Østerlars can be explored through several layers of history: the Bornholms Middelaldercenter is in the village, while the Østerlars Round Church and prehistoric sites are nearby. If you are looking for a holiday apartment on Bornholm, these attractions can help inform your choice of location. Below, you can see how the medieval open-air museum, the Round Church and the archaeological sites differ.
An open-air museum about 14th-century Bornholm
Bornholms Middelaldercenter first opened its doors in 1996. The 15-hectare open-air museum is in Østerlars and brings 14th-century Bornholm to life in an engaging, interactive way. This gives it a different historical focus from the fields and burial sites in Risen, which date back to the Iron Age and Viking Age.
The center offers a free guided tour every day. Visitors can try activities such as archery and coin minting every day, or watch the medieval breech-loading cannon being fired. The tour, hands-on activities and demonstration offer different ways to experience the program. Check the current weekly schedule for activities before planning your visit.
The Østerlars Round Church: construction history and frescoes
The Østerlars Round Church is near Østerlars. It is Denmark’s largest round church and is considered the best-known of Bornholm’s four round churches; around 120,000 visitors come each year, though the number may vary. It is also considered the oldest of the four. Its exact year of construction is unknown, but it probably dates from around 1150.
Historically, it served both as a church and as protection against enemies arriving from the sea. The interior frescoes date from around 1350; they depict the life of Jesus, from the Annunciation to Mary to the Last Judgment. During the Reformation, the paintings were whitewashed over, uncovered again in 1889 and restored in 1958 by a conservator from the National Museum. Thus, the uncertain date of the church’s construction sits alongside more precise dates for the frescoes and their restoration.
Prehistoric traces in the Risen woodland
The Risen woodland south of Østerlars contains several hundred prehistoric fields enclosed by stone walls. Most date from the Early Iron Age, approximately 400 BC to AD 200; they were also used during the Late Iron Age, and some remained in use until the 19th century. On Bøgebjerg in Risen, there is also a burial ground with burial mounds, stone cists and menhirs from the Iron Age and Viking Age.
The types of sites have distinct meanings: the fields represent agricultural use, while the burial ground represents burial practices. Their history also spans more than one period: the remains cover the Iron Age and Viking Age, while some fields continued to be used much later.
Bornholm in its island setting
Bornholm can be reached by ferry, plane, bus or train. The ferry crossing from Ystad in Sweden to Bornholm takes one hour and 20 minutes. As routes and services can change, check current connections and timetables before your trip.
Bornholm’s smoking tradition is also part of its history: the island’s first smokehouse opened in Gudhjem in 1866, where herring has been smoked ever since. In Hasle, Hasle Smokehouse is the last smokehouse on Bornholm where fish is smoked in the traditional way, using open chimneys and alder wood.
Discover more destinations: Arnager, Balka, Olsker, Pedersker, Nylars, Østermarie, Hasle, Snogebæk.
For the broader travel overview: Bornholm.
