Svaneke-Baltic Sea Escape

Svaneke - Baltic Sea Escape

I have a son living and working in Copenhagen which, as it turns out is rather fortunate although I didn’t always think so.

I travelled extensively in my twenties so it was only natural for me to encourage both my children to see the world.  They'd grasped early on the importance of authentic travel as opposed to whiz-bang organised tours and they understood that selfies taken next to iconic landmarks were not necessarily evidence of life enhancing or mind broadening travel experiences. 

I was glad for that until my son took off to Denmark in pursuit of a  very blonde, angelic looking Dane. At the time she was emerging as the significant, long term other in his life and for the first time I wasn't so sure about my kids gallivanting around the world. He loved her and the lifestyle so much he stayed on and that saddened me. Like most parents I didn't want my child living on the other side of the world. If he decided to settle down over there and have a family when would I see my grand children? How would it be possible for us to do the family Sunday roast thing? I wondered why he wanted to live in a country that is freezing and in darkness for six months of the year. Wouldn’t he miss the wide open spaces of Australia, the sun, the surf and outdoor lifestyle? Isn’t that what he wanted for his kids? And what if the relationship failed? Where would the kids live? Then there was the cost of airfares every year to and from Europe? How was he, or I, for that matter going to manage that?  I stressed and fretted about all these issues but as it turns out having an adult child living in Europe makes travel there all the more purposeful and a great way to catch up over a Sunday roast. Besides with skype and other new apps  we get to connect just as often if not more.

On my last visit to Denmark my son took me to Svaneke (pronounced sven/ek/a) a charming little town located on the eastern side of Bornholm, a small Danish island and 10^th Century Viking base lying just off the coast of Sweden inThe Baltic Sea. 

Bornholm in The Baltic Sea between Poland and Sweden

Unlike the rest of Denmark the temperate climate of The Baltic waters makes for warm, sunny days and an ideal weekend getaway for the European summer. Svaneka is not the destination for a cracking party scene rather a slow paced, seaside escape from the cool temperatures and city throb of Copenhagen and other Nordic capitals.  The hub of activity in this quaint town centres around the port area where restaurants, cafes, boutiques and local artists and craft people sell their wares. Here, amidst the cry of hawking gannets, the whirr of gulls dipping and swooping, the creak and strain of boats tipping and swaying in a blustery afternoon wind you can’t help but feel the essence of what harks from Viking Sea history.

As early as the 13th century herring fishing was practised along this stretch of coast and later Svaneka became a vital sea port and shipbuilding centre with a flourishing fishing industry. These days, due to the depletion of fish stocks and marine life, only one commercial fishing vessel remains operational and tourism is the main source of income.  Sweden governed the island in the early 1600’s and Bornholm was captured by Nazi Germany early in WW11 who used it as a strategic listening station and lookout post before it returned to Danish sovereignty in 1946.

Svaneke today is one of Denmarks smallest and most enchanting provincial townships. The old part of town is a cluster of colourful houses washed in rust coloured lime with thatched and terracotta roofs set along a maze of narrow laneways and pathways. This uniquely Danish street image has been beautifully preserved and remains intact from an era when wealthy sea merchants and landlords refused the railway passage through the town earning it The European Architectural Preservation Heritage Gold Medal in 1975.

Ambling along the pretty pathways on foot is the easiest and most pleasurable way of discovering the nooks and crannies of Svaneke village. The town features a miniature brewery, located on the market plaza, a glass blowing centre where patrons can observe and/or participate in glass making and a smokehouse where traditional smoked fish is served.  Just beyond the town environs, in the more recently developed Svaneke, a pyramidal water tower designed by controversial architect Jan Utzon was built in 1952. Inspired by old sea marks used to assist the navigation of sea ships, the tower is heritage listed and stands a stone throw from Bechs Mill, the oldest, preserved timber post windmill in Denmark.

