In-depth guide · CampingSpirit
From Rønne via Hammershus, Gudhjem and Svaneke to the dunes of Dueodde and back through the forest of Almindingen: a good 165 kilometres on an island where you park the camper more often than you drive it.
The spirit of the route
Bornholm lies closer to Sweden than to Copenhagen, and you can tell from the rock: where the rest of Denmark is flat and sandy, granite cliffs break into the sea here, and the road along the north coast climbs, drops and winds between rocks, beech forest and fishing harbours. In the morning smoke rises from the white chimneys of the smokehouses, at midday the Baltic glitters behind the red roofs of Gudhjem, and in the evening the Hammershus ruin stands black against a sky that stays light for a long time in summer. From the sliding door you see fishing boats, dog roses and white round churches between fields of grain. The island is small, distances are short, and the roads are often narrow and full of cyclists. Once you arrive here, you shift down a gear: short stages, bikes off the rack, herring on rye bread – and in the evening a pitch at a campsite rather than a spot in a clifftop car park.
Stage-by-stage plan
1Stage 1: Rønne (ferry port) to Hasle (approx. 12 km)
- The drive
- Arrive by ferry from Ystad (fast ferry around 80 minutes), by night ferry from Køge or from Sassnitz/Mukran on Rügen (a good 3 hours; this route does not run all year). From the port, head north through Rønne and along the coast road to Hasle: flat and well surfaced, with repeated sea views on your right and fields and the first granite humps on your left. Driving time barely 20 minutes – the day belongs to the town and the evening at the harbour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Rønne's old town around Store Torv, with low, brightly rendered half-timbered houses, cobblestones and Erichsens Gård, a 19th-century merchant's house with a garden.
- Hjorths Fabrik in Rønne: Bornholm's ceramics tradition in a preserved workshop where pots are still thrown.
- Hasle Røgeri on the southern edge of Hasle: a smokehouse with the typical white chimneys, where herring and mackerel hang over alder wood – you can have your first “Sol over Gudhjem” (smoked herring on rye bread with egg yolk, chives and radishes) here too.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hasle Camping lies on the southern edge of Hasle near the beach and within walking distance of the harbour: electric hook-ups, toilets and showers, water and waste disposal, seasonal opening – check in advance. Alternatively, at Hasle harbour there are a few of the municipality's motorhome pitches (according to Bornholm's tourist board six of them, from mid-May to mid-September, free to stay until noon the following day, electricity, water, waste disposal and showers for a fee).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Denmark prohibits wild camping, on Bornholm too. You may leave your motorhome and sleep in it wherever parking is allowed without time or vehicle restrictions – without awning, table, chairs or barbecue. The waiting lanes at the ferry port in Rønne are not an overnight spot. Beaches, dunes and forest are off limits to vehicles.
- Insider tip for campers
- The only public service point that Bornholm's tourist board lists is on Remisevej in Rønne – empty your cassette and grey water and fill up with fresh water straight after arrival. Don't drive the motorhome through Rønne's old town: the lanes and cobbled streets are narrow, so park at the harbour or at the large supermarkets on the edge of town and walk.
2Stage 2: Hasle to Sandvig (Hammeren) (approx. 22 km)
- The drive
- From Hasle north through Vang and on along the hilly road above the rocky coast to the Hammershus castle ruin, then down to Sandvig at the northern tip. Winding, with short steep ramps, narrow village roads in Vang and Sandvig, and in summer plenty of cyclists and walkers at the roadside. Just under an hour is enough for the whole stretch, a full day for the stops.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Jons Kapel: a granite wall around 20 metres high with a rock pinnacle above the surf, reached via a short forest path and a steep wooden staircase down to the water – slippery when wet.
- Hammershus: the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe, on a rocky ridge above the sea; visitor centre with toilets, and access to the ruin and the visitor centre is free. Most atmospheric early in the morning or in the evening light.
- Hammeren: the granite peninsula in the north with the Hammer Fyr lighthouse, the quarry lake Opalsøen and the ruin of Salomons Kapel – a circular walk of about two to three hours from Sandvig or Hammershus.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Sandvig Familie Camping lies right by the water on the edge of Sandvig, looking out to Hammeren: pitches with electricity, toilets and showers, seasonal opening. Somewhat quieter and inland, south of Hammershus and a few kilometres from Allinge: Lyngholt Familiecamping with electricity, water, toilets and showers. Book early in July.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The tent and camp sites around Hammeren and Hammershus – such as Teltplads Møllebakken, Finnedalen or Lejrplads Sjøljan – are primitive or shelter sites run by Naturstyrelsen for tents and people on foot or by bike. Vehicles may neither park nor stay overnight there. The car parks at Jons Kapel and Hammershus are day car parks; follow the signs.
