Camping on Bornholm

The island of Bornholm is located around 200 kilometres from the Danish mainland and north of Poland in the Baltic Sea. It is one of the most easterly islands in Denmark and is characterised by its hilly landscape, rugged cliffs and extensive beaches. The often wooded campsites on Bornholm are located near white beaches and promise idyllic nature camping. Children can have fun on the campsite's own playgrounds and dog owners will also find plenty to do with their four-legged friends.

Special features of camping on Bornholm

When camping on Bornholm, active holidaymakers can discover unspoilt nature on extended hikes through the forest areas in the island's interior. Along the coast, the spray of the Baltic Sea hits rugged cliffs or gently laps at picturesque, fine sandy beaches. In the shelter of the dunes, you can spend cosy days swimming with more hours of sunshine than anywhere else in Denmark. The manageable size of Bornholm also allows cycling enthusiasts to explore the island's sights on two wheels. In between, take a refreshing dip in the cool waters of the Baltic Sea or enjoy a snack in one of the local herring smokehouses.

Travellers can choose from a wide range of campsites on the island. Sannes Familiecamping in Gudhjem, Lyngholt Familiecamping and Camping Hullehavn in Svaneke are popular destinations for campers on Bornholm with their pitches and camping cabins.

Top 3 campsites on Bornholm

Sannes Familiecamping

The site right on the beach impresses campers with its spacious grounds with pitches and camping cabins that offer a wonderful view of the sea. Sannes Familiecamping is particularly popular with anglers.

Lyngholt Family Camping

Lyngholt Familiecamping lives up to its name, as the numerous children's playgrounds are popular with the youngsters. The site is idyllically situated on the edge of the forest and has its own cabins for hire.

Camping Hullehavn

The very unspoilt Hullehavn campsite near the beach has access to a beautiful sandy bay with a bathing jetty and diving board. The campsite is located in a sparsely wooded area near the town of Svaneke and is the starting point for many hikes.

How to get there

The island of Bornholm can be reached from Germany via the ferry harbour in Sassnitz on the island of Rügen. The ferry runs once a day from the end of June to the beginning of September. From October to March, it runs several times a week with restrictions. The distance from Rügen to Rønne on Bornholm (DK) is around 110 kilometres and the crossing takes around 3.5 hours. Holidaymakers travelling from Berlin to Sassnitz cover around 315 km, from Hamburg it is around 325 km, from Munich 922 km and from Cologne 740 km. Alternatively, it is also possible to travel via the ferry port of Swinemünde in Poland. The route from Berlin to the harbour, for example, is around 236 km long and therefore a little shorter than to Sassnitz. However, the crossing from Swinemünde to Rønne takes 5 hours. The ferry departs once a week on Saturday evenings and returns on Sundays.

Destinations on Bornholm

When camping on Bornholm, a visit to picturesque villages such as Gudhjem, where the oldest herring smokehouse on the island is located, should not be missed. The natural landscapes, for example in Dueodde, are also extremely attractive and combine relaxing tranquillity with sporting activities.

Idyllic harbour town of Gudhjem

The small town of Gudhjem is located in the north-east of Bornholm directly on the coast and is a wonderful destination for camping holidays. The old mill towers 23 metres above the town. Steep streets and narrow alleyways lead past colourful houses with red tiled roofs and fish smokehouses down to the picturesque harbour. The Oluf Høst Museum is housed in the artist's former home and displays his studio and a collection of paintings.

Sheer endless expanses in Dueodde

At the southernmost tip of Bornholm, Dueoddo is the widest beach on the island at 12 kilometres. A wooden causeway leads through fragrant pine forests and between high dunes overgrown with sparse grass to the white sandy beach. Those seeking peace and quiet can stroll along the fine quartz sand and breathe in the fresh sea air. Families can enjoy themselves on the gently sloping beach and sports enthusiasts can spend their holiday windsurfing and kitesurfing, for example.

Top 5 sights

• Bornholm Art Museum: Close to Gudhjem, the museum presents works ranging from 19th century oil paintings by local and national artists to contemporary sculptures.
• Hammerhus: In the north of the island, the castle ruins are enthroned on a cliff above the Baltic Sea. The red-brick fortress dates back to the 12th century.
• Hjorth's factory: The production facility in Rønne serves as a working museum of artistic, local ceramic production.
• Solomon's Chapel: The medieval church ruins are located below a 50 metre high granite rock on the northern tip of Bornholm, known as Hammeren.
• Døndalen waterfall: With a drop of around 22 metres, the Døndalen waterfall is one of the highest in the country.

Activities and excursions

The excursion options on Bornholm include historic round churches, old rescue trails and the highest mountain on the island.

Cycle tour along the four white round churches

Active holidaymakers can visit Bornholm's four whitewashed round churches with their 2-metre-thick walls and black, pointed roofs on a circular cycle tour of around 56 km. Østerlars Kirke, Sankt Ols Kirke, Ny Kirke and Nylars Kirke date back to the 12th century and served both as religious sites and as fortresses to protect the island from enemy attacks.

Immerse yourself in the Almindinger Forest

In the heart of Bornholm lies the deep green Almindingen forest area with glistening lakes, moors and clearings where bison graze. Hiking trails meander through this tranquil landscape and lead, among other places, into the rift valley called Ekkodalen (Echo Valley), surrounded by towering granite walls. The Rytterknægten mountain and the Kongemindet lookout tower with views over the Baltic Sea rise up in this natural idyll.

An insider tip for travelling to Bornholm is the butterfly park in Nexø with over 1,000 butterflies.

Events

The numerous events on the island of Bornholm take place throughout the year and are characterised by their diversity. The political debate is celebrated, as is the local food culture and music. Sports enthusiasts compete in the multi-day marathon and the cultural festival features national artists.

June

• Folkemødet: The annual folk meeting takes place in Allinge, where high-ranking politicians answer questions from the people, organisations and business representatives.

July

• Etape Bornholm: The marathon takes place in five daily stages throughout Bornholm.

August

• Wonderfestiwall: The unique music festival in the ruins of Hammershus Castle attracts numerous visitors.

September

• Bornholms Kulturuge: The cultural week combines literature, creative arts from painting and theatre to crafts and culinary delights. A wide variety of events and exhibitions take place across the island over ten days. Among other things, Danish artists give free rein to their creativity according to a theme.

Gastronomy

Bornholm is characterised by local and seasonal cuisine with fresh fish and meat as well as berries, herbs and mushrooms. Surprisingly for the island's location, mulberries, figs and even peaches are grown here. Danablu, a tasty blue cheese, comes from the centre of the island and, like the beer from Svaneke Bryghus, has become famous beyond Bornholm's borders. Another of these culinary specialities is smoked herring. It is produced all over the island, which can be recognised by the striking whitewashed smokehouses that can be seen in the villages. In the Sol over Gudhjem dish, smoked herring is served on rye bread with spring onions, radishes, raw egg yolk, chives and coarse salt.

Weather

The island of Bornholm generally has a moderate maritime climate. This makes for cooler summers on camping holidays, with temperatures averaging around 20 degrees Celsius, but which can sometimes climb up to 30 degrees Celsius. Due to the heat-retaining function of the Baltic Sea, the island has mild winters with increased rain and snowfall. The best time for camping on Bornholm is in July and August, during the high season. Bornholm has the most and longest days of sunshine per year compared to the rest of Denmark. From May to July, travellers can enjoy an average of more than 7 hours of sunshine a day.