Saturday morning on Bornholm was a bit grey and chilly. Flemming and I left Gudhjem on a ferry to Christiansø, an island approx. 20 km east of Bornholm. The harbour in Gudhjem was calm and quiet, only the smell of fish reminded us it was a fishing village:
Christiansø is a part of a group of islands called Ertholmene archipelago where Christiansø is the largest. The Ertholmene also include Frederiksø island, Græsholm bird sanctuary, and a number of rocky islets of different sizes. The total area is 39 hectares. It is the easternmost piece of Denmark:
The islands have been known since Middle Ages, by the fishermen of Bornholm. The strait between Christiansø and Frederiksø has been used as a harbour for more than a thousand years, and the islands were periodically home to pirates. In the 17th century, there were many conflicts between Denmark and Sweden, and a fort was built on the islands of Christiansø and Frederiksø in 1684 that was operated by the Danish Navy till 1855. All fortifications were built by hand.
Upon reaching the islands, the captain of our ferry announced there were millions of seals there the day before, and indeed we sailed by small rocky islets totally occupied by seals, and watched them swimming and playing:
The ferry stays in the harbour for three hours, before going back to Gudhjem. Three hours are not much to see everything on these two small islands, but enough to get a flavour for this wonderful place, and – to return. I’ve visited Christiansø and Frederiksø several times; one can never get enough of their rich history, idyllic nature, and stunning views.
Though life behind the fortress walls has advanced through the ages, the setting remains virtually untouched. A building from 1738 on Christiansø:
On the other side of the street, there was a shop called “morgue” (located in the former morgue). They sold souvenirs, small books about the island, and locally brewed beer:
The shop owner told us the beer was brewed by the island’s doctor – not many patients is definitely a good thing! – and his wife. It was rather over-priced (between 60 – 100 dkk per 0.33 cl bottle), but Flemming later said it tasted good.
The charming streets of Christiansø:
The rocky landscape of the eastern part of Christiansø:
The island is only 500 m long, so you quickly move from one corner to another. The Great Tower of Christiansø:
It was build in 1684, measures 25 m in diameter, and is the main building at the fortress. The light house was built inside the tower in 1805.
Upon completion the Great Tower, King Christian V erected a monument, that can be seen near the entrance:
The inscription praises the King as a hero for undertaking the most difficult work in building the fortress, mentions his courage, and points out that he was never defeated in wars.
The cemetery is perched up high, almost on top of Christiansø, with memorial plaques for a number of commanders-in-chief throughout history:
A small break to enjoy the views from the southernmost part of Denmark:
Note, how old houses were built on the island:
It saved materials, the walls didn’t have many windows, and it was probably very cold inside…
The street where the soldiers lived:
Each entry served eight apartments with several families sharing a single kitchen. Today the buildings are still apartments, but with individual kitchens.
The cannons exhibited around the fortress were from the old times, and they were used to defend the fortifications:
A small bridge walk – and we were on Frederiksø island. Everything on these islands is unconditionally preserved, including the structures, flora and fauna. There are no cars, and no roads. Cats and dogs are prohibited – each viewed as a predator to the rich bird life! Today around 90 people live on the islands.
Flemming, buying some seeds of local flowers for his garden:
A small path follows the island around, and one can always see the Small Tower from any point:
The only beach on the islands, with a bathing bridge:
On Frederiksø the population is much smaller than on Christiansø. There were only few houses, and all of them had either very small or just small garden:
There is only one red house on the islands (the rest are white – governance offices, yellow – inhabitants), and it has an interesting past:
The story goes, the islands’ executioner used to live in this house. One day he had a fight with his servant over a lost pair of slippers, and killed his servant (just out of a habit, you know). Because there was no one to execute him on the islands, he was transferred to Bornholm where he could be beheaded. After that story the islands of Christiansø and Frederiksø never had an executioner again.
A view to Christiansø from Frederiksø:
Soon it was time to sail back, and in an hour we were in Gudhjem. After driving across Bornholm, we reached the airport in Rønne where our aircraft was parked by the side of Kenneth’s and Siv’s:
Flemming and I did a round over Bornholm, and waived goodbye to the places we visited during the days we spent there, to the summer house of Siv and Lars, and the hotel we stayed in:
The weather was excellent, and we flew home overwhelmed with all those great experiences we had on Bornholm:
Reaching Denmark over the Öresund, the weather gradually changed and became very misty. After passing the strait, I asked for descend to 2500 feet in order to have better visibility:
And at home in Holbæk flying club, the sun was shining, and we enjoyed a beautiful sunset on the airfield.
