Discover Svaneke

Svaneke offers several points of interest to consider when planning your trip: artists’ studios at Svanekegaarden, a church on the southeastern edge of town, candy-making at Svaneke Torv and a named specialty at Svaneke Røgeri. There is also a bathing area at the harbour and a circular trail in the surrounding area. If you’re looking for hotels in Svaneke, you can choose your destination based on whether art, local production, food or outdoor walks are of particular interest to you.

Art, Church and Candy-Making

Svanekegaarden has three artists’ studios for artists to work in. For travellers interested in art, this is a tangible connection to artistic work in Svaneke: the studios serve as workspaces for artists.

Svaneke Church is located on the southeastern edge of Svaneke on Bornholm, about 18 metres above sea level. This makes its location within the town easy to pinpoint. Along with the artists’ studios, it offers a different cultural perspective on Svaneke from the Bolcheriet candy shop at Svaneke Torv.

At the Bolcheriet, handmade sweets are made in front of visitors. You can watch the production process itself, rather than just looking at the finished product. This glimpse of local production adds a craft-related dimension to the cultural points of interest.

Smokery Specialty and Bathing Area

The house specialty at Svaneke Røgeri is called Solstrejf over Svaneke. Availability may vary. If you’d like to try this particular specialty, check the current selection in advance.

A bathing area with jumping platforms at heights of 1, 2 and 3 metres has been set up at the harbour. If swimming there is important to your trip plans, check before your visit whether the area is currently accessible.

Circular Trail in the Surrounding Area

In the nearby village of Listed, the approximately 3.3-kilometre Sporet i Listed circular trail leads from the small fishing village through the forest, along the Vaseå stream and out into the open countryside. The route thus connects the village, forest, watercourse and open terrain. Its circular layout sets it apart from a route that leads only to a single destination.

Bornholm in the Wider Travel Itinerary

You can travel to Bornholm by ferry, plane, bus or train. The ferry crossing from Ystad to Bornholm takes one hour and 20 minutes. Check current connections and timetables for your travel date.

Bornholm’s smoking tradition also has its own regional context. Bornholm’s first smokehouse opened in Gudhjem in 1866, and herring has been smoked there ever since. Hasle Smokehouse is the last smokehouse on Bornholm where fish is smoked in the traditional way, using open chimneys and alder wood. This tradition places the Svaneke Røgeri specialty in a broader culinary context without equating the two smokehouses.

Other cultural destinations on Bornholm include Bornholms Middelaldercenter, a 15-hectare open-air museum that brings 14th-century Bornholm to life in an engaging, interactive way. At the NaturBornholm experience centre, you’ll find dinosaurs, live crocodiles, an aquarium and a bison exhibition. Exhibitions may change, so it’s worth checking the current offerings before your visit.

Bornholm’s landscape also has its own highlights: Ekkodalen in Almindingen is Bornholm’s largest rift valley. From the cliffs above Opalsøen, you can look out over the surrounding area, the Baltic Sea and the Hammershus castle ruins. These regional destinations complement Svaneke’s local character, but are separate Bornholm attractions.

Discover more destinations: Bølshavn, Hasle, Vester Sømarken, Muleby, Østermarie, Arsballe, Boderne, Pedersker.

For the broader travel overview: Bornholm.