Denmark is filled with plenty of beauty to see around the whole country. Although we only had 5 days to spend in Copenhagen, we wanted to venture out for an overnight trip. Some possibilities on our list included Ribe, Aarhus, Odense, and Aero Island, but I was intrigued when I came across Bornholm Island. I really wanted an experience that was more immersed in nature while exploring smaller less known villages. I’m more than thrilled to share our one day adventure in Bornholm and open your eyes to more of the country.
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A Guide to Bornholm Island
In This Article
Where is Bornholm Island
Best Time to Visit
How to Get to Bornholm
Getting Around
How we Spent One Day in Bornholm
Where is Bornholm Island?
Bornholm is actually a small island located off the coast of Sweden. It’s located within the Baltic Sea and quite small at less than 600 square km. You can drive the entire perimeter in a day, however if you want to stop and enjoy the sites it’s best to have at least 3-4 days here to explore.
When is the Best Time to Visit?
The high season and popular time to visit Bornholm is from June through September. Dubbed the “Sunny Island,” the skies and Baltic Sea are filled with shades of blue during this time. The island is vibrant and bustling with visitors and activities. If you’re looking for perfect weather, water activities and more excitement, then this would be the best time to go.
The off-season however has its advantages. We were here in November and truly enjoyed having the entire island practically to ourselves. We drove for long stretches without seeing a soul. When we stopped to see the main sites, they were empty giving us full freedom to explore. Each village was practically a ghost town which felt eerie, but refreshing. However, not many restaurants were open and lodging wasn’t as widely available. We also didn’t have as much sun as we had hoped, but it made it feel more surreal. Overall, everything else made up for that and we highly recommend visiting during both for different vibes.
View of Ronne from the ferry
How to Get to Bornholm
There are several ways to get to Bornholm, but public transportation by bus and ferry was easiest. I bought a combo round trip ticket from Bornholmerbussen and it was fast and efficient. Since the site is in Danish, having a translator handy is helpful. The trip takes about 3 hours and tickets were around $60 total for all of us.
You could also take trains to Ystad Sweden, and then take the ferry from there. This option is much longer than by bus, so we opted not to try this route.
The last option would be to rent a car and drive to the ferry. We didn’t feel this made as much sense, but it could depending on your itinerary.
Getting Around the Island
There are public buses that operate around the island, but they don’t run often. We decided to rent a car since we had limited time here. If you really want to explore the off the beaten path areas, then you’ll definitely need one. There’s a Europcar right by the ferry, so it was very convenient to pickup and dropoff there during our visit. You’ll have to know how to drive a manual car since there’s no automatic cars to rent.
The roads are very smooth and easy to drive. They are clearly marked and so intuitive to navigate. Some of the villages are quite hilly and narrow, but easily manageable.
Drone view of Hasle, a small village in Bornholm
How We Spent One Day in Bornholm Island
Since we took the 6:45am bus from Copenhagen, our ferry arrived around 9:30am. We picked up our rental car right away by the ferry, and headed on our way. We didn’t have a set itinerary planned, but had a few villages in mind to explore. Since it was winter and off-season we decided to keep our exploration in the northern part of the island instead of the south.
Explore more: 5 Day Guide to Copenhagen
Allinge
We started off by driving up the left coast towards Allinge. Along the way, we stopped in a small village called Hasle. The streets were pretty deserted and there weren’t many people around at all. With it being so quiet, we thought it was a great opportunity to send the drone up to snap some aerial photos of the village. We also walked around on foot and explored a bit. The weather was quite windy and frigid, so we decided to head on our way towards our next stop.
Walking through the deserted streets of Allinge
The great thing about Bornholm is it’s very quick to get to each place. In about 15 minutes we arrived in Allinge, another beautiful village with adorable Danish style homes. On our way to the island we had eaten a light breakfast, so we were quite hungry by now.
A smokehouse on the water in Allinge
We drove to a smokehouse, but unfortunately it wasn’t open. In fact not many places were open at all. It was hard to find decent food, so we had to settle for whatever we saw open. We finally found a grocery and a small cafe nearby called Hoiers Iscafe. They had smörrebröd which was a plus, but the food was average at best. It’s definitely worth noting down if you’re here during off-season, but if not we suggest heading elsewhere.
After lunch, we parked the car and strolled around on the streets. It was pretty amazing how empty it was, allowing us to photograph the empty and charming streets. If only the weather was sunny, it would’ve been perfect! I truly enjoy having a place to ourselves sometimes. Overall the village was beautiful, with cute colorful homes and interesting pathways looping in between.
Walking towards Hammershus Castle Ruins
Hammershus Castle Ruins
There are several sites to see around Bornholm, and Hammershus is one of them. We saw several castles during our trip, and this was one of the most memorable. You must not make a trip here without seeing it. It’s truly an amazing place to explore and the scenery around is stunning.
See more: Castles in Denmark
Crossing the medieval bridge into the castle grounds
Hammershus is a medieval fortress built in the 12th century. It provided protection for the island until it was abandoned in 1743. There’s a visitor center where you can read more about the history, but we didn’t have time to stop by. From the visitor center you can also get a stunning panoramic photo of Hammershus.
