It is very easy to get to Bornholm from Poland. From the end of June till the beginning of September there is a special ferry going from Swinoujscie to Ronne. It departs Poland on Saturday at 10.00 a.m. and arrives on Bornholm at 4.00 p.m. Then it departs Ronne at 5.30 p.m. and goes back to Swinoujscie at 10.45 p.m. The prices are as follows (in DKK):

You must make the reservation at least a few months earlier but you can buy tickets just before the departure. To make a reservation you can call the main office of Polska Zegluga Baltycka in Kolobrzeg(+48 22 25 211).

• Camping is the cheapest and the most popular way of accommodation. When making the first reservation on the camp site you will get a Camping Pass - a special card of identification. It costs DKK 30 for one person and is valid for one year throughout Denmark.

Bornholm's camp sites are perfectly organised and equipped. You will find there kitchens, dining-rooms, lavatories, washing cubicles and self-service laundrettes. They are always clean and tidy. Almost every camping site is provided with a shop with basic groceries and postcards, and a playground for children; on many there are also available tennis, volleyball or basketball courses, fitness centres, swimming-pools, etc. Some of them have also camping cabins to hire.

The prices range from DKK 35 to DKK 85 per night (on some camp sites the prices are provided per person and per tent, on others only per person). The sites offer discounts for children. Near the entrance there are parking places for cars free of charge. For caravans you have to pay DKK 10-20. Hot water is also charged for about DKK 2 for three minutes.

Picture 26. Campsite in Dueodde

• Youth hostels are not only for the young people - there are no age limits. It is always better to have an IYHF (International Youth Hostel Federation) card - making a reservation becomes easier and sometimes you can count on a discount.

Hostels are well equipped and very comfortable. If you do not have your own sleeping-bag you can borrow a bedding for about DKK 30-40. There is a dining in every hostel but you can also prepare meals by yourself. A maximum stay in one hostel cannot be longer than three nights.

• Holiday villages and cottages are for richer tourist or ... for groups of tourists. Bornholm offers hundreds of cottages in different places and of different standards. The prices depend on the location and equipment of the house and range from DKK 4000 to 8000 (DKK 2000-4000 in low season). Most of the cottages are for 6 persons.
• Hotels and pensions are definitely priced for very rich tourists - an average Polish tourist cannot afford the prices, which range from DKK 300 to 1000 per night. Of course the highest prices ensure the highest luxury but most of the people come here to do sightseeing not to stay even in the most luxurious hotel.

Bornholm's cuisine has always been naturally influenced by the island's dependence on the sea. In the past a major part of local fare were fish such as Baltic herring, cod and salmon served in countless ways. What is interesting, the salmon was not considered the delicacy as it is today - farm helpers let hire themselves only on the condition that this fish would not be served more often than four times a week.

Today the most often served fish is without doubt the Baltic herring. In the early summer you can eat it fried with parsley and served with rhubarb compote. The widely known smoked herrings appear later, when they are fatter and better for smoking. In autumn fish are processed into spicy pickles.

Of course not only fish are eaten on Bornholm. Other specialities are delicious sausages, smoked ham, lamb, pork from free-range pigs, and poultry. Very tasty are also Bornholm cheeses and butter-baked rye crisps made according to an old secret recipe passed down from generation to generation.

Bornholm specialities are served in restaurants, cosy inns, smoke-houses and cafes. It is easy to find a place that will suit your taste but not always your purse. Eating out is expensive on Bornholm. That is why it is better to buy food in the numerous supermarkets. Basic groceries are not cheap but not too expensive either. The best solution is to take some food with you but it is not always possible - only if you travel with your own car can you bring a considerable amount.

However if you do have some spare money you should taste:

• marinated herring and smoked herring - prepared according to individual recipes that are well-kept secrets
• Sol over Gudhjem - "The Sun above Gudhjem" is a smoked herring topped with a raw egg yolk in an onion ring, served usually with coarse salt, radish and chives

Picture 27. Sol over Gudhjem

• salt-fried herring - the boned and steeped herring turned in the rye flour and fried, served with unique Bornholm mustard and beetroots
• wild salmon - the fish will simply melt in your mouth, both fresh and smoked

As mentioned above the best prices are offered by the supermarkets. The cheapest are Dagli' Brugsen, Kvickly and Spar. Most of the shops are open from 9.00 a.m. till 6 p.m. on weekdays and from 9.00 a.m. till 2 p.m. on Saturdays.

Exemplary prices:

• bread - DKK 15 - 20 (1,6 kg)
• butter - DKK 10 (250 g)
• milk - DKK 5 (1 l)
• jam - DKK 6 - 20 (250 g)
• cheese - DKK 60 - 80 (1 kg)
• beer - DKK 5 (0,33 l)
• apples - DKK 8 (2 kg)

If you wish to buy some gifts do it in small villages - the gifts will be cheaper and prettier. Clothes, books and other things are definitely more expensive than in Poland, even on the sale (tilbud).

