Trolleskoven and Elverhøj
Trolldeskoven, located on Bornholm's enchanting north-east coast between Kås and Bådsted, is a forest full of mystery, history and natural beauty. The name "Troldeskoven" comes from the dense and troll-like vegetation that characterizes most of the area, which gives the forest an almost magical atmosphere.
In the middle of this enchanted forest stands Elverhøj, Bornholm's largest walking block. This impressive stone, also known as the Wizard's Stone, is not just any stone. It is Bornholm's largest loose walking block, taking third place on the national scale with its estimated 430 tonnes. Elverhøj consists of Bornholm gneiss, an ancient rock with an age of around 1.7 billion years. The stone is greyish in color and is distinctly black streaked with dark minerals of biotite and hornblende.
But Elverhøj is not only known for its impressive size and geological composition. It also stores stories from the past. It is believed that there has been habitation under this giant stone around 6000 years ago. People from the Peasant Stone Age have sought shelter and lived under Elverhøj, and legend has it that trolls once made deep furrows in the stone when they fled the land.
In addition to Elverhøj, Trolldeskoven offers other exciting attractions. Visitors can explore the interior of the forest and find the old bear cave, which is the remains of a zoo facility from 1934. Although this zoo only existed for a few years, it is still exciting to see some of the old facilities and crawl into the bears' den old cave.
Trolleskoven also contains archaeological treasures such as shipwrecks and the remains of a burial ground from the Iron Age. Ship embankments are stone embankments shaped like ships, erected as grave monuments especially in the Late Iron Age and Viking Age.
For those who wish to visit this magical forest and its treasures, there are parking options at Søndre Strandvej. Both Elverhøj and the bear cave are easy to find inside the forest, and there is public access to all the sights.
So if you ever visit Bornholm, a trip to Trolldeskoven and Elverhøj is a must. Here you can experience a mixture of natural beauty, history and mystery waiting to be explored.
Photo: Henrik J. Granat
