Bornholm is the kind of place that encourages you to slow down without even trying. This small Danish island in the Baltic Sea is shaped by rugged coastline, fishing villages, quiet beaches and a food culture deeply connected to the land and sea.
We originally travelled to Bornholm to dine at Kadeau, but what stayed with me was the island itself. We walked along the coast, swam in the Baltic, stayed in a small historic seaside hotel and spent a day discovering Bornholm’s traditional smokehouses, where smoking herring is part of the island’s culinary identity.
It is exactly the kind of destination I love: somewhere where exceptional food, nature and local traditions come together, and where travelling slowly allows you to notice much more.
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In this guide, you’ll find everything you need to plan your trip: how to get to Bornholm, where to stay, the best food experiences, and must-see attractions.
- How to get to Bornholm
- Where to stay in Bornhom
- Bornholm’s famous smokehouses (Røgeri)
- Kadeau: A Taste of Bornholm
- Things to do in Bornholm
- Final Thoughts: Why Visit Bornholm?
How to Get to Bornholm
From Copenhagen to Bornholm
One of the easiest ways to reach Bornholm from Copenhagen is by combining car and ferry:
- Drive via the Øresund Bridge (16 km) that connects Copenhagen, Denmark, with Malmö, Sweden. The bridge is also well-known from the TV series “The Bridge.”
- Continue driving from Malmö to Ystad, where you can board the Molslinjen ferry to Rønne, Bornholm.
- The ferry takes just one hour, so you can relax on deck with a drink and enjoy the Baltic Sea views.
Book ferry tickets a few months in advance for better prices.
The total journey from Copenhagen to Bornholm takes around 4 hours, including the ferry.
From Germany to Bornholm
Another option is to take the Sassnitz – Rønne ferry from northern Germany, which is a convenient choice for visitors coming from Berlin or Hamburg.
Where to Stay in Bornholm:
We stayed at Allinge Badehotel, a historic seaside hotel in the northern town of Allinge. Dating back to 1774, the hotel has plenty of character, but what I remember most is its relaxed atmosphere. Our rooms overlooked a pretty courtyard filled with lavender, hollyhocks and a fig tree, while breakfast was served upstairs with panoramic views towards the sea. Don’t miss the homemade fig jam.
Just across the road, you can take a dip in the Baltic Sea, or follow the scenic coastal path past Næs Strand, Æggehønen, and Sandkås Strand before reaching Tejn (a 5 km walk).
Bornholm’s Famous Smokehouses (Røgeri)
To understand Bornholm through food, start with its smokehouses.
Smoking fish is not simply something created for visitors. It is part of the island’s fishing heritage, and the distinctive white chimneys of the traditional røgeri have become part of Bornholm’s landscape. Herring was once an important part of everyday island life, preserved through smoking and transformed into something deeply associated with the island.
Rather than choosing just one smokehouse, we decided to make a day of it, travelling around Bornholm and stopping at four. What I loved was that each stop revealed something different about the island: a small fishing harbour, a beach, an artistic village, local beer and cider and, of course, plenty of freshly smoked fish.
Most smokehouses are open from April to October, and although smoked herring is the traditional speciality, you’ll usually find other smoked fish, including salmon, alongside simple dishes that reflect Bornholm’s relationship with the sea.
- Bakka Røgeriet – Established in 1938 and located beside Sømarken Beach and its small fishing harbour. Its setting makes it an easy place to combine lunch with some time by the sea.
- Snogebæk Røgeri – Part restaurant and part shop, in the little coastal village of Snogebæk. Nearby, you can continue to Balka Beach, making this another lovely stop to combine food with the coastline.
- Svaneke Røgeri – In the beautiful town of Svaneke, where it is worth allowing extra time to wander rather than simply stopping for the smokehouse. The town has a strong craft and food culture and is also home to Svaneke Bryghus.
- Hasle Røgeri – With more than a century of fish-smoking tradition, Hasle is perhaps the stop that most visibly connects the experience with Bornholm’s fishing heritage. Try the island’s famous Sol over Gudhjem, an open sandwich of smoked herring topped with egg yolk, radishes and chives, accompanied by a local beer from Svaneke Bryghus or cider from Bornholms Mosteri.
