Dry Oven Cave at Helligdomsklipperne

Bornholm’s rugged sanctuary of stone and sea

Dry Oven Cave lies tucked into the Helligdomsklipperne, a striking run of granite cliffs between Gudhjem and Tejn on Bornholm’s northeast coast. Here the island’s hard crystalline bedrock drops sharply into the Baltic, forming a jagged amphitheatre of pillars, clefts and narrow inlets. The cave itself is one of several hollows worn into the rock, its entrance partly concealed by broken boulders and the steady rise and fall of the sea. Standing above the site, you have a sweeping view of the coastline: vertical walls, tilted slabs, and isolated stacks battered by surf. The cave is part of this larger rockscape, more a dark corridor within the cliffs than a standalone attraction, and it offers a close-up look at the forces that have shaped Bornholm for millions of years.

Granite, waves and the making of a sea cave

Unlike most of Denmark, Bornholm is built on ancient granite and gneiss, rocks that fracture rather than crumble. Along this stretch of coast, cracks in the stone allowed the sea to gain a foothold. Over time, waves exploited these weaknesses, widening them into vertical clefts and horizontal passages such as Dry Oven Cave and its neighbours. At low water you can see how the walls bear the polish and pitting of impact, each groove and pocket a mark of long, repetitive motion. Inside, the cave is typically high and narrow rather than a broad cavern, with angular corners and rough, jointed surfaces. In places, the rock is slick with spray; in others it is dry, matt and almost dusty, giving the cave its name. Tiny ledges catch seaweed and driftwood, while darker streaks trace old waterlines, showing how the Baltic’s moods fluctuate from season to season.

Legends, holy springs and an old pilgrimage landscape

The surrounding cliffs are steeped in stories. Helligdomsklipperne – the Sanctuary Cliffs – take their name from a holy spring that once rose at the base of the rocks, where people came in search of healing water. Above stood a small Trinity Chapel, long vanished but still part of local memory, from which the spring’s water was drawn and offered to pilgrims during midsummer gatherings and church festivals. Cliff names recall this blend of everyday life and folklore: Light Rock catching the first rays of dawn, Seagull Tower alive with birds, Moonshine Cliffs glowing silver at night, and Love Bench where couples sat looking out to sea. Dry Oven Cave and other hollows fit naturally into this landscape of named stones, each formation another feature in a coastline that people have been reading like a story for centuries.

Exploring the cave up close

Visiting Dry Oven Cave is an elemental experience. Reaching it involves descending paths and stairways from the clifftop, then following uneven, often wet rock close to the waterline. Good footwear is essential, and the final approach may be slippery, especially after rain or in strong onshore winds. Inside, the light drops quickly: a torch turns the blackness into textured walls, revealing crystals in the granite, faint bands of colour, and the glossy sheen of sea-splashed stone. The soundtrack is constant. Even on calmer days, the echo of waves funnels into the passage, amplifying each crash and hiss. At times the cave feels like a resonant instrument, translating the Baltic’s rhythm into an enveloping roar. On brighter days, a shaft of light at the entrance frames the seascape outside, contrasting deep shadow with glittering water.

Clifftop perspectives and changing moods

Back above, footpaths thread along the cliff rim, linking viewpoints that look down over the cave, stacks and arches. From here the coast shows different personalities with the weather: blue and inviting under clear skies, brooding and steel-grey when low clouds drag across the horizon. Sunrise can set the cliffs alight in warm tones, while later in the day the angled light picks out fissures and ledges in sharp relief. However you experience it – from within the dark passage or from the safety of the clifftop – Dry Oven Cave encapsulates what makes this part of Bornholm special: hard rock, restless sea, and a sense that nature and old stories are interwoven in every crag and hollow.