Being an island Bornholm has always had a culture where harbors and hamlets were central to life with fishing supplementing income from agriculture. Located in the middle of the Baltic Sea it was a place to seek cover in storms, stop over for trading going north or south, east or west. Overfishing in the last 50-60 years have depleted the fishing beds and it has stopped all together, but the harbors and hamlets are now part of a growing tourist industry.
Bornholm has 158 km of coast line, even if you are in the middle of the island, you have less than half an hour to drive to the nearest shore or beach.
Wandering the harbors and hamlets is a favorite vacation pastime of ours, looking at the boats, yachts or fishing boats trying to imagine where they have been, what adventures they may have experienced, where are they going next. But also, I am happy that I am safe with my two feet on the ground, reminding me that last time I was on a ship, was coming back from Antarctica and passing Drake’s Passage and breaking my ankle in stormy weather.
When we visit Bornholm, we usually stay around Svaneke about which I have already written about together with Gudhjem.
Coming to Bornholm you can take the ferry, it is one hour drive from Copenhagen to the ferry from Ystad to Rønne, it is fast 80 minutes, but enough to get you into the mood of vacation.
Entering the harbor of Rønne on the ferry
Welcome to Rønne
You may of cause also fly there.
In late August 2022 we were there and one of our goals was to see all the harbors and hamlets, which I believe we really did. We were there a week so every day we saw different places according to wind and weather.
BØLSHAVN
On the eastern coast between Svaneke and Gudhjem, far away in the horizon Christiansø may be seen on clear days and more often than not various boats and yachts are visible, fighting the elements of sea and wind. It is a small village located on both sides of the coastal road, with beautiful thatched houses with sloping freshly painted walls.
A huge apple tree shows you the way to the hamlet, from where you may also take a swim. The atmosphere is quiet, no rushing, sit down and enjoy the good weather, perhaps take a swim.
You can walk all the way around Bornholm 158km!
In Bornholm they believe in 'the people living underground 'as written on the sign here.
ALLLINGE
Also, on the east coast almost at the most northern corner of Bornholm. Allinge in the past, i.e., when I was a child, had a ferry connection with Sweden, Simrishamn; my mother hated that crossing of the north sea because the seas north of Hammeren caused her to be sea sick from the waves meeting each other. That connection is no longer in use, I doubt it is because of her!
I can hear the seagulls calling out: 'lunch is ready'
Another interesting thing that has developed in Allinge is the ‘Folkemøde’ or what is called ‘democracy at work’; you come to be seen, heard and mostly to listen. It is the weekend when the academic school year ends; we were there later, but friends and family members attend to great enjoyment. The harbor is bigger and lined with the Danish flag, when we were there in late August.
The coast guard has a station here to guard the sea, which is probably not so easy, as witnessed by the blowing up of the oil pipeline not far from here.
The coast guard hurrying away to ......
Idyllic
If there is storm from the east the sea gets rough; but you can always drive to the other side of Bornholm, it is only 10 km away in Allinge.
VANG
On the west coast is smaller hamlet, we had coffee, strudel and ice cream, seeing how the Swedish boat came in to the harbor under the flag of a pirate. I was not able to find out why and what it is about the flag.
Jon’s Kapel was closed this season, we could not get down there; it is a lot of steps, easy to go down, hard on the leg muscle to come back up. I had planned to count the steps, alas it was not possible :
HASLE
This is the least interesting of the harbors, it has an industrial feel to it, although there was a beautiful sailing boat in the harbor.
A beautiful sailing boat
HELLIGPEDER
Translated this is Holy Peter. Perhaps the coziest little hamlet, very photogenic and picturesque. It had a very authentic feel to wander here, with the wooden boats in the water, the fishing gear hanging like I remember from my childhood.
This sign meets you when you enter the village: " yes, this is Helligpeder"
Fishing gear, probably not in much use anymore
The two men noting who comes and goes and enjoying their after-lunch beer.
SORTEHAT
Is not even a hamlet, more like a beach but with there are boats on land.
Is it a beach or a hamlet?
ARNAGER
South of Rønne, on the west side of Bornholm, Arnager is a small hamlet at the end of a long bridge so sand would not clot the hamlet and prevent the boats from entering.
BODERNE
Further to the south, a tourist paradise it would seem.
SNOGEBÆK
On the east coast to the south, in my childhood we went swimming on the beach here at Balka; then it was allowed to take your car down on the beach, so you did not have to walk far, on the other hand the car was full of sand.
The hamlet here is also at the end of a bridge.
The lonely fisher man was catching eels; he said he did get quite a few.
Fighting wind and sea
HAMMEREN
This harbor is in the north under the castle, Hammershus, it was an industrial harbor to ship out the granite.
Some historic notes:
On the northern part of Bornholm, you have the rocks of granite with Hammeren 82 meter above sea level with the castle of Hammershus, probably built in the 11th century either by the king or by the bishop of Lund.
Hammershus in the far back to the right
Historically, Bornholm has always been Danish; it was on loan to the Lübecks 1526-75. After a disastrous war with Sweden, they took over Bornholm 1658, local heroes from Bornholm, the names of whom you can see even today as the names on the ferries carrying us to and from Bornholm: Peder Olsen, their leader, Jens Peder Kofoed, Poul Anker, Villum Clausen, they fought the Swedish and in 1660 gave back to the Danish king, Frederik 3rd, Bornholm as his rightful heritage. Although Bornholm is Danish, they speak a dialect different from the rest of Denmark, it is probably more ancient; it is more singing to listen to, and not easy to understand for someone those speaking ordinary radio Danish (Rigsdansk); I cannot say I understand all of it although I have been exposed to it from being a child, perhaps that is laziness?
During the 2nd world war, the Germans occupied Bornholm together with the rest of Denmark; being far more east the Russians arrived first to Bornholm, and as the Germans refused to surrender to them, the Russians bombarded Nexø and Rønne, killing ten civilians. The Russians then occupied Bornholm for another year, before leaving.
This sommer outside Hammershavn, on land we could hear they spoke German; but no details were available who they were, why they were here where they were going. The ships do make a nice photo in a report on the cozy hamlets of Bornholm. Don't they?
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