Bornholm, Denmark: Baltic Island of Round Churches and Smoked Herring

The four round churches of Bornholm — Østerlars, Nylars, Nyker, and Olsker — are among the strangest medieval buildings in Denmark. They were built in the twelfth century as both places of worship and defensive strongholds, with thick whitewashed walls and conical roofs. Østerlars Rundkirke is the largest and the most visited. The interior is austere and cool; the frescoes on the central pillar are well-preserved. All four are within cycling distance of the main towns.

Hammershus Fortress, at the northern tip of the island, is the largest medieval castle ruin in Scandinavia. It occupies a sea cliff above a coastline of granite boulders and was besieged multiple times before being abandoned in the eighteenth century. The ruins are extensive and largely unwalled, so you can walk freely through them. The views over the Baltic and the surrounding heath are worth the trip regardless of any historical interest.

Rønne is the main town and where most cruise ships dock. The old quarter around Store Torv and Lille Torv has preserved merchant houses from the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. The Bornholm Museum there covers the island's geology, history, and the distinctive regional pottery style.

Gudhjem, on the eastern coast, is the herring-smoking capital. The Røgeri smokeries still operate in the traditional way, using open alder-wood fires. Sol over Gudhjem — a smoked herring fillet on rye bread with raw egg yolk, chives, and radishes — is the local open-faced sandwich worth ordering at least once. The harbor here is picturesque and the town small enough to cover in an hour on foot.

Cycling is the best way to experience the island. Rental shops cluster near the Rønne ferry terminal. The signed cycle network covers the entire island; the coastal route to Hammershus from Rønne is around 25 km each way and flat enough to be manageable.