Mantel tower
Crowning the keep.
Johan Wessman / News Oresund — CC BY 2.0 · (User:Alma) — CC BY-SA 3.0 · Jens Cederskjold — CC BY 3.0 · Jens Cederskjold — CC BY 3.0 · Guillaume Baviere from Uppsala, Sweden — CC BY-SA 2.0
Hammershus is the ruin of a medieval fortress at Hammeren, on the northern tip of the Danish island of Bornholm in the Baltic Sea. It lies about 19 km in a straight line from Rønne, the island's main town. Hammershus was Scandinavia's largest medieval fortification and one of the larger ones in Northern Europe. It was built in the 13th century 74 metres above sea level, with a main residence crowned by a great tower known as the «mantel» tower and a 750-metre perimeter wall around its grounds. Part of it was demolished around 1750, leaving a ruin, and it was partly restored around 1900. High walls of grey stone and red brick rise from a green, rocky hill, their empty windows looking out over the wide blue sea. The wall runs along the hilltop, and pastures and slopes fall away to the coast around the ruins. The ruins are open to walk around, with a visitor centre beside them. The ground is uneven and the hilltop windy, so wear sturdy shoes.
Crowning the keep.
Through empty windows.
Along the hilltop.
Hammeren, northern tip of Bornholm, Denmark
Yes, with a visitor centre.
By car or bus from Rønne.