Bornholm has a long history as a military and political centre in the Baltic ocean. The history goes back to the famous Vikings. Numerous findings at southern Bornholm indicate that Bornholm was a well established trading point. Poland, Sweden and Germany are all within 100 km. That made Bornholm attractive for the Danish king, the archbishop of Lund and the city of Lübeck during medieval times. Catholics who fasted were only allowed to eat fish and other similar things, so that in the 13th century herring was the main income source on Bornholm.

Medieval

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The European plague struck Bornholm in the middle of the 14th century and halved the population. It was also during this time that Hammershus was constructed, as well as the famous 'round churches'. From 1525 to 1576 Bornholm was pawned to Lübeck in payment for debts the Danish king Frederik I incurred as a result of Lübeck's support for his rebellion against the Swedish King Christian II. The people of Bornholm were suppressed with high taxes and forced labour. They tried to break free but the revolt was quashed in the battle of Ugleenge.

As in other places in the world, Bornholm felt the industrial revolution during the 19th century, and in 1843 its Hasle klinker (clinker) was established. It was one of Bornhom's biggest export ventures since the Middle Ages herring boom. Bornholm is made of granite which has been quarried for centuries.

Bornholmstrafikken (formerly known as ‘Dampskibsselskabet af 1866’ or the Steamship Company of 1866) was founded in 1866 and is still the regular route to and from Bornholm.

Bornholm's main income source has, as an island, always been the sea which surrounds it, and in the 1970s & 1980s the fishermen of the island were so successful that many of them became really wealthy. This rampant overfishing resulted in a rapid decline in fish population which, by the early 1990s, put many fishermen out of work. This created flow-on effects because each fisherman created six on-shore jobs in related industries, resulting in economic decline.

Today Bornholm is a popular travel destination for tourists from Sweden, Norway, Germany, Poland and the rest of Denmark, who are a common sight in the summertime.

Bornholm Airport RNN  ^IATA near Rønne. In the summer season there are buses from the airport.

All international flights operate on a summer-only schedule:

• Widerøe from Oslo.
• Spies from Mallorca and Antalya.

Domestic flights:

• Danish Air Transport - from Copenhagen (up to six return trips daily)

As Bornholm is an island, you must take one of the various ferries (see below). The fare for a car is usually a lot higher than for pedestrians.

These ferries take cars and passengers.

International ferries:

• Bornholmslinjen Ystad – Rønne, daily year around.
• Bornholmslinjen Sassnitz – Rønne, daily during summer, few times per week otherwise.
• Bornholmexpress Allinge-Sandvig – Simrishamn only during the summer.

Domestic ferries:

• Bornholmslinjen Rønne – Køge, daily year around.

• DSB sells combined train and ferry tickets Copenhagen – Malmö Hyllie – Ystad – Rønne. This journey requires a change at Malmö Hyllie station. There is a very short walk between the train and ferry in Ystad.

You can hail a taxi on the street, or call for one to come pick you up at a specific address. A taxi can be ordered at +45 59 95 23 01.

The charge for a trip from the airport to Rønne is approximately €7, and a trip from Rønne to Nexø (longest distance) is €50.

There are 9 bus lines connecting cities and attractions. Some stops are designed for getting off, walking a scenic route and getting on a bus at the next stop.

Outside the cities there are not many bus stops. You just ask the bus driver to stop where you want to get off. And you wave your hand to stop a bus anywhere where the road does not have solid white lines (so that the bus will not block the traffic to let you on). At night use a flashlight or a mobile phone to make your gesture visible to the driver.

The BAT 24-hour ticket at 150 kr can be a good deal if you intend to make several trips in one day and don't want to worry about the rates and zones.

The easiest way to explore Bornholm is by bike, the longest distance on the island is 36 km. There are excellent biking facilities all over Bornholm.

It is easy to rent a bike at Bornholm and the charge varies from place to place but expect about €10 for a day and €20 for a whole week.

• Almindingen — The third largest forest in Denmark.
• Paradisbakkerne
• Rytsker Højlyng — Home of 'Rokkestenen' a massive rock approx. 35 tonnes.
• Slotslyngen — Wild nature near Hammershus (see Allinge-Sandvig)

• Dueodde — The sand is ultra-fine and inviting. The water is clear and clean with lots sand bars, so there is both shallow and deep water close to the shore. The sand is white and if it were not for the pine trees in the distance, one would believe to be in the tropics. It's near Snogebæk.
• Balka — Balka is the most popular beach on Bornholm. It is several kilometres long and has very fine sand and shallow water.
• Sandvig — The best beach on Bornholm's northern coastline. Very popular with locals and with a large motorhome/caravan site for tourists right next door.
• Antoinette — A beach north of Rønne, plenty space to be yourself and enjoy the weather and ocean.
• Hullehavn — A small beach on the outskirts of Svaneke, it's incorporated into the cliffs and even has a divingboard. The beach has camping on one side of it and the lighthouse on the other. Hullehavn is known for how it's easy-going atmosphere. Both locals and tourists enjoy Hullehavn where people are very laid back and sociable; age and nationality means nothing. There is a there is a little bar/cafe/ice-cream kiosk with tables and chairs right on the beach. There are often concerts and at the cafe and djs and dancing.