Route No. 21 – Rønne – Nexø
Regionalrute 21 cuts straight across Bornholm – from Rønne to Nexø (32 km) along former railway embankments and quiet back roads. It is an easy, almost entirely asphalted route through the island's gentle agricultural landscape. Along the way you will find the best-preserved round church on Bornholm, the medieval town of Aakirkeby with the NaturBornholm centre, and the creative harbour town of Nexø.
Route facts
Length
32 km – from Rønne to Nexø through the centre of the island
Riding time
1 hr 30 min – without longer stops
Surface
Asphalt 32 km – entirely paved, partly along former railway tracks
Difficulty
Easy – flat terrain, ideal for families and beginners
Elevation gain
120 m – gentle climbs, practically unnoticeable
Recommended bike
Any – flat paved road. A great route for bikes with a trailer or child seat.
Direction
Signposted in both directions. You can ride from Rønne to Nexø or the other way round. Return by BAT bus (free bicycle transport).
Route character
Partly along former railway embankments – flat and away from motor traffic.
Route – places along the way
The route crosses the island – from the capital Rønne through Bornholm's agricultural interior, former railway embankments, historic towns and gentle forests to the harbour town of Nexø on the east coast.
The route starts in Robbedale, just outside Rønne. It quickly joins a former railway embankment, leading between fields and gentle forests towards Nylars.
The Nylars round church is the best-preserved of the four Bornholm round churches. Its unique 13th-century frescoes depict scenes from the Book of Genesis. These churches served a dual purpose – sacred and defensive.
Aakirkeby – the former capital of Bornholm, home to one of the oldest and largest churches on the island (Aa Kirke). It is a natural halfway stop. Be sure to visit NaturBornholm – an interactive nature centre where you can experience a billion years of the island's geology.
Bornholm's second-largest town and home to its biggest fishing harbour. It is the birthplace of Martin Andersen Nexø – author of Pelle the Conqueror. Despite the damage from the 1945 bombing, the town has preserved many beautiful old houses and buzzes with creative life. Worth a visit are the museum, the old smokehouse Nexø Gamle Røgeri, and the artisan house Matter – House of Craft on the waterfront.