- Insider tip for campers
- The car park at Jons Kapel is small and at the end of a dead-end road – large motorhomes struggle to turn there; come outside the midday hours. There is no visitor access road to the lighthouse on Hammeren; leave the motorhome in Sandvig or at Hammershus. In Sandvig, don't drive into the narrow lanes down to the harbour.
3Stage 3: Sandvig to Gudhjem (Melsted) (approx. 32 km)
- The drive
- Via Allinge and Tejn on the coast road along the north-east coast: up and down between rocky shore, forest and fields, with several tight bends and short descents. Beyond Gudhjem, a detour inland to the round church of Østerlars (a good 5 km each way) and back to the coast at Melsted. Driving time about an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Madsebakke near Allinge: Denmark's largest rock-carving site, with Bronze Age ship images on a flat granite hump on the edge of the village.
- Helligdomsklipperne between Tejn and Gudhjem: rocky coast with grottoes and a path down to the water, and above it Bornholms Kunstmuseum with works by the Bornholm painters.
- Østerlars Rundkirke: the largest of Bornholm's four round churches, built in the 12th century as a church and refuge, with massive buttresses and wall paintings inside.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Gudhjem Camping lies in Melsted on the beach south-east of Gudhjem, with electricity, toilets and showers; a shoreline path leads from there into town. A good kilometre further south-east, also in Melsted, Sannes Familiecamping offers electricity, toilets and showers, with seasonal opening. On the way, Tejn harbour has six municipal motorhome pitches with electricity (summer season).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The shelter and camp sites near Stammershalle or in the forest near Nordhus are tent and shelter sites with no vehicle access. Don't stay overnight in the car parks at Helligdomsklipperne or on the art museum access road; in Gudhjem itself there is hardly any space suitable for motorhomes overnight.
- Insider tip for campers
- Gudhjem sits on a steep slope: the streets down to the harbour are very steep and narrow, and turning round there is barely possible. Park at the top on the edge of town or walk in from the campsite in Melsted along the shoreline path. The smokehouse at Gudhjem harbour serves the herring that gave “Sol over Gudhjem” its name; excursion boats to Christiansø leave from here (foot passengers only).
4Stage 4: Melsted to Svaneke / Listed (approx. 20 km)
- The drive
- The coast road follows the east coast over gentle hills, past farms, stone walls and small bays. Fewer bends than in the north, but plenty of cyclists and agricultural traffic. Svaneke and the small fishing village of Listed are only a few kilometres apart. Driving time under an hour.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Melstedgård: a farm museum right on the coast road that shows life on a Bornholm farm.
- Svaneke: Denmark's easternmost town, with low ochre and red houses, a harbour, brewery, glassblowing workshop and the smokehouse on the northern edge – explored on foot in an hour.
- Listed: a fishing village with a small harbour and granite breakwaters, quiet and ideal for an evening stroll along the coast.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Hullehavn Camping lies on the southern edge of Svaneke right on the rocky coast, with electricity, toilets and showers. At Listed harbour there are a few motorhome spaces (listed in OpenStreetMap with electricity and water; check number, season and payment with the harbour in advance).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The Thygegaard nature camp site near Svaneke is a tent site, not a place for vehicles. In the centre of Svaneke and on the harbour quays, overnight stays outside designated spaces are not intended; follow the signs on time limits.
- Insider tip for campers
- Svaneke's centre is narrow and cobbled: don't drive across the market square, use the car parks on the edge of town instead. In high summer the town is packed during the day – visit in the early evening once the coaches have gone. Do your shopping and refuelling beforehand in Gudhjem or later in Nexø.
5Stage 5: Svaneke / Listed to Dueodde (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- Continue along the coast road to Nexø, then south through flatter, sandier country. Beyond Snogebæk the land levels out, and pine forest and dunes replace the granite. The access road to Dueodde ends at car parks on the edge of the forest. Driving time about 40 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Nexø: a harbour town rebuilt after the Soviet bombing raids of May 1945; the museum tells that story and that of the period when Bornholm was occupied by the Red Army until 1946.
