Day 45 - Saturday, July 27, 2024 - Ronne, Bormholm Denmark

 

We had an 8:30 am bus tour of this beautiful island, the island of Bormholm.  We docked at the largest town of Ronne.  The population of the island, part of Denmark is 40,000 residents.  The island is only 24 miles from north to south and 18 miles east to west.  Our tour was only two hours and we drove the entire perimeter of the island.

Views from the bus 

Wheat fields 

The chimney is a smokestack. At one time there were 12 factories smoking fish in the island.

Gudhjem Church, a Lutheran Church 

Ruins of Hammershus, a medieval castle

It's a beautiful island and a big tourist area with seaside communities and beaches in the southern part of the island. The central part is forest that reminds me of driving through the Appalachian mountains.   As you get to the northernmost part of the island, it's mountainous.  The heat from the summer is stored in the rock formations and the weather is quite warm until October.

Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by Denmark, but also by Sweden which is actually closer to the island than the other parts of Denmark.

The best known surviving round churches of Denmark are on the island of Bornholm.  We stopped at the largest of Denmark's round churches, Østerlars Church.   Even though we were told it was round, I didn't realize what that meant until I went inside.  I've never seen a church like these.

Østerlars Church, one of Bornholm's four round churches

Pictures of the inside of the church.  Everything is round.  If there's a wedding, there's no aisle to walk down.  You walk around the church.

The frieze on the center column.

The center of the church used for baptism 

Round church pews

The nave tucked into the round wall

The central pillar is often decorated with a painted frieze

The church organ tucked in another part of the round walls

You can see the depth of the wall and how it could be used as a fortress 

The 2nd floor round pews

It was built in the 1160 AD.  This church and the other round churches were built as churches but also used as a  fortress.  The outside walls are buttressed and the 2nd floor and 3rd floor are only accessible by narrow passages and served the local people as a refuge against pirate raids.  

A runestone is typically a stone with an inscription and is a memorial to the dead.

This church has beautiful grounds and rh cemetery was extremely pretty with the plots being so well kept and individualized.

Tomorrow, Gdansk Poland.  I won't be seeing much of the city.  Wayne will take the included tour, a walking tour.  But he won't be walking much.  There's a shuttle bus into the town from the port.  He plans to drop off, have lunch and head back to the ship.  Knee replacement surgery, August 28!  He needs it.

I'll be taking a 5 hour tour of the Stutthof Concentration Camp. The first one built outside of Germany.. Forecast is for rain and fits with the sobering day I'm anticipating.