The Svaneka Bodega, on the market plaza, is the draw card on Friday nights and Saturday afternoons when locals congregate around outdoor tables to swill ale and draw in the late afternoon sun which doesn’t usually set until about 10pm. With only 3- 4 months of warm weather and light annually in this part of the northern hemisphere, the sun is a much valued element. Outside the Bodega, silver haired, bearded men wearing pantaloons with braces and fair headed blue eyed women engage in hushed conversation. 


 The Danes, unlike we boisterous ozzies, are a quiet, race. They guard their privacy, which I suspect has something to do with the contrasting climates and associated lifestyles but by the end of my time in Denmark I’d learned to appreciate their mild mannered demeanour.   A Pizzeria adjacent to the Bodega does excellent Pizzas and an “all you can eat” Pizza night on Sundays and a kiosk on the grassy knoll overlooking the busy harbour serves great Danish burgers on crusty rye rolls and traditional Danish hot dogs. For a more chic dining experience The Siemens Hotel Terrace Restaurant serves a delicious fresh seafood lunch savoured with excellent, albeit pricey, imported chilled white wines. The Terrace Restaurant faces the line of yachts and leisure craft moored across the road in the harbour and takes in a spectacular vista out over The Baltic Sea.   

The Burger Kiosk and
Siemens Hotel Terrace Restaurant

A 10 minute walk south of the town centre takes you along the water front past quaint homes with rose gardens onto a path leading to a sandy beach cove around the point. Along this stretch I spied a mother swan and her four cygnets gracefully gliding across waters in search of food, an image from which Svaneke (Swan) derived its name. At the little beach cove a diving board, enclosed swimming area and a take away food outlet made us feel right at home, although the water temperature of The Baltic was mighty cold compared to the Pacific Ocean. A five minute walk beyond the beach cove leads to Hullehavn Camping Ground where summer tent dwellers blend easily and tranquilly with the natural bushy surrounds.

Sandy Beach Cove 

A 20 minute walk along a sandy track north of Svaneka, past the unique rocky shoreline of the Bornholm coast and a forest of lusciously leafy greens, deciduous trees and pine forest, leads to the adjacent village, Listed. Everything closes on Mondays in Denmark so we were not able to taste local coffee and Danish pastry in Listed but the scenery is stunning and well worht the cheek flushing strut.

We stayed in The Nansens Gaard a modest B&B in the centre of Svaneke owned by Per and his male partner, art collectors who have been married for many years. The house is one of Svaneke’s original homes renovated for contemporary living. Dina an attractive mid 50’s woman of stature is a welcoming lifestyle savvy host who retreats from Copenhagen to Svaneke for the summer months. She attends to the breakfasts while Per shows his guests around the cosy rooms and hallways. Paintings and art works are displayed in the corridors of the guest house style accommodation including one from the original painter and owner of the house. A breakfast of cheeses, fruit, jams, thick crusty rye breads, strong coffee or tea in a gilted antique teapot is served in the cosy dining room which opens onto a blossoming garden with a big sturdy leafy tree.  The basement area serves as an art gallery most of the year round but on the weekend of our stay it doubled as a cabaret venue for a revue staged by local performing artists.

If you’re after a pristine European location away from the hype and throng of city tourist attractions Svaneke is quiet, tranquil and steeped in Norse history.  It is an easy 3 hour trip from the centre of Copenhagen by public transport which is super efficient all over Denmark.  A bus departing from the Radisson SAS Royal Hotel right across from central rail station takes a bit over an hour to cross Øresundsbroen'' which literally translates to 'the Oresunds bridge', into lush pastures and farm lands of Sweden onto Simrishamn Harbour. From there you pick up a ferry, The Bornholm Express, which takes another hour to cross The Baltic Sea back into Danish territory to Allinges Harbour Port on Bornholm Island.  A local bus will take another 50 minutes from Allinges to get you to Sweneke through Gudjem and Listed.

Tickets can be booked from www.bornholmexpress.dk and are valid for both bus and ferry.