- Paradisbakkerne west of Nexø: hilly rock and forest country with waymarked trails and the Rokkestenen, a glacial boulder you can rock.
- Dueodde: the beach at the southern tip, with very fine, pale sand, high dunes and the lighthouse behind the pine forest.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Several sites lie close together at Dueodde: Møllers Dueodde Camping, Dueodde Vandrerhjem & Camping and Bornholms Familie Camping – Dueodde, each with electricity, toilets and showers and just a few minutes' walk from the beach. Alternatively in Nexø: Nexø Camping og Feriehytter with electricity, water, waste disposal, toilets and showers.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): The dunes and forest of Dueodde are protected; vehicles stay in the car parks, and overnight stays there are not intended. Primitive tent sites in the area, such as Bassebo or Nordbakkegård, take tents only. OpenStreetMap and apps list motorhome spaces at Nexø harbour – check the rules and fees on the sign on site or with the harbour.
- Insider tip for campers
- From the car park at Dueodde a boardwalk leads through the dunes to the beach; don't take the vehicle onto the sand – it is easy to get stuck there and driving on the beach is prohibited. Nexø has supermarkets and petrol stations, the last good opportunity before the south.
6Stage 6: Dueodde to Aakirkeby / Almindingen (approx. 30 km)
- The drive
- Via Snogebæk and Balka back north, then inland through fields to Aakirkeby and up into the forest of Almindingen in the centre of the island. Well-surfaced country roads, narrower minor roads with forest car parks in the woods. Driving time about 45 minutes.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Snogebæk: a fishing village with a smokehouse at the harbour and the wide sandy beach of Balka right next door.
- Aa Kirke in Aakirkeby: Bornholm's largest church, Romanesque, with a font from Gotland; next to it the NaturBornholm visitor centre on the island's geology.
- Almindingen: Ekkodalen, a rift valley with rock walls and an echo, the Kongemindet lookout tower on Rytterknægten, the island's highest point, and an enclosure where European bison live (access is closed at times, for example when calves have been born).
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Aakirkeby Camping lies on the edge of town with electricity, toilets and showers and is the practical base for Almindingen. Ekkodalens Naturcamping by the forest is a back-to-nature site – ask in advance whether and how motorhomes can stay there.
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): Sleeping in a vehicle is not allowed in the forest of Almindingen; camp and shelter sites such as Åremyr or Hareløkkerne are for tents and shelters only. The car parks at Ekkodalen are day car parks.
- Insider tip for campers
- The forest tracks in Almindingen are closed to motor vehicles; bikes are the best way to link Ekkodalen, Lilleborg and Rytterknægten in one day. When it rains, the forest car parks turn soft – stay on surfaced areas.
7Stage 7: Almindingen to Rønne (approx. 25 km)
- The drive
- From Almindingen west on country roads and through villages, a short detour to Nylars, then back to Rønne. Little traffic, open fields, and the harbour town at the end. Driving time about 35 minutes, leaving enough time for a last afternoon on the beach south of Rønne.
- Highlights & must-sees
- Nylars Rundkirke: the island's best-preserved round church, with wall paintings of the Creation story around the central pillar.
- The beach south of Rønne between Galløkken and Arnager, with a sandy shore and shallow water.
- Kastellet in Rønne: a 17th-century fortress tower with views over the harbour.
- CampingSpirit overnight tip
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Official campsite or RV park: Galløkken Strand Camping (DCU-Camping Rønne Strand) lies on the beach south of Rønne, with electricity, toilets and showers and only a few minutes from the ferry port. In the north of Rønne, Nordskovens Camping on the edge of the forest is an alternative; there are also the six municipal harbour pitches in Nørrekås (summer season).
Free camping or nature tip (where legal): In Rønne and in the ferry car parks the rule is: stay overnight only in designated spaces or where parking is allowed without restriction, with no camping set-up. If you are leaving early in the morning, you are best off at a campsite near the harbour.
- Insider tip for campers
- Before the return crossing, empty your tanks again at Remisevej and fill up in Rønne. Be on time for check-in at the harbour; the times are in your booking confirmation.
