Christiansø
Christiansø (Ertholmene)
The easternmost small island group in Denmark, with a well-preserved 17th-century naval fortress, around 90 residents and huge seabird colonies.
Christiansø belongs to the Ertholmene archipelago, about 18 km northeast of Bornholm. Built as a naval fortress starting in 1684, its Great Tower, Small Tower, ramparts, batteries and barracks remain intact today. The island is managed by the Danish Ministry of Defence, with only about 90 people living there, and there are no cars. A walk around the island takes about an hour. You can climb the Great Tower lighthouse, watch nesting gulls and eiders, and visit neighboring Frederiksø, which is connected by a drawbridge. The ferry from Gudhjem takes about an hour (in summer it also departs from Svaneke and Allinge), and a round trip costs about 300 DKK. Many visitors have a smoked herring lunch before heading back.
Opening hours
Follows boat schedule; summer stop approx. 10:00–16:00
Nearby sights
- Svaneke
- Gudhjem
- Paradisbakkerne
- Østerlars Church
- Bornholm Medieval Centre
- Balka Strand
- Snogebæk
- Helligdomsklipperne