The bedrock is close to the land surface and especially on the northern part of the island, there are dramatic cliff and rock areas along the coast, e.g. between Hammerknuden crag and the town of Hasle with the Lion Heads and Jons Kapel (Jon's Chapel) and between Tejn and Gudhjem where the up to 22 meter high Helligdomsklipperne (the Sanctity Cliffs) rise from the sea.

Hammerknuden is Bornholm's northernmost point and it consists of one giant rock formation which rises vertically from the sea. The formidable castle ruin Hammershus is located at the top, and to the south is Bornholm's largest lake, Hammersø Lake. Granite was extracted at the Hammer until the 1970s. Today, the closed down granite quarries have been changed into nature areas featuring the artificial lakes the Opal Lake and the Chrystal Lake.

Along the coast and in the middle of the island, there are a number of large and small rift valleys and open grottos - the so-called ovens – which are among other places found near Jon's Chapel and the Sanctity Cliffs.

Almindingen Forest is Denmark's third largest forest. This is where you find the largest rift valley on the island, Ekkodalen (the Echo Valley), and the island's highest point, Rytterknægten. Paradisbakkerne (the Paradise Hills) is a unique nature forest with high heather moor-land and many rift valleys in the undulating rocky terrain.

Dueodde Beach is located on the southern tip of Bornholm and it is the largest sandy beach on the island with sand so fine that it was previously used in hourglasses. There are many smaller beaches on Bornholm - at many of them you swim directly from the rocks.

Ertholmene is a small group of islands situated approx. 20 kilometres north-east of Bornholm. The main islands are Christiansø and Frederiksø. The nature is rough and beautiful and everything on the islands is protected; the fortress buildings from the 17th century, nature, and the many birds living on the rocks. The islands can be reached by boat from Svaneke or Gudhjem.

Of Denmark's seven medieval round churches, four are located on Bornholm. It is believed that the round churches were used as churches as well as fortresses, and the fact that there are four of them on Bornholm, testifies to the island's strategically important location in the Baltic Sea. The largest round church is in Østerlars, the others are situated in Olsker, Nylars and Nyker.

Rønne is the main town and it is a ferry town with connections to Køge south of Copenhagen, Sweden, Germany and Poland. Towards the end of WW II - on the 7th and 8th of May, Rønne and Nexø were bombed by the Russians and it caused a lot of damage to the town centre. Despite this there are still lots of old and charming buildings. Also 175 red timber houses, which the Swedish state donated towards the rebuilding of Rønne back then, are still present today.

In Hasle, the old herring smokehouses are still in use, but now as museum smokehouses. The holiday towns of Sandvig and Allinge both have lovely sand and rock beaches, and in the picturesque town of Gudhjem, the characteristic steep streets and alleys end at the well-protected cliff harbour. There is a beautiful view of the city and the sea from the ridge Bokul. 


Svaneke stand out as Bornholm's best preserved old town with houses and half-timbered farms in the winding roads which gently slope towards the harbour. On the rocky coast north of Svaneke lie the small authentic fishing villages of Bølshavn and Listed, and just south of Årsdale is one of the island's authentic herring smokehouses.

Nexø is home to the island's largest fishing harbour. The town centre was rebuilt after the Russian bombings of 1945 where especially the area surrounding the market square was badly damaged. The popular red timber houses, which represent Sweden's help to the restoration, are still present and several places in the town, you find a number of well-preserved half-timbered houses.

In the middle of the island, between Nexø and Rønne, is Aakirkeby which is where the experience centre NaturBornholm and the island's only vineyard are situated.

There is a long tradition of smoked fish on the island, particularly herring, mackerel and salmon. Many of the smokehouses are still in use with the characteristic chimneys, and "Sun over Gudhjem" is one of the not-to-miss delicacies - smoked herring with a raw egg yolk, chives and radishes served on freshly baked rye bread. Other specialities from the island are e.g. blue cheese, rye biscuits, rape oil and the fat Bornholm roosters.

Bornholm's closed down railways have been made into cycling paths and therefore, the island has a unique and attractive bicycle route network. The old trails along the coast are today popular hiking trails, and the many ship wrecks along North - and East Bornholm's coasts attract wreck divers.

Bornholm has a tradition of crafty artisans, particularly within the fields of glass work and ceramics. All over the island there are open workshops where you can follow the work and at Hjorth's Fabric/ Bornholm's Ceramics Museum in Rønne, you can study the processes.

Throughout history, painters have been fascinated by the extraordinary light on Bornholm. Towards the end of the 19th century, it attracted names like Zartmann, Drachmann and Bornholm born Michael Ancher, and at the beginning of the 20th century the Bornholm School was created featuring artists such as Weie, Rude, Isakson and Høst who was born and raised on the island. Their colourful works are on display at Bornholm's Art Museum in Rø. Moreover, there is a museum dedicated solely to Oluf Høst in Gudhjem.

Bronze Age art is found in the many rock engravings on the island where especially the beautiful ship pictures around Allinge are of interest.