Ronne Bornholm

Cruise ships berth about 1.5 km from the town centre.

The cruise quay was extended in 2015, enabling larger cruise ships measuring up to 375 metres to dock.

A free shuttle bus serves the town, which is about a 30-minute walk away.

Bring a printable map with you.

View the port webcam.

Although it lies much closer to Sweden, Bornholm has belonged to Denmark since 1522 and was once a major Baltic trading port. Fishing, farming and, increasingly, tourism now support islanders' livelihoods. Each summer, visitors from Scandinavia and Germany come to Bornholm and Rønne for the scenery.

Rønne has a distinct charm, especially in the historic Gamle Stan (Old Town), where cobbled streets run between cross-timbered houses, many painted bright “sunshine colours” such as yellow and orange.

Laksegade and Storegade, together with the triangular area between Store Torv and Lille Torv, are the best streets for seeing old Bornholm. Many of the island's smaller towns and hamlets offer still more charm.

Among Rønne's many monuments, particular attention goes to the former Custom House (Toldboden), the city's oldest secular building (1684); the lighthouse (1880); and St Michael's Church (1300), where wonderful organ-music concerts can be heard,

Other landmarks include the post office building (1900), the Citadel (1650) and Rønne Teater (1823), the provinces' oldest theatre. The Bornholm Museum, Defence Museum (Forsvarsmuseet) and Museum of Ceramics (Hjorts Fabrik) are also worth visiting.

Bornholm's ‘Velkomstcenter’ tourist office is located at Nordre Kystvej 3.

Rønne operates a shuttle between the cruise berth and the Welcome Center near the ferry arrivals. It begins at 8:50 and runs every 20 minutes, with Europcar immediately beside the Welcome Center.

Bornholm caters for both relaxed breaks and active tourism, with the latter becoming especially fashionable and popular lately. Facilities include bowling and fitness centres, tennis courts, golf courses, hiking trails, indoor and outdoor swimming pools and, naturally, cycling routes.

Bornholm is particularly valued for its dramatic cliffs and beaches, the finest of which lie at the island's northern and southern ends.

Three-speed bicycle hire costs roughly 50kr to 75kr per day.

Between May and September, bus 7 departs Rønne ferry terminal every two hours from 10 am to 4pm. It travels anticlockwise around the island, calls at Dueodde beach and every principal coastal village, and finishes at Hammershus; the complete circuit lasts two hours and 40 minutes.

Most island shops are found on the streets leading into Lille Torv and Store Torv.

Bornholm is noted for its distinctive Bornholmer grandfather clocks. The tradition dates to 1744, when a Dutch ship travelling from Helsingør in Denmark to Tallinn in Estonia was stranded with five clocks and a cask of their weights in its hold.

Skilled young men copied the clocks and thereby established Bornholm's clock-making tradition, although the craft had almost vanished by the end of World War II. It has since been revived, and Rønne contains the island's largest clockmaker's workshop.

Usual shopping hours are 9:00am–5:00pm each day. On Saturdays, most shops open only between 9:00 a.m. and 12:00 p.m.

Denmark is outside the EURO monetary system, although major shops will probably display prices in both Danish kroner and EURO (€). Most leading international credit cards are accepted across Denmark.

Danish is spoken, and English is widely understood.

Rønne's tourist information centre has internet terminals, plus free Wi-Fi both inside and outside the building.

Call 112 in an emergency.

Some shops in visitor areas remain open beyond standard hours, especially in summer. Shops may open on the first Sunday of each month and every Sunday in December before Christmas Eve. If that first Sunday coincides with a public holiday or Constitution Day, however, they remain closed. Ordinary shops also close on public holidays, including Constitution Day on 5 June and Christmas Eve on December 24. Kiosks, bakeries, station shops and similar outlets are generally open after 5 p.m. on Saturdays and on Sundays.