Bornholm: Smokehouse Tradition, Landscapes and History
Accommodation in Bornholm
Bornholm offers a striking variety of experiences: live crocodiles and dinosaurs, a long smokehouse tradition, and views of the Baltic Sea and a castle ruin. Bornholm’s Medieval Centre brings 14th-century Bornholm to life. When planning your trip, the question is not only what you would like to see, but also which themes you want to shape your stay.
Dueodde Beach on Bornholm, showing the island’s southern sandy shoreline.
Photo: ThomasLendt via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0
Experiences between nature and the Middle Ages
At the NaturBornholm experience centre, you’ll find dinosaurs, live crocodiles, an aquarium and a bison exhibition. The range extends from dinosaurs to living animals. If you’re travelling with children, these themes may offer a concrete starting point for planning, depending on your family’s interests. Bear in mind that exhibitions can change over time, and check in advance which exhibits are on display.
Bornholm’s Medieval Centre offers a different historical focus. This 15-hectare open-air museum brings 14th-century Bornholm to life in an engaging, interactive way. While NaturBornholm presents a range of exhibition topics, the Medieval Centre focuses on a specific period. This gives you a choice between nature and exhibition themes on the one hand, and an engaging exploration of medieval Bornholm on the other.
Smokehouse tradition in Gudhjem and Hasle
Bornholm’s first smokehouse opened in Gudhjem in 1866, and herring has been smoked there ever since. Hasle Smokehouse is the last smokehouse on Bornholm where fish is smoked in the traditional way using open chimneys and alder wood. The two locations offer different highlights: Gudhjem combines its historic opening year with the enduring herring tradition, while Hasle is known for its distinctive smoking method. If you’re interested in Bornholm’s food culture, these offer two specific ways to explore it—through the history of the smokehouse and through the smoking method.
Rift valley, Baltic Sea and Hammershus
Ekkodalen in Almindingen is Bornholm’s largest rift valley and a striking landscape feature. The viewpoints also differ in what they overlook: Hammershus Visitor Centre offers a panoramic view of Hammershus. From the cliffs above Opal Lake, you can see across the surrounding area, the Baltic Sea and the castle ruin of Hammershus. The distinction can help with planning: Hammershus is the focus at the visitor centre, while the view from above Opal Lake also takes in the sea and surrounding area.
Visitor information and getting there
When no service is taking place, visitors can enter Østerlars Round Church for a fee and climb up to the roof beams. If you’re planning a visit, check the service schedule and confirm in advance whether visits are possible.
You can reach Bornholm by ferry, plane, bus or train. The ferry crossing from Ystad in Sweden to Bornholm takes one hour and 20 minutes. Check current timetables for your trip, as connections and times may change.
When looking for a holiday apartment, it helps to prioritise your planned visits in advance: what do you want your holiday to focus on, and what might be an addition? Then match your preferred accommodation location to your own plans.
Discover more destinations
Hasle, Klemensker, Listed, Rispebjerg Huse, Rø, Sandkås, Snogebæk, Sose, Muleby, Nexø, Nyker, Olsker, Pedersker, Aakirkeby, Arnager, Gudhjem, Svaneke, Tejn, Vester Sømarken, Årsdale, Østerlars, Østermarie, Knudsker, Arsballe, Kås, Boderne, Vang, Nylars, Bodilsker, Allinge-Sandvig, Balka, Ertholmene, Rønne Parish
For the main travel overview: Denmark.
