48 hours on Bornholm

Day 2: Nature, art, and flavours

A stroll in Hammerknuden

We begin the day with a stroll in Hammerknuden, or Hammeren, as the area is also called. Aside from the exercise, you can get some culture historic input here, for the promenade takes you past Salomons Kapel (Salomon's Chapel).

Salomons Kapel is a beautiful ruin of a small chapel built in the 1300s. The chapel was primarily visited by Bornholmer fishermen who got their catch of the day blessed. Enjoy the view and imagine how it looked several hundred years ago.

A refreshing swim

After the stroll we are of a mind to go swimming. Depending on the weather and enthusiasm, there are several spots around Hammeren and Allinge-Sandvig where you can go for a swim. We decide to dive into the harbour bath in Sandvig on our way back to the hotel. Easy, quick, and refreshing!

After having checked out at the hotel, we drive along the east coast towards Svaneke. There are a lot of exciting stops along the way from Sandvig to Svaneke; one of which being Bornholm's Art museum.

Bornholm's art museum and Helligdomsklipperne

Regardless of being interested in art or not, Bornholm's art museum is worth the visit. In the museum, you are free to go on an exploration of Bornholmer-related art, ranging from the Danish Golden Age to modern day. They've got both lasting exhibits and temporary ones, meaning there's always something new to explore.

The building itself is quite interesting - in particular the interior - but, it's the scenery surrounding the museum that is unique. The area is called Helligdomsklipperne, and here you can spend a whole lot of time simply walking along the cliffs, or take the steps down to the water and explore the cliffs from there.

Lunch at Provianten in Gudhjem

Gudhjem is only a 10 minute drive away from Bornholm's Art museum, and is one of the island's "summer pearls".

We eat lunch at the fantastic Provianten by the harbour. The atmosphere at Provianten is something special, and the place's interior is full of cozy and whacky finds (the rafters are adorned in hundreds of corkscrews in different shapes and colours). The list on the menu might be short, but the dishes are oh so delicious, and they've got a handful of barsnacks to pick from. If you can't get a table at Provianten, we recommend having lunch at Nørresan instead. Uncomplicated, flavourful food, with wonderful people behind the bar.

With its narrow, meandering streets Gudhjem can be hard to access with a car - especially when it's teeming with tourists. You can easily park outisde of town, and then walk the rest of the way. In fact, this is the best way to experience Gudhjem.

Overnight stay at Hotel Siemsens Gaard in Svaneke

After Gudhjem our trip takes us to Svaneke. We check in at Hotel Siemsens Gaard, a cozy hotel right by the harbour that used to be a merchant's house. There are rooms in two of the wings, whereas the third houses the kitchen and restaurant.

Svaneke is another favourite on Bornholm. You can read our guide to Svaneke, but the most important thing to know is that there's lots to do and see by simply walking down the town's narrow streets, i.e. visiting the arts and crafts boutiques, try out a few samples of various foods, and a whole lot more.

A stroll to Listed and refreshments at Bay Frost

Before dinner we take a stroll from Svaneke to Listed, which is a small fishing spot about 3 km north of Svaneke, and here we find, i.a, Bay Frost.

Bay Frost is a bar that serves everything from coffee and cakes to snacks and drinks. All of which can be enjoyed either inside or outside with a view of the harbour. It's perfect when you're in the mood for something lesser to eat, or, as in our case, for a glass of wine after the 20 minutes walk, before dinner back in Svaneke.