Svaneke - Denmark's Most Beautiful Market Town

Svaneke, on the rocky east coast of Bornholm, is Denmark's easternmost town and one of its smallest chartered towns, with a population of just over a thousand. Its cobbled lanes of neatly kept, ochre- and red-washed houses have been preserved so carefully that in 1975 the town was awarded a European gold medal for town conservation, and the historic core has kept its charm ever since. Svaneke is also a stronghold of Bornholm's craft traditions: glassblowers, ceramicists and confectioners work behind open doors, the Bolcheriet still boils old-fashioned sweets by hand, and Svaneke Bryghus pours award-winning beers. The small harbour, framed by warm-toned merchant houses, is a fine place to slow down and watch the light change over the Baltic. Summer brings the town fully to life, while spring and autumn trade the crowds for quiet. It makes an easy stop on a coastal cycle or bus route from Rønne, and pairs well with the nearby smoke-houses and round churches of eastern Bornholm.