Christianso and Bornholm, Denmark
The sun was blazing this morning as National Geographic Explorer made the approach to Christianso. The tiny island located offshore of Denmark welcomed us with warm sunshine and calm blue water. Zodiacs to shore dropped off guests on a stone quay. From here walks were led around the island with either an emphasis on history through the buildings, or more on nature through the gardens and untouched places.
Christianso started life as a naval base in 1658 and only saw action once in 1808 when it was attacked by English frigates. Christianso ended its life of military service in 1855 and by 1863 former soldiers and others who wanted a quiet life recognized how special the place was and moved in. The island then began its life as a quiet fishing community. It continues with this tradition today. Many of the 100 locals still fish, mostly for herring and mackerel. Tourism is also a major player in the island’s economy as we found out when the day boats from Bornholm arrived. Just in time we made our escape before the hordes of tourists descended onto the small island. Thanks to good planning we were able to enjoy the island in quiet, serene sunshine, and with only the locals. Now it was our turn to see Bornholm.
Arriving at our anchorage off the coast of Bornholm we could clearly see that this island was a bit bigger than our stop of the morning. Here tour coaches awaited us to take us on a drive around the island. Several exciting stops included one of the four infamous round churches of Bornholm. One wouldn’t think that a round church could be all that spectacular, but upon arriving we were all amazed at the beauty of the building, both inside and out. Built in the 1,100’s the round churches truly had their own glowing light in the bright sunshine. The layout of the inside was very interesting. Pews were short and followed the round walls. Everything inside was laid out in a circular fashion.
The beautiful day continued with a stroll around Hammershus, the largest fortified ruins in Northern Europe, and built in 1255. The sea surrounding the cliff-top castle sparkled in the sunshine. Guests enjoyed a stroll around the grassy green grounds or a longer walk up the pathway to the castle. Finally, our day ended with a short drive or walk into town and a wonderful event. A snack of smoked mackerel and beer and schnapps at one of the restaurants made for an excellent party. Noisy conversation came from every table. Smiles were on every face as everyone relived a happy day in the Baltic.