Visiting several smokehouses rather than just one turned the day into something more than a food experience. We were following the coastline, discovering different villages and gradually understanding how closely Bornholm’s food traditions are connected to its landscape and the sea.
It is exactly the kind of experience I love when travelling: food becomes a way of discovering the place itself.
Kadeau: A Taste of Bornholm
Our main reason for visiting Bornholm in 2024 was to dine at Kadeau Bornholm, a Michelin-starred and Michelin Green Star restaurant.
- Open from mid-May to September, Kadeau is located on Øster Sømarken Beach in southern Bornholm.
- The restaurant is deeply connected to nature where the chefs harvest daily from their organic Kadeau garden and forage ingredients from the wild.
The experience begins with champagne on the terrace at sunset, followed by a seasonal tasting menu that includes dishes like:
- Mahogany clam with sloe blossom
- Smoked salmon with rye
- Queen scallop with asparagus and caviar
- Aged pork
- Berries from the garden
- Cardamom cake
We paired these with an incredible wine list, from Loire Valley to Georgia and Sicily.
Dining at Kadeau is more than a meal, it’s a journey through the flavours of Bornholm’s land and sea.
“We start everyday in the organic Kadeau garden, where our chefs harvest what is needed for the day. Our other main source of ingredients is the wild, and we have developed an awareness for just picking what we need to ensure enough is left for the plants to come again the following year.” Nicolai Nørregaard
What stayed with me about Kadeau was how completely the meal belonged to Bornholm. The garden, the wild ingredients, the sea outside and the changing season all seemed to find their way onto the plate. At the end of the evening, the chefs signed our menu and gave us coriander seeds from the Kadeau garden. We framed the menu when we returned home, a small reminder of a meal that became part of the memory of the island.
Nature, History & Slowing Down in Bornholm
Food may have been one of the reasons we came to Bornholm, but some of my favourite moments were simply spent outdoors. The island’s compact size makes it easy to combine a morning discovering its food traditions with an afternoon walking, swimming or exploring its dramatic coastline.
Hammershus Castle
On the northern coast of Bornholm, Hammershus rises above the Baltic Sea. Dating back to around 1200, it is considered the largest medieval castle ruin in Northern Europe and once played an important role in the struggles for control of the island.
Today, there is no need to rush through it. Wander among the ruins, stop for the views across the sea and take some time to appreciate the wild landscape surrounding the fortress.
Hammershus is open year-round and free to visit.
Opalsøen Lake
Close to Hammershus, Opalsøen feels completely different.
The deep-blue lake was formed in a former granite quarry and has since been reclaimed by nature. Surrounded by steep rock faces and walking trails, it is a beautiful place for a walk or, in warmer weather, a swim.
It is also a lovely example of why Bornholm is worth exploring slowly. Some of the island’s most memorable places aren’t necessarily somewhere you need to do anything. Sometimes it is enough to walk, swim, sit for a while and enjoy where you are.
Final Thoughts: Slow Down, Savour More, Reconnect in Bornholm
We originally travelled to Bornholm because of its food, but we left remembering much more than the meals.
There was swimming in the Baltic Sea opposite our hotel, following the coastline from one smokehouse to another, wandering through small fishing villages, discovering the ruins of Hammershus and experiencing a meal at Kadeau that seemed to capture the landscape around us.
Slow down by giving yourself time to walk the coast, swim in the sea and explore without trying to fit the entire island into one day.
Savour more by discovering Bornholm’s smokehouse tradition, tasting local produce and seeing how chefs such as those at Kadeau interpret the island through food.
Reconnect through nature, local traditions and the simple pleasure of having enough time to notice where you are.
Bornholm reminded me that some of the best journeys aren’t about how much you manage to see. They are about the places, tastes and small moments that stay with you afterwards.
Inspired to Discover Denmark Your Way?
If Bornholm’s combination of food, nature and slower island life appeals to you, I can help you create a journey that reflects the way you want to travel.
Through my personalised travel planning service, I create thoughtfully paced itineraries with space for memorable food, local culture, nature and time to simply enjoy where you are.
