Nylars with 230 inhabitants on the south of Bornholm, 8 km from the capital Rønne.
Round churches are a special and characteristic attraction on Bornholm. Alongside Østerlars church with its seven massive pillars, the unfinished Nykirke near Rønne and Olskirke, whose weathervane shows the year 1794, there is the fourth of the whitewashed round churches in Nylars.
The rotunda church in Nylars is still well preserved today. One metre thick walls surround the three-storey round nave, and because of its solid construction, the builders of the 12th century could do without supporting pillars. A strong central column made from Silurian limestone from Bornholm supports the impressive vaulted ceiling and conical roof, which is covered with oak shingles from the Bornholm forests.
Nylars Church is decorated with runestones from 1050, valuable frescoes from the 13th century, a baptismal font from 1150 of grey polished limestone from Gotland, and an altar with late Gothic and Renaissance elements. The bell tower was originally the gate tower of the fortified church, today two bells from 1882 ring in it.
The village of Nylars, with its snow-white, well-fortified round church, is definitely worth a visit if you are on holiday on Bornholm. The municipality of Nylars also includes the fishing village of Arnager with its herring smokehouse and the longest wooden bridge in Denmark.
Bornholm is an ideal holiday destination for bathing enthusiasts - wide, white sandy beaches attract bathers in summer, and there are even cross-country skiing trails in the cold winters. Bornholm is definitely full of surprises, including the four medieval round churches that have become Bornholm's landmark.
Aspects of art and culture include contemporary art at the Bornholm Art Museum on Helligdomsklipperne, the famous arts and crafts scene, medieval cultural monuments such as the largest castle ruins in Northern Europe, Hammershus Castle, and the sea fortress of Christiansø.
From Nylars we also recommend a trip to Aakirkeby, an idyllic town in the hinterland of Bornholm, which is the only one without a harbour but has a modern Naturbornholm Museum and a motor museum.
