouse to reach a small beach, a peaceful camping spot, and one of Denmark’s best beach bars.