Balka, also Balke, is a village and seaside resort midway between Nexø and Snogebæk on the southwest coast of the

Danish Danish may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to the country of Denmark People * A national or citizen of Denmark, also called a "Dane," see Demographics of Denmark * Culture of Denmark * Danish people or Danes, people with a Danish ance ...

island of

Bornholm Bornholm () is a Danish island in the Baltic Sea, to the east of the rest of Denmark, south of Sweden, northeast of Germany and north of Poland. Strategically located, Bornholm has been fought over for centuries. It has usually been ruled by ...

. As of 2022, it has a population of 200. It is best known for its wide beach with fine white sand.

Etymology

The current name "Balka" ending with an A is incorrect as the locality was originally called "Balke" as can be seen on Bernhard Frantz Hammer's map from 1746. The original name stems from the sea sweeping up banks of sandstone fragments known as "balke". "Balk" comes from the

Old Norse Old Norse, Old Nordic, or Old Scandinavian, is a stage of development of North Germanic languages, North Germanic dialects before their final divergence into separate Nordic languages. Old Norse was spoken by inhabitants of Scandinavia and t ...

"balkr" and is used in modern Danish to denote a boundary between two fields. The sandstone banks known as "Balke Udmark" have now been largely destroyed by quarrying and construction."Balke Strand"
''På 367 ture i Bornholms natur''. Retrieved 9 November 2012.

History

The community grew up around the station on the railway from Rønne to Nexø (1900–1908). Designed by Joachim Fagerlund in 1919, it was initially called Balke Station but became Balka Station in 1935. After a halt called Balka Strand came in 1935, Balka Station was renamed Kannikegård Station in 1945. It is now a private house on No. 2 Birkevej. The old railway line from Balka Strand to Nexø has now been converted into a cycle track.

The beach

Balka Beach ( da, Balka Strand) is Bornholm's best beach for children. The fine sand from the sandstone rocks of neighbouring Nexø has filled Balke Bay and formed low sand-dunes. The construction of the little harbour for small boats to the north has however caused swirling currents to deposit seaweed in and around the harbour. Similarly, the large boulders deposited on the beach while building

summer house A summer house or summerhouse has traditionally referred to a building or shelter used for relaxation in warm weather. This would often take the form of a small, roofed building on the grounds of a larger one, but could also be built in a garden ...

s on the dunes has caused the sand to be washed away.

The village today

Balka, a residential village, is often considered in connection with Snogebæk just to the south. It is dominated by summer houses and hotels which bring tourists to the area. The inhabitants use Nexø's shops and services. The area around the harbour and the beach is particularly attractive.

Surroundings

Balke Lyng to the north is Northern Europe's easternmost heather-covered heath. It is also one of the few places where the

green-winged orchid ''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid ( synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East. Description It f ...

can be seen. The common tern also frequents the area. The long defensive entrenchment is the island's longest. Behind it, there is a graveyard from the early

Iron Age The Iron Age is the final epoch of the three-age division of the prehistory and protohistory of humanity. It was preceded by the Stone Age (Paleolithic, Mesolithic, Neolithic) and the Bronze Age (Chalcolithic). The concept has been mostly appl ...

where the graves appear to have been made of wood. A short distance inland from Balka, the Hundsemyre bird sanctuary attracts in particular the

penduline tit The penduline tits constitute the family, Remizidae, of small passerine birds, related to the true tits. All but the verdin make elaborate bag nests hanging from trees (whence "penduline", hanging), usually over water. Characteristics Penduline ...

and the

great cormorant The great cormorant (''Phalacrocorax carbo''), known as the black shag in New Zealand and formerly also known as the great black cormorant across the Northern Hemisphere, the black cormorant in Australia, and the large cormorant in India, is a w ...

."Hundsemyre"
''På 367 ture i Bornholms natur''. Retrieved 9 November 2012.

References

External links

* {{coord, 55, 03, 27, N, 15, 06, 17, E, display=title

Links

Eastwind
Surfschool on Balka Beach Bornholm Cities and towns in the Capital Region of Denmark