Attractions on Bornholm

Bornholm is an island of long distances and small highlights: instead of a dense museum quarter, its attractions are spread across the whole island and out to sea. As standalone highlight pages, we cover the three classics here – the Hammershus castle ruin, the Hammeren lighthouses and the fortress island of Christiansø. Beaches are covered by their own Beaches hub; other sights such as the round churches, the Medieval Centre and glass art are covered further down and in the individual town profiles.

The three highlights

Hammershus at the north-western tip is the undisputed star: Northern Europe's largest castle ruin, perched on a 74-metre granite cliff above the Baltic Sea and, with around 400,000 visitors a year, the island's most-visited attraction. The ruin is freely accessible around the clock, year-round, and the Brohuset visitor centre with its exhibition costs nothing. Allow one to two hours, more if you want to climb up and take in the views.

Just a few kilometres away stand the Hammeren Lighthouses. Hammerfyr sits on Denmark's only granite horst; from its platform, on a clear day, the view stretches 91 metres above the sea to the Swedish coast and as far as Christiansø. The squat Hammerodde Fyr stands nearby by the water. For more on the topic, see the Lighthouses guide.

The third highlight lies 18 kilometres out in the Baltic Sea: Christiansø, Denmark's only skerry island and a preserved 1684 sea fortress. Car-free, with two tower museums and its own administration under the Ministry of Defence. The island can only be reached by ferry from Gudhjem.

More sights across the island

Away from the three highlights, several more sights are worth combining into an island tour.

Medieval Centre and round churches. Near Gudhjem, the Bornholms Middelaldercenter in Østerlars brings the Middle Ages to life (open May to October, admission 90 to 125 kr depending on time of day, children 60 to 75 kr; big medieval festival in mid-July). Right next door stands Østerlars, the largest and best-known of Bornholm's four round churches – the others are Olsker, Nylars and Nyker. Four of Denmark's only seven medieval round churches stand on this one island; built in the 12th and 13th centuries partly as defensive structures, admission is usually 10 to 30 DKK.

NaturBornholm. In Aakirkeby, NaturBornholm explains the island's geology and nature across some 3,000 m², with dinosaurs and an outdoor area for fossil-hunting (open in season roughly 10:00 to 17:00, admission around 150 DKK, children around 75 DKK).

For families. The Brændesgårdshaven amusement park (formerly Joboland) near Svaneke combines rides, a large water park and a small petting zoo (May to September). More active is the Tovbanen zipline over Opalsøen near Allinge, said to be Denmark's longest – 290 metres across the former quarry lake (June to August, from 189 DKK, minimum height 120 cm).

Beaches and crafts. In the south lies the fine white sand of Dueodde beach; all the island's coastal stretches are gathered in the Beaches hub. Bornholm's second signature feature is its crafts scene – dig deeper with our guides to Glass Art and Shopping.

What costs what, and when things are open

Two of the three highlights are free, one charges admission – and "open year-round" only applies with caveats:

• Hammershus is free. The ruin is open 24/7 free of charge, and the visitor centre is free too. The only cost: in season (the Saturday before Palm Sunday until the autumn half-term holidays), parking costs 35 DKK for 6 hours; the coach and disabled parking area P2 is free year-round.
• The Hammeren Lighthouses are also free. However, Hammerfyr can only be climbed during the summer half of the year (daily 9:00 to sunset, weather permitting) – there are no regular hours in winter. Hammerodde Fyr can only be viewed from outside. Parking is free.
• Christiansø charges admission. The tower museum (both towers together) costs 40 DKK for adults and 20 DKK for children aged 6 to 15. The return ferry from Gudhjem costs 220 to 320 DKK for adults (120 to 180 DKK for children aged 6 to 14), depending on the season; children up to 5 travel free. From 7 April 2026, a temporary fuel surcharge of 10 DKK per ticket also applies – correct as of 2026, check before booking. The tower museums open seasonally from mid-April to mid-October (18 April to 20 October).

For all three together, the best time to visit is the shoulder season in May to early June or early to mid-September: the tower museums and Hammerfyr are open, the ferry runs reasonably often, and Hammershus is less crowded. For practical tips on getting there, see our Getting There guide.