Bornholm's Lighthouses

As an island on a busy shipping lane between Denmark, Sweden and Germany's Baltic coast, Bornholm has always relied on lighthouses to guide ships past its coast. Five distinctive towers still mark the shoreline today – from a 47-metre giant in the south to a slender iron tower at Rønne harbour. Some are still active navigation lights, others have long since become a home or a photo stop. Here's what each tower does, which ones you can climb, and when.

Hammerfyr – the oldest tower, on the rock

At the northern tip, high on the granite mass of Hammerknuden, stands the island's oldest surviving lighthouse: Hammerfyr. The 21-metre tower was built in 1872 from the very granite it stands on. Thanks to its exposed position, its lantern sits around 85 metres above the sea – a good illustration that tower height and light height aren't the same thing: focal height measures how high the light itself sits above the water, not the height of the building.

Hammerfyr was decommissioned as a navigation light in 1990; today it's a museum and visitor site rather than an active seamark. That means you're free to climb it. In the summer half of the year the tower is open daily from 9:00 until sunset, weather permitting; in winter it stays largely closed. The climb is free. From the platform, on a clear day, the view stretches across all of northern Bornholm to the Swedish coast. Guided tours also run year-round (book via hammerfyr.dk or +45 3023 6474). More on the surrounding area is in the guide to the Hammeren Lighthouses.

Hammerodde Fyr – the low-lying helper by the water

Because the elevated Hammerfyr too often disappeared into low cloud, a second, lower tower was added in 1895 at the island's northernmost point: Hammerodde Fyr. Unlike its older neighbour, it remains an active navigation light in regular operation to this day.

It can only be viewed from outside – the old keepers' buildings are now privately used as summer houses, and the interior isn't accessible. From the outside, though, it makes a rewarding photo stop. A paved coastal path, hilly in places and partly wheelchair-accessible, leads from the Hammerknuden car park to within about 800 metres of the tower and on towards Salomons Kapelle and Hammer Havn. If you're already exploring Hammeren on foot or by bike, it's easy to combine.

Dueodde Lighthouse – the tallest in Scandinavia

At the island's southernmost tip, amid the wide dune landscape of Dueodde, rises Dueodde Lighthouse. At 47 metres, it's the tallest lighthouse in Denmark and Scandinavia; its focal height is around 48 metres. In operation since 1962, it remains an active seamark today – three white flashes every 10 seconds, visible for around 35 kilometres. It was automated in 1977.

Dueodde is the only lighthouse on Bornholm the public can climb, and even then only at seasonal, irregular times. The viewing platform is open during daytime in the summer season – roughly May to September – though the sources don't give firm calendar dates for 2026, so it's worth checking the current notice before you go. A small fee towards its upkeep applies: around 10 DKK for age 12 and over, 5 DKK for children aged 5 to 12, younger children free. Climb the roughly 196 steps of the steep internal staircase and you're rewarded with a sweeping view over the southern tip – not one for anyone with a fear of heights. The tower sits right by Dueodde Beach; park at the main Dueodde car park, from where a short walk west leads to the tower.

Svaneke Fyr – from seamark to holiday home

On the edge of Svaneke, right on the beach, stands Svaneke Fyr. The 18-metre tower was built in 1919/1920, with a focal height of around 20 metres. It was decommissioned as a navigation light on 1 August 2011 and has since been converted for residential and holiday use.

Today (as of 2026) it's let as holiday accommodation for up to eight people – four double rooms, one of them a suite. Bookings typically run week to week from Saturday to Saturday, direct through svanekefyr.dk ([email protected], +45 27 11 20 57; Skovgade 28, 3740 Svaneke). So you can't visit the inside, but the building is publicly visible from outside and makes a worthwhile photo stop – easy to combine with a stroll through Svaneke, Denmark's easternmost town, and a swim at the nearby Hullehavn bay.

Rønne Lighthouse

In the island's main town, Rønne Lighthouse has marked the coast since 1880. The octagonal white cast-iron tower measures 12 metres, or around 18 metres including its base. It was decommissioned in 1989 and is no longer an active seamark.

Set back a little from the harbour front among houses, it can't be visited inside. As a landmark and photo stop at Rønne harbour, though, it's easy to spot – worth a short detour if you're already waiting for the ferry or wandering the old town.

Linking the towers – routes, parking, season

There's no official combined ticket covering all the towers; in any case, only Dueodde and Hammerfyr can be climbed, and mainly during the summer half of the year. In winter most sites are only visible from outside, and Hammerfyr's hours depend on daylight, sunset and weather.

If you want to link the towers into a short trip, there's a documented walking route called "Fyr til Fyr" (Lighthouse to Lighthouse). For driving, two starting points are especially useful: the main Dueodde car park in the south (a short walk west to the tower) and the Hammerknuden car park in the north, from which both Hammerfyr and Hammerodde are reachable. There's no confirmed information on dedicated car parking right at Svaneke Fyr or Rønne Lighthouse – both, however, sit within town and are easy to reach on foot. If you'd rather stay flexible and travel greener, cycling is a good way to link the sites; the main towers lie close to the coastal route covered in the Cycling on Bornholm guide.