Bornholm bicycle trip - Day 2: Hammershus Castle

We started the second day of our cycling trip at a campsite in Hasle. We ate breakfast in the morning, then we packed our tent and we were ready to go. Packing the tent went very smoothly, because we shared tasks and everyone knew what to do.

We were already packed and about to leave, but suddenly we found out that our sunglasses were missing. We asked at the reception and there they were. Someone honest had handed them in at the office. Cool.

We started our day with a visit to Hasle. There we wanted to find an ATM to have a few Danish kroner in cash. Cash is sometimes useful when we come across a small shop or a paid attraction. We rode to the market square and realized we had already passed the ATM without noticing. A short break at the market was a great opportunity to discuss the whole route for that day. What was amazing in Hasle were the perfectly flat sidewalks. Sidewalks that flat don't exist in Poland.

Jons Kapel

We moved further along the bicycle road to the north. At the end of the village, the cycling road turned to the left and led us down a hill. We were happy that we weren't going in the opposite direction 🙂 The road ran right by the sea. On the way we passed a few single houses and reached Helligpeder harbor, then Teglkås and in the distance we noticed the rock cliff named Jons Kapel.

When the paved road ended, a trail path began with a big surprise. The steep climb beat us. We had bikes with panniers and a trailer with gear weighing 40 kg. Fortunately, some kind people helped us in the final meters to reach the top of the hill. At the top there was tree felling going on at that moment. It was loud, so we didn’t wait any longer and we continued our ride. This time the road was flatter and led us through Bornholm’s beautiful fields and pastures. We were partly shaded by the forest, so the hot sun did not bother us while riding.

As we were moving to the north the terrain was becoming more hilly. We rode to the village of Vang. There the bike path fortunately led around the village, which allowed us to avoid the steep climb. Interestingly, we often saw warning signs about road gradients of up to 14%. It was our last stretch of road in the forest, and after reaching the asphalt road, we turned left in the direction of Sandvig. It was a winding mountain road with fairly heavy traffic (not very safe).

Finally, after a few hundred meters we saw the parking lot, turned in, hoping it was a car park for visitors to the Hammershus castle. But it wasn’t. Although there was a parking lot and even a booth that looked like a guard booth, we discovered that we couldn’t get to the castle this way, especially with bikes. There was a beautiful view of the castle, which stood on the opposite side of the valley.

Hammershus Castle

The view from there was like this:

Such things happen. We went back to the road and rode on to the correct parking lot. The number of cars we saw there told us that this time it was the right place. Special bicycle racks were provided for bikes. Amazingly, almost all were occupied. We left our bikes and went for a walk to explore the ruins of Hammershus castle.

Sightseeing was free of charge. To reach the ruins of the castle we had to go part of the way on foot. It was a path where bicycle riding was not allowed. After a while we were at the top and we could admire the stunning view from the castle ruins. Below, we could see the harbor in Sandvig, beautiful forests, and on the opposite side the Jons Kapel slope, which we had just passed.

We entered the area of the former castle. There is not much of the castle left today. We saw some parts of the perimeter walls, fragments of the tower, and the courtyard. The entire facility was very well maintained. We learned many interesting facts from the information boards located within the ruins. We walked around the entire facility and on the way back we noticed sheep basking in the shadow of the castle. What a nice surprise.

Fun fact: Hammershus is the largest castle ruin in Northern Europe. The castle was built in the 13th century. In the 17th century Leonora Christina, a daughter of the Danish king, and her husband Corfitz Ulfeldt were held prisoner here for 17 months. In 1743 the fortress was abandoned and its stones were used as building material, for example in Rønne. In 2018 a new visitor centre opened next to the ruins.

Opalsøen

Next we drove towards the Sandvig village. Here, on the north-west side of Bornholm, we can find real mountains. Steep climbs and descents are normal here. We wanted to see another interesting place - a small mountain lake Opalsøen. We made a little mistake and got lost for a while, because there were no signs. Fortunately, some locals came to our rescue and showed us the right way.

Lake Opalsøen attracts all the adrenaline junkies. Here, from the high rocks on the opposite bank of the lake, a steel cable was stretched across and you could buy a ride on it (which ends with a landing in the water). Unfortunately we couldn’t take advantage of this attraction, because we only had one adult and two kids. However, watching people land in the water was great fun. We must admit that some people had creative landings. Some daredevils jumped from a cliff into the water. It didn't seem safe, but it was quite a popular activity among young people.

Good to know: Opalsøen is not a natural lake but an old granite quarry. Granite was dug here from the late 1800s until about 1970, and then the pit slowly filled with water. The lake is very deep and you can’t stand anywhere in it, so keep children well away from the edges of the rocks.

Sandkaas Familiecamping

Next we rode through Sandvig, which blends into Allinge. Our next camp was just out of town. This time it was Sandkaas Familiecamping.

We got there quite early. Seamless check-in, and good news, especially for the children - a swimming pool, which was included in the price. First we set up the tent, then we went to the pool to have some fun. After a busy day on the bike in the sun it was so relaxing.

Later we ate dinner, there was time to reflect on the whole day's experiences. As for dinner, we knew the order in which we would empty our trailer, where we had dinners for the whole week. First, we chose the ones that were the heaviest.

In the evening while our batteries were charging, we played a few rounds of Mancala and headed to sleep.

Stats:
That day we covered a route of 22 km. Elevation change: 300 meters.