Bornholm is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, sitting closer to Sweden and Poland than to the Danish mainland. It has a distinctive character that sets it apart from anywhere else in Denmark: a rugged granite coast in the north, rolling farmland and sandy beaches in the south, round medieval churches, smokehouse chimneys, and a long tradition of ceramics and artistic craftsmanship.
The island has drawn painters since the 19th century — the Bornholm School of painters is still well regarded in Scandinavia — and it continues to attract artists and craftspeople. The town of Gudhjem on the north coast is the most picturesque, with coloured timber houses stacked on the hillside above the harbour. The medieval round churches, built around the 12th century and found in four locations across the island, are unique to Bornholm.
Cycling is the best way to explore — a circuit of the island is about 100 kilometres and takes most cyclists two to three days. The smoked herring (röget sild) at the traditional smokehouses around Allinge and Gudhjem is not to be missed. Ferries serve the island from Copenhagen and Malmö.
