Bornholm is the Danish Holiday island. Loopily located nearer to Sweden than anything in Denmark, it is known
as the 'Mediterranean in Scandanavia'. We assume this is a Danish joke, as it did nothing but blow and piss down when we
were there - 'Bridlington in Scandanavia' more like.
Away from the main town and ferry port, Rønne, the island is reminiscent of Cornwall, with small, sleepy fishing
hamlets, and granite coasts, the best of which are on the east coast.
Probably the gem is Gudhjem. Set on a rocky bluff, with streets tumbling down to the sea, it is staggeringly
picturesque, a bit like a Danish Polperro. The streets have cafe's and craft shops, and boats doing trips round the bay.
We rather liked Sandvig, and even smaller, sleepier village on the Northern tip, and Allinge, next door had bags
of character. We thought that many of the other towns, though pretty, were not up to these three.
The island makes much of its income nowadays from tourism, and the popular craft industry seems to be glass blowing.
You can watch the craftsmen (invariably girls) at work in their well practiced routine.
The other island speciallity are smokehouses. The whole island is littered with these, but with fishing dying
out, many have been converted into homes. The remaining ones cater for hordes of tourists - but the smoked mackerel is superb.
There is a major castle ruin on the north point of the island - Hammershus. High up on a bluff, it was used to
rule the island for much of the 1700s. The ruins are impressive today, and the views are spectacular. Entry is free.
The island caters well for cyclists, but is a little large to do in one go. You can get round the island in a
day if you hire a car or scooter. There is an excellent bus service, and buses will take bicycles.