The currency of Denmark is the Danish crown (DKK). It is divided into 100 re. There are banknotes of DKK 1000, 500, 100, 50 and coins of DKK 20, 10, 5, 1 and 50, 25 re. The exchange rate: 1 DKK 0,50 PLN.

You can exchange money only in banks and you will have to pay DKK 18 of administrative costs so it is better to exchange large sums. The banks are open from Monday to Friday from 9.00 a.m. till 4.30 p.m., on Thursdays till 6.00 p.m.

Public holidays in Denmark are as follows:

• 1 January - New Year
• Easter - Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Holy Saturday, Easter Monday
• forth Friday after Easter - Store Bededag - The Day of Pray
• Ascension Day - mid-May
• Whitsuntide - end of May
• 5 June - The Day of Constitution
• 24 December - Christmas Eve
• 25 - 26 December - Christmas

Since the beginning of the 80's up to the present day, the County of Bornholm has established a 200-kilometre-long network of bicycle routes. It enables cyclists to travel safely and experience the natural splendour of Bornholm.

The network consists of paths, forest and side roads, and separate paths and lanes along the municipal roads and highways. It leads through various landscapes connecting the largest towns and sights-of-interest. All the routes are clearly marked with green signs and white inscriptions telling the cyclist the direction and the distance. The surfaces are mainly gravel, but those leading along municipal roads are covered with asphalt. Many of the routes are used also for forestry and farming transport so you have to be prepared for meeting large vehicles. All steep slopes are specially marked. Stairs and biking path normally do not cross, but there is one path following a 115-metre-long stairway up over a 30-metre-high slope, between Gines Minde and Jon's Kapel.

If you have your own bike you can take it as it is transported free of charge both on the ferry and on buses. But there is also a possibility to rent it on Bornholm in one of the bicycle rentals. Below you will find addresses of those larger ones.

• DK - 3700 Ronne, Havnegade 11, +56 95 13 59
• DK - 3700 Ronne, Sondergade 7, +56 95 06 04
• DK - 3770 Allinge, Pilegade 1, +56 48 02 91
• DK - 3790 Hasle, Storegade 21, +56 96 40 60
• DK - 3730 Nexo, Aasen 18, +56 49 23 58
• DK - 3720 Aakirkeby, Lykkesvej 20, +56 97 40 40

The prices for renting a bike are: DKK 75 - 85 for one day, DKK 150 - 170 for three days and 215 - 300 for one week - depending on the kind of bicycle.

Picture 28. The author on the bicycle route

The Danish weather changes all the time. You have to be prepared for a small shower and scorching sun. If you want to plan your vacation according to the statistics you should know that:

• May and June are driest months, with 38 to 48 mm of rain whereas in August and September it rains almost twice as much
• July and August are warmest months, average temperatures score:

• in May the wind most often blows from the east, from June till September - mainly from the west

The main office of Bornholm's tourist information is in Ronne. It is called Velkomstcenter and is located opposite the ferry station. The address is:

It is open every day from 7.00 a.m. till 10.30 p.m. If you write or call them (+56 95 95 00) they will send you all information that you need and much more (brochures, guides, prices etc.)

Picture 29. Tourist information centre in Ronne

Tourist information points are also available in other towns:

• DK-3790 Hasle, Gronnegade 3
• DK-3770 Allinge, Kirkegade 4
• DK-3760 Gudhjem, Aabogade 7
• DK-3740 Svaneke, Storegade 24
• DK-3730 Nexo, Aasen 4
• DK-3720 Aakirkeby, Jernbanegade 1

The Honorary Consul of Poland on Bornholm is Mr Ole Rask. He lives in Ronne at Thorkildesvej 90; +56 95 28 11.

There are two Polish travel agencies that organise tours on Bornholm. INT EXPRESS International Travel Office on 19/21 Popieluszki Street in Warsaw, +48 22 833 71 36, co-operates with Danish agency Bornholm Tours and offers stays in comfortable and fully equipped holiday apartments on the island. One-week stay in six-person apartment is about PLN 550 per person, return ferry ticket included (departures from and arrivals to Neu Mukran on Rugia island in Germany).

Morskie Biuro Podrozy PZB S.A. on 8 Chalubinskiego Street in Warsaw, +48 22 830 09 30, in co-operation with Polferries, organise package tours for families or groups to holiday villages on Bornholm. The bungalows are of different standards and sizes. Each of them has a fully equipped kitchenette, a bathroom, a bedroom, and a living room usually with TV. All you have to take is your own bedding. In the area of the holiday villages there are shops, restaurants, bike rentals, fitness centres, swimming pools, playgrounds for children, etc. Ferries depart from Swinoujscie. The cost of a two-week stay in a bungalow for a family of three is about PLN 1800 (transport not included).