Notes on a Bornholm Cycling Trip

How to get there, when to go, and a 5-day cycling route around Bornholm.

14 March 2026

Dueodde beach at sunset

Dueodde beach

In late May 2024, two friends and I decided to do a short and budget-friendly (by Danish standards) cycling trip on Bornholm. Bornholm is a Danish island in the middle of the Baltic Sea, well known among Danes for its scenic landscapes, rich history, and solid infrastructure for outdoor activities.

Getting there#

From Copenhagen you have a few options:

1. Train to Malmö → Train to Ystad → Ferry to Rønne

The fastest route. About half an hour by train to Malmö across the Øresund Bridge, then another forty minutes to Ystad. The Bornholmslinjen ferry takes around 80 minutes. Door to door it’s roughly three hours including transfers. This is the route we took on the way there.

2. Train to Køge → Ferry to Rønne

Simpler in terms of transfers — one direct train from central Copenhagen to Køge, then a direct ferry. The catch is the ferry takes about 6 hours. Good option if you don’t mind a longer crossing. We came back this way.

3. Fly from CPH to RNN

About 35-40 minutes in the air and you’re there. Danish Air Transport operates several flights a day. Fastest by far, but more expensive — and you’ll either need to check your bike as luggage or rent one on the island.

When to go#

Looking at historical weather data, July and August are the best months to visit. July is slightly warmer on average (~21°C) but also rainier and more crowded. Early August turned out to be the sweet spot: same temperature around 21°C, still about 14 hours of daylight, and the tourist crowds starting to thin out.

We ended up picking 5 days from 6 to 10 August 2024.

Route#

We decided to keep a relaxed pace of 35-45 km per day. The reasons:

  • We planned to stop at interesting spots along the way
  • Most of the group doesn’t cycle regularly
  • We wanted a buffer for mechanical issues — none of us had any prior experience fixing bikes on the road

Here’s how it broke down:

Day 1. Leave Copenhagen, train to Ystad, ferry to Rønne. Pick up any missing gear, rest for the remainder of the day, camp overnight.

Day 2. Rønne → Allinge (40 km) with stops along the way, overnight at campsite.

Day 3. Allinge → Nexø (42 km) with stops along the way, overnight at campsite.

Day 4. Nexø → Dueodde through the centre of the island (46 km) with stops along the way, overnight at campsite.

Day 5. Dueodde → Rønne (30 km), return any rented gear, rest in town, ferry to Køge, then 30 minutes on the regional train back to Copenhagen.

Bornholm route map

Our route map

A couple of notes in hindsight:

  • The last day (Dueodde → Rønne) was a bit dull — you’re basically cycling along a road with not much to see. Going in the opposite direction would mean a boring first day but you’d save the most interesting part for last. Worth keeping in mind though: the Rønne → Allinge stretch is quite challenging with some real hills, so doing it at the end of the trip when you’re already worn out wouldn’t be easy either.
  • The pace we chose was about right. A few stops, some minor bike issues — it all fit into the schedule without any stress.
  • Looking back, an extra rest day in Allinge after day 2 would have been worth it. The camping hytter were really comfortable, the beach was right there, and the town was easy to walk around — a genuinely good place to slow down for a day.

We planned the original route in Strava, then exported it as a GPX file for OsmAnd Maps — a very handy app for following a track offline.

Routes to download:#

Interesting/Useful places#

Accommodation#

We stayed at these three campsites:

And a hostel in Nexø: https://www.nexohostel.dk/

Bike shops#

Scenic spots#

Hammershus ruins

Hammershus ruins

Things to do#

  • BeerWalks — fun guided tours around Rønne with beer =)
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