View of the spooky trees from inside the castle ruins
We spent a few hours walking around the grounds of the castle. It was very drone friendly, which was perfect. With nobody around it was easy to take a lot of footage without disturbing anyone. Being the only ones exploring such a historical site was refreshing. There’s beautiful views of the Baltic Sea from several viewpoints within the ruins. It felt eerily beautiful at times, with overcast skies, crisp air, and a slight fog all around. I loved the mossy ground and spooky trees, which added to the whole experience.
Strolling through the streets of Gudhjem
Gudhjem
By now it was starting to get darker, so we decided to leave Hammershus to continue our drive to Svaneke, our final stop for the night. We drove along the north shore and first stopped at Gudhjem, a quaint little fishing village, situated up on a hill. Like the other villages, it was quite deserted. So this allowed some uninterrupted exploration of the empty streets again. I imagine it must look gorgeous in the summer with views of the blue sea!
View of the village of Svaneke through our guesthouse window
Svaneke
The last and final stop for the night was Svaneke, a very small and beautiful town in the northeastern part of the island. We chose to stay here since it’s one of the most stunning towns on the island. With colorful timbered homes, narrow windy streets, and the best views of the sea we can see why! We arrived in darkness, so unfortunately we didn’t get to see the town in daylight until the morning. But even walking through it at night is quite an experience.
The cute entrance to Svaneke Guesthouse
Where to Stay
I wanted a more local experience for lodging, so we opted for Airbnb. I came across Svaneke Guesthouse, a beautiful yellow half-timbered home tucked in on one of the most charming streets, with views of the sea from the windows. We chose the larger private room in the house, and had the entire top floor to ourselves since we were the only guests.
The Guesthouse
The room was absolutely perfect, so cozy and sufficiently warm. There were two small beds, and a larger queen sized bed. Terra adored having her own little sleeping space within a nook. There was also some cats roaming around, so if you’re allergic this might not be the place for you.
The beautiful backyard area of the guesthouse
Outside of the room is a common guest area with a fridge, dining area and some places to lounge. Terra had so much fun with the kids toys they had available. Everything was very clean and nicely stocked, including the bathroom. The house also has a cute backyard area, which would be quite lovely to hang out in the summer.
A true homemade Danish breakfast!
In the morning there’s a breakfast option for an additional cost. It included homemade bread, jams, meats with cheese, and yogurt with muesli, a truly Danish meal. Coffee, tea and hot cocoa was also served. The entire meal was so fresh and delicious, a healthy start to our day!
Talking to our host Michael was the best part of our stay here. He lives in the bottom floor of the guesthouse with his wife Lene, however she was not in town for the night. It was so intriguing to learn about life on the island, and Danish style living, as well as some history. They start their day with a nice swim in the sea, sounds like quite the charming life! It was truly a delight being hosted by such lovely people. Our entire stay was very intimate and comfortable. We plan to go back during the summer season!
See more: Places to stay in Bornholm Island
The inside of the restaurant, quite empty!
Dinner
After arriving in Bornholm, we noticed not many restaurants were open, so we were quite worried about dinner. Luckily Michael booked us a table at one of the only restaurants open in Svaneke during off-season called Svaneke Bryghus. It was actually a lovely place with beautiful rustic decor and a wide array of craft beers. There was a variety of food and great choices for kids. The meal did not come cheap, but the food was decent.
Walking to the restaurant was an experience in itself. The narrow streets were only lit by a soft glow of lanterns, and it was so quiet we heard our voices echo. This was one of those memorable travel moments that you don’t forget.
A beautiful red house by the water in Svaneke
Svaneke
With an early start and a nice homemade breakfast, we had a bit of time to explore before driving to the ferry. The area around the guesthouse is actually quite charming and makes for some wonderful photo opportunities. There are also gorgeous views from the windows all around.
The empty streets of Svaneke, I wonder what it’s like in summer?
The most charming house, love the red door!
Walking around Svaneke felt just like the other villages, deserted and absolutely amazing. As I strolled through the empty streets, there was not a soul around. Talk about instagram photo heaven! No selfies sticks hanging around, no waiting in lines for photos, it was the best! The area by the water was beautiful, with small boats docked. There were small shops, bakeries and hints of life, however mostly all closed up for now. There’s a plethora of colored half-timbered homes to see with cute windows. If you have more time we highly recommend extending your stay here to explore more.
The historical Osterlars round Church
Osterlars Church
After a morning walk around the village, we had to leave for the ferry. Since we had plans to head to Tivoli later in the day, we had to take the 10:30am ferry.
Conveniently located on the way there is Osterlars Round Church. It’s one of the other popular sites to see on the island, and dates all the way back to the 1100’s. You can go inside, however we only had time to briefly walk around the outside. It’s an adorable and beautiful church with gorgeous gardens surrounding it. With another overcast day, the slight mist made it feel slightly mysterious. Around the island are three other round churches to see as well, so you can definitely make a tour out of it!
The grounds around the church had gorgeous gardens!
As you can see, there’s so much more to Denmark beyond Copenhagen. We hope this opened your eyes to add Bornholm Island to your list of places to explore. It’s a beautiful, utopian island with a rich history, refreshing nature, interesting architecture and quaint fairytale villages. What more could you want?
What’s the most stunning island you’ve been to? We’d love to hear in the comments!
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