Things To Do in Ronne

If you have a car or are a great biker, you can also view some attractions in the environs. Borgårdsten lies 9km (5 2/3 miles) north of Rønne along the road to the hamlet of Hasle. This is the most significant runic stone on the island. First found in 1868, it dates from the beginning of the 12th century. Some long-ago Viking inscribed SVENGER HAD THIS STONE PLACED HERE FOR HIS FATHER TOSTE AND FOR HIS BROTHER ALVLAK AND FOR HIS MOTHER AND SISTERS. Apparently, women weren't considered important enough to list their names.

If you visit Borgårdsten, you can continue for 2.5km (1 1/2 miles) up the coast to the little port of Hasle, with its stone church from the 1300s and a half-timbered tower. Inside the church is an intricately carved and painted altar, the work of an unknown Lübeck artist, dating from the mid-15th century. In July a "herring festival" is celebrated here.

If you'd like to check out a west-coast Bornholm beach, you'll find the best one south of Hasle. It's quite sandy and set against a backdrop of pine trees.

While at Hasle, you can see five smokehouses in a row, lying on the coastline. One of the smokehouses (which can be visited free) is preserved as it was originally built in 1897, the Silderøgerierne I Hasle, Sdr. Bæk 16-20 (tel. 56-96-44-11). In one of the other smokehouses, you can watch herring and other kinds of fish being smoked the traditional way, in open chimneys. Afterward you can purchase smoked fish, pick up a beer, and find a nearby spot for an idyllic and quintessential Bornholm experience.

Despite its isolation in the middle of the Baltic, Bornholm offers many opportunities for acquiring some serious merchandise. Most of the island's shops line the streets funneling into the Lille Torv and the Store Torv. Part of the fun for us involves wandering aimlessly from shop to shop, but if you want specific addresses and ideas, consider any of the following.

Want to offer some flowers to the object of your most recent affections? Head for Lilliendal Plantecenter, Sagavej 1 (tel. 56-95-47-24). Some of the most unusual and eccentric kitchen- and housewares in Bornholm are available at Inspiration, Lille Torv 1 (tel. 56-95-01-11). Expect Danish functionalism combined with wrought iron, glass, ceramics, textiles, and wood; much of it is made within Scandinavia.

If you're looking for a garment of any degree of formality for the child or kids you left behind, the best clothing store on the island is Kids' Shop, Skt. Mortensgade 4 (tel. 56-91-00-17). Is your camera running out of film? Film supply or development is available at Ilsted Bech, Snellmark 25 (tel. 56-95-00-23).

A major outlet for some of the art glass produced in abundance on Bornholm is Pernille Bülow Glas, Lille Torv (tel. 56-95-43-05).

The island is known for its unique Bornholmer grandfather clocks. The tradition began in 1744, when a Dutch ship was stranded on the way from Helsingør in Denmark to Tallinn in Estonia. In its hold were five clocks and a cask with weights for them. Dexterous young men made models of the clocks and, in so doing, founded a Bornholm clockmaking tradition, a craft that virtually disappeared at the end of World War II. The craft has now been revived, and the island's largest clockmaker workshop is located in Rønne. Nye Bornholmerure, Torneværksvej 26 (tel. 56-95-31-08), sells the finest handmade grandfather clocks in Denmark, although they can be very expensive depending on the model. These clocks sound the hour with music -- everything from Mozart to Andrew Lloyd Weber.

Many Swedes come over to Bornholm just to shop for the island's famous ceramics. Michael Andersen, Lille Torv 7 (tel. 56-95-00-01), still preserves the old ceramics-making traditions but manufactures many modern products as well.

The island's best goldsmith -- and he's a stunning talent -- is Jørn-Ole Thomsen, who works at Guldhuset, Bornholmercentret (tel. 56-95-02-70), on Store Torv. Thomsen makes fine jewelry not only for the local shop but also for Georg Jensen, the world-famous silver and goldsmith company.