Visual Bornholm
Published by Visual Media ApS
Designed by Miru Studio
It is well known that the nature on Bornholm is truly unique, setting it apart from the rest of Denmark. The rocky coastline, the large forests and the beaches with sand so fine, it squeaks when you walk on it. The hilly landscape alone makes the island stand out.
The rocky cliffs characterize northern Bornholm and the sandy beaches are distinctive to the south of the island – and the ancient fault line, where Bornholm’s sandstone south is fused with it’s gneiss and granite north, is located near the terrific experience centre, NaturBornholm.
NaturBornholm is an experience centre dedicated to the nature of Bornholm. Here, you can learn about the dinosaurs that roamed the island more than 100 million years ago, discover the skull of an 11 metre long humpback whale, as well as gaze curiously into a large aquarium that holds some of the fish found in the Baltic Sea. The Baltic Sea is the world’s largest sea of brackish water, where cod and trout swim side by side.
NaturBornholm is packed with interesting facts and has gone to great lengths to make their entire exhibition exciting for all ages. They also offer a variety of activities for children, making the centre especially popular with families.
At NaturBornholm, a small cinema offers an informative geological and biological narrative of the island spanning back to the very beginning of the island’s emergence – including dinosaurs, volcanoes and earthquakes that make the seats shake. When exiting the cinema, you enter the permanent exhibition.
Should you want a breath of fresh air, you can take a short walk to the ancient fault mentioned in the film. It is so pronounced that you can stand with a foot on either side of it, essentially straddling 1.2 billion years.
Close by, in the former sandstone quarry, you find clear evidence of waves having hit the soil, making apparent that you are standing on the petrified ocean floor. To be discovered here are traces of the Earth’s earliest organisms, jellyfish, that lived in the ancient ocean 540 million years ago.
NaturBornholm employs a number of nature guides, allowing for a great deal of activities on different locations around the island. For instance, there is a guided tour of Almindingen where you can learn about the bison on the island, their origin and how the bison herds benefits the woods. For younger children, the hedgehog event might be a hit. At this event, children must gather food for the hedgehog, make hedgehog snouts and learn about the life of the hedgehog in general, bringing children closer to nature through fun and games. If you are travelling with a group, and have specific wishes for a guided tour, you are welcome to contact NaturBornholm to inquire about the possibility of a customised excursion.
Apart from the fish in the aquarium, NaturBornholm also has a number of other animals for visitors to enjoy, i.e. treefrogs, marsh frogs and adders. You will also find descendants of Bornholm’s pre-historic animals, such as turtles and crocodiles.
