Østerlars Round Church

On a hilltop between Gudhjem and Østermarie stands Østerlars Round Church, the largest and oldest of Bornholm's four round churches – and, alongside Hammershus, probably the island's most photographed building. The massive, whitewashed round structure with its black conical roof was built around 1150 and dedicated to Saint Laurence.

Church and fortress in one

Like its three siblings, Østerlars was built as a fortress church: a three-storey round structure of massive fieldstones, in which the local population sheltered during pirate raids. The upper floors served as defensive and storage space, and the fortress-like hilltop position gave a wide view over the surrounding countryside. The prominent external buttresses were added later, once the heavy vaulting began pushing the walls outward. The bells, incidentally, don't hang in the church itself but in a separate bell tower in the churchyard.

The central pillar and its murals

Inside, a huge hollow central pillar carries the vaulting – the rotunda, known as the "Ovnen" (the oven), can be entered and now serves as a baptismal chapel. Running around the pillar is the church's chief treasure: a frieze of murals from around 1350 depicting the life of Christ from the Annunciation to the Last Judgement. Whitewashed over after the Reformation, the frescoes were rediscovered in 1889 and restored by the National Museum in 1958. Also worth seeing is the 1370 gravestone of Henrik Greser, carved from Gotland limestone – Bornholm's best-preserved medieval gravestone.

The Templar myth

Few buildings on Bornholm have sparked as much speculation: the theory that the round churches were inspired by, or even built by, the Knights Templar after the model of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem fills books – but it isn't backed by evidence. Sonar surveys point to a cavity beneath the church, which the parish council has so far not permitted anyone to investigate. That keeps the treasure legends alive; inside the church, multilingual information panels set out the facts.

Getting there and practicalities

• By car via Vietsvej 25, 3760 Gudhjem; parking and public toilets right at the church.
• Without a car, BAT bus routes 1, 3 and 4 stop in Østerlars; from Rønne, route 3 runs there directly. For tips on getting to the island, see the Getting there guide.
• Just a few kilometres away lies Gudhjem – round church and harbour town together make a well-rounded half-day trip.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes – Østerlars is the original among Bornholm's round churches and the only one that charges admission, but in return it has the most impressive frescoes and summer staff on site. For comparing all four: the best-preserved is Nylars Round Church, the slenderest is Olsker Round Church, and the smallest is Nyker Round Church.