Bornholms Museum

Right in the middle of Rønne, on Sankt Mortens Gade, Bornholms Museum is the only place on the island that tells its whole story under one roof - from the Stone Age hunter-gatherers through seafaring and everyday life to the dramatic days of May 1945. The museum society was founded in 1893 and opened in 1894 in the town's old hospital building; today the rambling collection of old buildings serves as the headquarters of a four-site museum organisation.

The gold foil figures from Sorte Muld

The highlight sits in display cases fitted with magnifying glasses: the gold foil figures, stamp-sized pieces cut from wafer-thin gold, made around 550 to 600 AD and thought to be cultic offerings. Excavations at the Iron Age central site of Sorte Muld near Svaneke turned up around 2,500 of them in the 1980s - over 1,800 are on display here, the largest gold foil figure collection in the Nordic region. The detail on these fingernail-sized figures only really comes through on close inspection.

From the Stone Age to the Cold War

The permanent exhibitions cover much more ground: archaeology, the island's Swedish episode, seafaring, Bornholm's distinctive grandfather clocks, and everyday life with a historic schoolroom and toy collection. The section on the Second World War and the Cold War is particularly striking - the German occupation, the Soviet bombing of Rønne and Nexø in May 1945 (which came after the rest of Denmark had already surrendered), and the Soviet occupation that followed until 1946. Anyone who drives around the island afterwards will look at Rønne's rebuilt districts with new eyes.

Getting there and practical tips

• The museum sits right in central Rønne, about a 10-minute walk from the ferry terminal, with town-centre parking within walking distance.
• Steps from the street and between floors limit accessibility - wheelchair users are best calling ahead.
• Hjorths Fabrik is just a few minutes' walk away; the Fællesbillet combined ticket (175 DKK, valid a week) covers both sites plus Erichsens Gård and the Melstedgård agricultural museum.

Is it worth visiting?

Absolutely as a first stop on the island - visiting here early makes it much easier to make sense of the round churches, Hammershus and the fishing villages afterwards. With free admission under 18 and the play room, it also works well as a family outing or a rainy-day plan - more on that in our travel tips guide.