Sunday morning, 7/24/2016 we sailed on the Bornholm ferry from Sassnitz.
The day before, we had spent a very active Saturday, we saw a few interesting places on Rügen island including the submarine HMS Otus, abandoned resort Prora and the house built on a pier in Sellin. After such an active day we stopped for the night we stopped at a parking lot near the sea, close to Sassnitz harbor. For EUR 5, we could spend the night among the campers. Although we do not have a camper, we wanted to check if our new car is suitable for sleeping. It was a kind of test run before a trip to cooler regions. Yes, yes, we still dream of a trip to Scandinavia. Our car passed the test. We slept inside in 3 people together with 3 bicycles, trailer and bike panniers. And it was even a comfortable night.
Sassnitz
In the morning we woke up shortly after sunrise. This day we began on seashore where we took a morning bath. We were a bit surprised that people in the area bathed naked. We didn’t see any signs indicating a nudist beach. The previous day, we had also seen this a little further south, on the beach at an abandoned resort Prora.
After the bath and a bit of fun in the water we ate breakfast. Then we went for the last time to the shop in Sassnitz. Next we drove to leave the car in the long-term parking next to the passenger terminal. Here a small note, if you plan to buy food, it’s better to do it before the ferry crossing, in Germany, because in Denmark, the prices will be higher. Long-term parking is a nice option for a longer trip to Bornholm. For the price of EUR 12 we can leave the car at a safe parking up to 30 days. Although it is not a truly secure parking lot, it has an electric gate. Access to vehicles is limited.
Ferry to Bornholm
We left the parking lot and continue our journey using bicycles only. First, we had to drive to the terminal for cars, because that was how bicycles accessed the ferry. We had tickets bought online. At the gate we showed them to the cashier and we passed inside the harbor area. We stopped among the other bikes and were waiting for permission to enter ferry. First, however, vehicles that arrived needed to go away of ferry.
One moment later service port given permission to enter and we rode aboard the ferry. We left bicycles next to the wall and with handy backpack went to the upper deck. A crewman informed us that the weather was nice, there’s no wind and the water was as calm as a lake. That meant one thing – the crossing would be enjoyable.
We walked all the decks of the ferry to see what was on board. The crossing lasted 3.5 hours. It was a good time to rest, or even sunbathe. After some time, kids were hungry, and we had forgotten to bring food for the trip (it was with the bikes). Unfortunately, during the crossing, access to the car deck was prohibited. We had no other option than to buy snacks at one of the restaurants. At the checkout there was a ridiculous situation. When packing in the home we had taken the kroner, which had been waiting since our previous visit to Denmark. But, we hadn’t paid close attention to the fact that some Norwegian kroner had gotten mixed in, which we had from visit to Oslo. And those were different currencies 🙂
After the meal time came the time for tomfoolery, some pictures and after a while, the view of Bornholm appeared over the horizon. We reached Rønne city. Getting off the ferry went extremely quickly. This time cars had to wait for their turn and bicycles were released first.
Bornholm island
We arrived to Bornholm relatively late, about 17:30. We left the streets of Rønne and our first look at the cycling routes put a smile on our faces. It’s true — Bornholm is designed for bicycles. Along all streets (and even on the roundabouts) was dedicated lane for bicycles. So we could safely move with kids and with a trailer.
We took the cycling path toward the town of Nyker. There is one of the historic round churches, which are characteristic in Bornholm. Reaching the place we had a chance to watch it from the outside. It is interesting that at the top of the church were holes for shooting at the enemy, and when enemy was already close it was used to pour hot tar on attackers. As you can see these churches also served as small fortresses.
From Nykars we went westward to reach the first campsite in Hasle. On the first day, we rode about 14.85 km.
The bicycle path we rode ran in complete isolation from car traffic. We drove the bicycle route prepared in the old narrow-gauge railway. The tracks had been removed and in their place asphalt was laid. Alongside the road grew huge rhubarb plants. The rhubarb plants were extremely large! The bicycle path was protected at street intersections by barriers. We drove through the city, and next the fields. From Nyker, we partially rode on the street, to reduce a little bit the journey.
On the way we noticed the first roadside shop / stall. This small trading point has served vegetables from the garden of residents. You could buy potatoes, pumpkin or leek. You pay for the goods by leaving money in a box. The kids couldn’t believe it was possible. We don’t have anything like that in Poland. In our country, people would immediately steal or destroy it. You see, here, personal integrity is at a much higher level.
Hasle
About 7 PM we arrived to the campsite. We chose accommodation in Hasle Familiecamping. This campsite was with a swimming pool, but we arrived too late to use it. We pitched a tent and made dinner. Kids finally had a chance to play on the Danish playground. The children had been waiting for this moment since we left home. They remembered the same inflatable trampolines we’d seen on our previous visit to Denmark.
We called mom, got ready for bed, and went to sleep. The next day we waited for another active day on bicycles.
And here’s a video of the first day of our adventure on the island of Bornholm: