Pissebækken – A Fascinating Waterfall on Bornholm

The waterfall and its name

The stream water falls freely from a height of over 8 metres directly onto the coastal rocks before calmly flowing into the sea. The name Pissebækken is ancient – it has been in use since at least the Middle Ages and already appears on Hammer's map from 1746–1750. There are two main theories explaining its origin. According to the first, during the dry summer months the stream of water is so thin that it resembles a trickle – the association is unmistakable. The second theory points to the abundant foam the water produces as it crashes onto the rocks, which may also have inspired the medieval name.

The stream itself is not long – it drains the south-western part of the Slotslyngen woodland. Since it is not burdened by significant wastewater discharges, it carries some of the cleanest water on the island, with aquatic organisms typical of pristine streams.

Flora on the cliffs

The rock face over which the waterfall cascades is extraordinarily interesting from a botanical perspective. On the damp cliffs grows black spleenwort (sort radeløv) – a fern typical of shady, rocky places. On the cliff edge you can find whitebeam (tarmvridrøn), and in spring the slopes are carpeted with blue anemones, which on Bornholm bloom as early as February in mild winters. You may also encounter a completely white variety of the blue anemone, which can be distinguished from the white anemone by its characteristic three-lobed leaves. At the foot of the cliffs along the coast, wild garlic (ramsløg) also blooms abundantly.

How to reach the waterfall

Pissebækken lies directly on the Kyststien – Bornholm's famous coastal path. Walking north from Vang harbour along the coastline, you reach the waterfall after about 500 metres. Wooden steps have been built by the cascade, making it easy to descend and admire the falling water up close. After climbing back up the steps and turning left, you continue along Kyststien towards the ruins of Hammershus Castle – the largest medieval fortress in Scandinavia.

You will find navigation buttons and the waterfall parking location below.

Kyststien (Coastal Path) – more information

Finnedalen – history on the cliff

In the immediate vicinity of the waterfall lies Finnedalen – a place with an interesting history. At the beginning of the 20th century, during Bornholm's tourism boom, the enterprising merchant Holger Colberg built Hotel Finnedalen here on a rocky terrace between Slotslyngen forest and the sea. The hotel thrived for over 60 years, although after 1914 it never returned to its former glory. In March 1979 the building burned to the ground. Today only exotic trees and shrubs growing on the former terrace remain, silent witnesses to a bygone era.

Near Finnedalshuset there are shelters – ideal overnight spots for hikers walking the Kyststien.

Shelters on Bornholm – more information

The Store Rams and Lille Rams rocks

In the sea, just opposite the waterfall, two large glacial boulders protrude from the water – Store Rams and Lille Rams, left here by the ice age glacier. Store Rams clearly rises above the water surface, while Lille Rams looks almost like an underwater reef. On Hammer's map from 1746 they bore the names Rambse Steen and Rambse Barn. The name "Rams" may be connected to an Old Norse word meaning bear – just as the Latin name for wild garlic (ramsløg) literally means "bear's onion".