Visual Bornholm
Published by Visual Media ApS
Designed by Miru Studio
The historic wooden ship M/S Thor has been plying the coastal waters along the section of Bornholm coast with majestic granite bluffs since 1913. Passengers embark from the Gudhjem waterfront to experience the section of coast from Gudhjem to the Sanctuary Rocks (Helligdomsklipperne), navigating some of the same waters that the Vikings did more than a thousand years ago. The trip affords passengers a very special seaside experience of the unique bluffs and coastal landscape from M/S Thor, spiced up with stories from history, Viking legends and anecdotes about how the Bornholm countryside has inspired the island’s artists over the years. A voyage on M/S Thor gives passengers unique views of the landscape that can only be had from the sea. On board the lovely old wooden ship, passengers are surrounded by the sea, the light and the remarkable rock formations that fuel the imagination and inquisitiveness of children and adults alike. M/S Thor moors at Libertsklippen rock below the Bornholm Art Museum and at Gudhjem Harbour. At both locations, passengers can come on board or disembark to continue their walk along the coastal path. M/S Thor operates all summer long. In peak season, M/S Thor also offers a ‘sunset voyage’ where passengers can watch the play of sunset colours on the Baltic and enjoy the ambience of sundown over the rocky coast.
For more than a century, the wooden ship M/S Thor has been sailing along the rocky coast of Bornholm. On today’s trips, the skipper describes the rock formations and other sights of interest along the way. The ship passes prehistoric monuments such as the Horse Rocks (Hestestenene), Røstad beach and impressive natural phenomena such as the Stevelen rock formation, the Sanctuary Rocks and the mysterious erratic boulders brought here during the Ice Age. The stories are supplemented by the skipper’s anecdotes from the late Viking Age, such as the story of Egil Ragnarsen, aka ‘Blood Egil’, and about some of the prominent artists in Denmark and Bornholm who have been inspired by the rocky Bornholm coast over the years. The skipper’s vivid storytelling makes the landscape come alive and fuels the imagination of young and old alike as it passes by.
At Helligdommen, just north of the village of Rø, M/S Thor sails very close below the impressive rock formations where large grottos open up to the sea: Dry Cave (Tørre Ovn), Candle Rock (Lyseklippen), the Sanctuary Rocks (Helligdomsklipperne) and Black Hollow (Sorte Gryde). The 15-metre-long ship is steered with a steady and safe hand along the rocky coast, enabling passengers to experience the astonishing geological formations close up. The ship sails all the way into the Wet Cave (Våde Ovn), just 20 centimetres from the sheer cliff walls, giving passengers a sense of how the grotto continues to be carved into the Bornholm bedrock. The is a holistic experience, both personally and historically.