Camping practice & local rules
Wild camping & overnight parking
- Wild camping is prohibited in Denmark and therefore on Bornholm. Resting or sleeping in a motorhome is tolerated in places where parking is allowed without a time limit or overnight ban – as long as nothing looks like camping: no awning, chairs, table or barbecue, no lowered stabilisers. Local signs take precedence.
- Vehicles may neither drive nor park on beaches, in dunes, forests or nature areas unless this is expressly permitted. On Bornholm this applies in particular to Dueodde, Hammeren and Almindingen.
- The shelters, nature camp sites and “primitive teltpladser” (directory: udinaturen.dk, some bookable via bookenshelter.dk) are exclusively for tents, hammocks and people on foot or by bike; vehicles may not stay overnight there.
- You can stay legally at campsites, on farms that take a few motorhomes, and at the municipal harbour spaces in Nørrekås (Rønne), Hasle and Tejn, each with six pitches from mid-May to mid-September; there are also harbour spaces such as Listed and Nexø. Useful: park4night, Campercontact and the DCU list of sites.
Waste disposal & supplies
- Campsites almost always have service points for fresh water, grey water and cassettes; the public service point in Rønne is on Remisevej. At the harbour spaces, electricity, water, showers and waste disposal are usually available for a fee.
- Tap water is drinking water everywhere. Never empty grey water into drains, harbour basins or onto grass.
- Gas: Danish cylinders (Kosan) are issued against a deposit and have their own connectors; foreign cylinders are not exchanged. Arrive with two full cylinders or bring a refillable gas tank cylinder; LPG is hard to come by on Bornholm.
- You will find supermarkets and petrol stations in Rønne, Nexø, Aakirkeby, Allinge and Gudhjem; small places such as Listed or Snogebæk have little. Card payment is standard, and some harbour machines require a Danish app.
Vehicle size & traffic rules
- Speed limits: cars and motorhomes up to 3.5 t 50 km/h in built-up areas, 80 km/h outside; motorhomes over 3.5 t and vehicles with trailers 70 or 80 km/h outside built-up areas. There are no motorways on Bornholm. Dipped headlights are compulsory during the day too. If you travel via Sweden, its own rules apply there, including a 0.2 per mille alcohol limit.
- Ferries: Bornholmslinjen connects Rønne with Ystad (fast ferry Express 1, around 80 minutes), with Køge (night ferry) and – not all year – with Sassnitz/Mukran (a good 3 hours). On the Express 1 the upper car deck is only 2.10 m high, the lower one 4.60 m – book motorhomes with the correct length and height (including roof fittings and rear rack); spaces for tall vehicles are limited. Book early in summer. In Ystad the approach to vehicle check-in has been moved (via Södra Dragongatan to Bornholmsgatan).
- Tolls: there are none on Bornholm. If you drive to Ystad via Copenhagen you pay for the Øresund Bridge, and coming from Jutland also for the Great Belt Bridge – both charge by vehicle type and length. Bornholm has no low-emission zone; Copenhagen, on the way there, does (register older diesels at miljoezoner.dk).
- Dimensions: max. 2.55 m wide, 4 m high, single vehicle 12 m long. Many village through-roads (Gudhjem, Svaneke, Sandvig, Rønne old town) are narrow, steep or cobbled; bikes on the rear rack must not obscure lights or number plates.
- Alcohol limit 0.5 per mille; phones at the wheel only hands-free. Carry a hi-vis vest and warning triangle. On Bornholm, a great many cyclists use the narrow country roads in summer – leave plenty of room when overtaking and never use cycle paths for parking or stopping.
CampingSpirit packing & preparation checklist
- Bikes with locks – Almindingen, Hammeren and the coastal villages are best explored by bike, and many town centres are too narrow for a motorhome.
- Folding rule or tape measure and your exact vehicle data (height including roof box/air conditioning, length including rear rack) – the fast ferry assigns vehicles to decks by height.
- Walking shoes with grippy soles – Jons Kapel, Helligdomsklipperne and Hammeren have steep steps and smooth granite.
- Cool bag – smoked fish from Hasle, Gudhjem or Svaneke will then keep until dinner at the campsite.
- Windproof jacket and fleece – at the northern tip and on the ferry it blows cool even in July.
- Danish parking and payment app on your phone – harbour spaces and car parks are often paid this way.
As of 2026-10. Closures, fees and booking rules change: check official sources before you go.
