Vester Sømarken between the beach and Raghammer

Vester Sømarken is a well-established holiday home area with numerous holiday homes. Green open spaces between the existing holiday home areas help keep the individual areas distinct from one another amid the wooded land. For orientation on Bornholm: Vester and Øster Sømark lie about 25 kilometres southeast of Rønne and, together with Dueodde, form one of the island’s holiday home areas.

Sømarken Beach and coastal landscape

Sømarken Beach comprises Østre Sømark and Vestre Sømark. The sand is coarser than on neighbouring Dueodde, and the water typically gets deep quickly. Large dune areas define the beach. At Sømarken Beach, older children in particular can use the large rocks in the water for jumping.

Those interested in sea trout will find a stretch of about 700 metres at Gedebak Odde. It is just a short walk from a car park behind the dunes in Vester Sømarken. The short access and approximate length of the stretch provide a clear guide to this fishing spot.

Raghammer Heath: nature and visitor information

The open, protected Raghammer area lies nearby, between Boderne and Vester Sømarken. It is Bornholm’s largest dune heath and is home to many rare plants, birds, amphibians, reptiles and insects. Some insect species are found nowhere else in Denmark. Raghammer Heath is also considered the safest place on the island to find the stonechat. In July 2024, DOF Bornholm reported that up to three breeding pairs had nested there in previous years.

The Army Operational Command uses the Raghammer firing range as a training and exercise area. The sea off Raghammer Odde is also used for various exercises by naval combat divers. When the area is not being used by the military, cycling on the marked trails and walking in the area are permitted. Exceptions include the firing lanes, the demolition area on the Odde, the hand grenade range, and areas around Eskesgaard and other buildings that are closed for safety reasons. Check the displayed signal before entering.

A recommended walking route starts at the public car park at the end of Vestre Sømarksvej and passes Hullebækken on its way to the tip of Raghammer Odde. Remains of two fortification structures can be seen there. At the very end of the Odde is Raghammer Battery: a curved embankment about 20 metres long and approximately 1.50 to 2 metres high. The stonework is partly preserved; the embankment is covered with drifting sand and overgrown with grass and marram grass.

Archaeological traces and excursions nearby

Three Bronze Age burial mounds lie on the northern edge of the Raghammer firing range, west of Tyskegård. The area also contains a Neolithic long dolmen immediately beside a stone bearing Bronze Age cup marks. These archaeological sites add another dimension to this natural landscape.

A walk through Østre Sømark leads to the Slusegård area and the geographic intersection. A granite stone in the dunes marks the intersection of the 55th parallel north and the 15th meridian east, which is referred to as the reference point for Danish Standard Time. The Slusegård area is a coastal heath with low dunes; a large burial ground stood there during the Iron Age.

A well-preserved watermill with dams dating from around 1800 stands in the river valley at Slusegård. A trout house in the valley was used to catch spawning trout. The Slusegård area is protected to preserve the watermill complex and ensure public access to the mill and beach. Another nearby natural feature is Øle Å, which flows through a shale gorge where impressions of small animals, such as graptolites, can be seen. Østre Sømark is also home to the small fishing settlement of Bakkerne Havn, with a smokehouse and fishermen’s houses.

Discover more destinations: Årsdale, Bodilsker, Rispebjerg Huse, Arsballe, Sose, Snogebæk, Allinge-Sandvig, Gudhjem.

See the full travel overview: Bornholm.