Cycling the Baltic Jewel: Complete Guide to Biking Bornholm's Coastal Paths

Bornholm may be compact (just 588 square kilometers), but planning your cycling route requires some strategic thinking to maximize both the island's natural beauty and its cultural offerings. The island's circular shape makes it perfect for a complete circumnavigation over 3-4 days, though I recommend a full week to allow for detours inland and rest days.

The island's extensive network of dedicated cycling paths (over 235km worth) means you can often avoid traffic entirely. Route 10, the coastal path that circles the entire island, serves as your main artery, while numerous inland routes connect to central attractions. The terrain varies dramatically—from the flat sandy beaches of the south to the rugged, hilly landscapes of the north around Hammeren peninsula.

For bike rentals, I had an excellent experience with Bornholm Cykeludlejning in Rønne, where I picked up a touring bicycle that handled both paved paths and occasional gravel sections with ease. Booking ahead online saved me both time and money, especially important during the peak summer season when rental shops can be cleaned out by noon.

Bornholm's microclimate (it's Denmark's sunniest region) means summer temperatures typically hover between 18-22°C (64-72°F)—perfect cycling weather. However, I encountered several sudden rain showers that had me grateful for my waterproof panniers which kept my camera equipment and medicinal plant journal bone dry.

What truly sets Bornholm apart isn't just its physical landscape but how the island's artistic traditions are deeply intertwined with its healing practices. The island's reputation as an artists' haven dates back generations, but what fascinated me was discovering how many of these artistic expressions connect directly to wellbeing and traditional medicine.

In Svaneke, the island's easternmost town and arguably its most colorful, I spent an afternoon documenting the vibrant murals that adorn many buildings. Unlike the politically charged street art I've cataloged in Mexico City or Valparaíso, Bornholm's murals often celebrate the island's healing plants and maritime traditions. One particularly striking piece near the harbor depicts local women gathering seaweed—a practice that continues today both for culinary purposes and traditional remedies for skin conditions.

The town of Gudhjem offers another dimension to this art-medicine connection. Here, I visited the workshop of a third-generation ceramicist who explained how the island's unique clay has been used both for creating the iconic Bornholm pottery and historically as a poultice for inflammatory conditions. The rich iron content in the soil apparently provides anti-inflammatory benefits—something I'd encountered in traditional practices from the Mayan highlands to Eastern European spa traditions.

Don't miss the Bornholm Art Museum near Helligdomsklipperne, which houses an impressive collection of works from the 'Bornholm School' of painters who were drawn to the island's unique quality of light. The building itself, set dramatically above the rocky coastline, serves as a kind of visual medicine—the massive windows framing the Baltic Sea create a meditative space that several locals told me they visit specifically for stress relief.

Cycling Bornholm's perimeter reveals dramatically different landscapes that shift with each turn of the pedals. The island's relatively small size is deceptive—its coastline offers incredible diversity that would feel at home on a much larger landmass.

The southern coast between Dueodde and Snogebæk presents wide, white sandy beaches backed by pine forests that reminded me of New Zealand's Coromandel Peninsula. The cycling here is effortless—flat paths with occasional wooden boardwalks over protected dune areas. During my journey, I encountered an elderly woman collecting pine needles, and she explained their traditional use in teas for respiratory conditions—a practice I've documented across multiple continents but was surprised to find alive in modern Denmark.

The eastern coast grows progressively more dramatic as you head north. Between Nexø and Listed, the coastal path weaves between rocky outcrops and tiny fishing hamlets where smoke houses (røgerier) produce the island's famous smoked herring. The scent of these smoke houses acts as a natural waypoint for cyclists—you'll smell them before you see them! The traditional smoking process isn't just about preservation but was described to me by several locals as part of the island's 'food medicine' tradition.

The northern coast delivers the island's most challenging but rewarding cycling. The section between Gudhjem and Hammeren requires decent fitness to tackle the hills, but the payoff comes in panoramic views across to Sweden on clear days. I found myself frequently dismounting to photograph the dramatic granite formations and collect small samples of the unique coastal plants for my medicinal documentation.

For capturing these coastal landscapes, I relied heavily on my weather-resistant camera. Its combination of portability and image quality made it perfect for quickly documenting both sweeping coastal vistas and the detailed textures of medicinal plants without weighing down my cycling setup.

While the coastal routes rightfully get most of the attention, some of my most profound experiences came from detours into Bornholm's interior forests. Almindingen, Denmark's fifth-largest forest, occupies the heart of the island and offers a completely different cycling experience from the coastal paths.

As someone who documents traditional medicine practices, I was particularly drawn to Almindingen's rich biodiversity. The forest floor here is carpeted with medicinal plants that have been used in Danish folk medicine for centuries. During my ride through the dappled light of the beech forest, I spotted familiar healing allies—wood sorrel, with its distinctive clover-like leaves that local tradition uses to reduce fever; wild thyme spreading its purple flowers across sunny clearings; and the delicate white stars of chickweed, which my guide (a local herbalist I connected with through the island's eco-tourism network) explained is still used in traditional salves for skin irritations.

The forest cycling paths are well-maintained but considerably less trafficked than the coastal routes, offering a meditative quality that couples particularly appreciate. My partner and I found ourselves naturally slowing our pace here, stopping frequently to document plants and listen to the distinctive calls of Bornholm's bird population.

Echo Valley (Ekkodalen), Denmark's longest rift valley cutting through Almindingen, offers a particularly magical cycling experience. The acoustics here are extraordinary—a perfect natural amphitheater where traditional healers once gathered, according to my local guide. We spent an afternoon here, experimenting with the valley's famous echo while identifying medicinal mushrooms growing on fallen logs.

For forest cycling, I recommend bringing a good insect repellent as the woodland areas can have mosquitoes in summer months, particularly in the evenings. I prefer this DEET-free option as it doesn't damage the sensitive camera equipment I use for documenting plants.

After long days in the saddle, where you rest and refuel becomes crucial to the overall experience. Bornholm offers accommodation options that range from luxury spa hotels to simple beachside camping, but I found the sweet spot in the island's network of cyclist-friendly B&Bs and guesthouses.

In Gudhjem, we stayed at a converted smokehouse that perfectly balanced rustic charm with necessary comforts. The owner, a retired physician with a passion for local history, provided valuable insights into the traditional uses of local plants—from the sea buckthorn that grows wild along the coast (used for vitamin-rich preparations) to the juniper berries that flavor both local spirits and medicinal teas for digestion.

For those seeking deeper healing experiences, Bornholm's spa traditions deserve exploration. The island's unique clay has been used in therapeutic treatments for centuries, and several wellness centers now offer modern interpretations of these traditions. In Hasle, I treated my cycling-sore muscles to a traditional mud treatment using local clay mixed with seaweed—a combination that felt remarkably similar to treatments I've documented in coastal Mexico, despite the vastly different geography.

Bornholm's culinary scene is equally restorative. The island's status as a gastronomic destination is well-earned, with an emphasis on hyperlocal ingredients that connect directly to the landscape you're cycling through. Don't miss Sol over Gudhjem—smoked herring on rye bread with a raw egg yolk—a traditional fisherman's meal that perfectly illustrates the island's food-as-medicine philosophy, providing protein and omega-3s needed for physical recovery.

Many restaurants offer cykelvenlig (bike-friendly) designations, meaning they welcome cyclists regardless of how sweaty you might be and provide secure bike parking. My favorite was Kadeau in Åkirkeby, where the chef incorporates foraged medicinal herbs into contemporary Nordic cuisine, creating a direct connection between the healing landscape and your plate.