Gudhjem

Denmark's only mountain town

Gudhjem lies on Bornholm's north-east coast, where the houses rise in terraces up the rock face to the 48-metre Bokul hill. This hillside setting is unique in Denmark and has earned the town the nickname "Danmarks eneste bjergby" – Denmark's only mountain town. Three of its streets, Bokulvej, Melsted Langgade and Lillevang, rank among the steepest in the country according to danskebjerge.dk.

The name translates as "God's Home", and with its yellow-and-black half-timbered houses, narrow lanes and hollyhock gardens, Gudhjem really does feel like a slice of the south transplanted to the Baltic. The best view is from Bokul itself, looking out over the red rooftops to the fortress island of Christiansø on the horizon. Historically Gudhjem was a fishing village with a compact harbour settlement, and it's considered the "røgeriernes vugge" – the birthplace of Bornholm's smokehouses.

Art and museums

Gudhjem has always drawn artists. Bornholm's most important painter, Oluf Høst (1884–1966), lived and worked here. The Oluf Høst Museum occupies his former home and garden at Løkkegade 35 and holds an extensive collection of his work. The 2026 season opens on 21 March; during the season (roughly March to October) the museum is open daily from 11:00 to 17:00. Admission is 95 DKK for adults and 25 DKK for children, groups of 20 or more pay 70 DKK per person, and a season ticket costs 140 DKK.

The Gudhjem Museum is housed in the old railway station building and run by the Gudhjem By- og Museumsforening association. It shows changing exhibitions, including works by Oluf Høst and Sigurd Vasegaard. In 2026 it's open from 28 March to 18 October, Thursday to Sunday, 11:00 to 16:00, with a few weeks closed (4–8 May, 6–10 July, 24–28 August).

South of Gudhjem is Melstedgård, the agricultural museum run by Bornholms Museum, operated jointly with the food-culture house Gaarden, which describes itself as Denmark's first regional food-culture house. Opening hours for 2026 change through the season: 8 May–28 June, Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–16:30; 30 June–9 August, Tuesday to Sunday, 10:00–16:00; 12 August–11 October, Wednesday to Sunday, 10:00–16:00; and during the autumn half-term week (12–19 October), daily 10:00–16:00. The food-culture house itself is open year-round for courses and events.

Smoked fish and the food festival

Gudhjem is inseparable from Bornholm's smokehouse tradition – freshly smoked herring is a must here. For how the smoking process works and where to find the best "Bornholmer", see the guide to Bornholm's smokehouses.

That tradition has grown into the town's biggest culinary event: Sol over Gudhjem ("Sun over Gudhjem"), a cooking competition held in Gudhjem since 2009. The organising association calls it "Danmarks største madfestival" – Denmark's biggest food festival – and reports more than 20,000 visitors a year. Allan Schultz won in 2025; the 2026 edition is planned for 19–20 June. More dates are listed in the events calendar.

Down at the harbour is the ice-cream parlour Gudhjem Is, running since 1959 and now in its third generation of family ownership (it traded as "Gudhjem Special" until 2020). As a seasonal summer parlour it opens Monday to Friday, 10:00 to 21:00, and at weekends, 11:00 to 21:00. The town centre and harbour also have plenty of restaurants and cafés; for tips on Bornholm cuisine, see the guide to food and drink.

A trip to Christiansø

From Gudhjem harbour, a ferry sails to the fortress island of Christiansø, the main settlement of the Ertholmene archipelago around 20 km north-east of Bornholm. The crossing takes about an hour. It's run by Christiansøfarten: the ferry sails daily from 10:00, with extra departures in peak season (including 12:30), and evening sailings from 15:00 on Tuesdays to Thursdays during the July and early-August school holidays. In winter, the mail boat runs twice a day on weekdays.

Tickets from Bornholm cost 260 DKK for adults (320 DKK in peak season) and 145 DKK for children aged 6 to 14 (180 DKK in peak season); a guided tour costs an extra 75 DKK. Since 7 April 2026, a temporary fuel surcharge of 10 DKK per ticket applies. On the island you can visit two fortress towers: the Lille Tårn (Small Tower), with a museum on the fortress's history, and the Store Tårn (Great Tower), with panoramic views over the archipelago. Read more in the guide to Christiansø.

Hiking and boat trips to the cliffs

North-west of Gudhjem begins the cliff coastline of the Helligdomsklipperne. The walk there follows the coast and covers around 6 km each way. For those who'd rather not walk both legs, it can be combined with a boat trip: in summer, the historic wooden ship M/S Thor, over 100 years old, sails from Gudhjem along the coast to the cliffs, stopping at the Liebertsklipperne below the Bornholm Art Museum, among other points. A popular combination is to go out by boat and walk back. Exact prices and times for the seasonal boat trips vary through the season – best to check locally or with the operator.

About 5 km south of Gudhjem stands Østerlars Round Church, the largest and oldest of Bornholm's four round churches. It's open to visitors daily from 9:00 to 17:00 in June, July and August; admission is around 30 DKK for adults, with reduced rates for teenagers and free entry for children under 10. If you're using Gudhjem as a base for exploring the island, more destinations are listed under Attractions.

Practicalities

The narrow, hillside streets give Gudhjem its charm, but they make parking in the centre awkward. If you're driving, it's best to park on the edge of town and explore the centre on foot. Without a car, Gudhjem is reached by BAT bus line 1, which also connects Rønne, Allinge, Gudhjem, Svaneke and Nexø. The town is well connected for cycling too – the cycling routes run right through it.

For places to stay, the town centre has a couple of central options: the roughly 150-year-old Jantzens Hotel (rooms from around 1,200 DKK, no restaurant of its own, parking for 10 cars) and the Hotel Gudhjem, plus numerous holiday homes and flats. Most of the museums and attractions around Gudhjem concentrate their opening hours between spring and autumn, so if you're visiting in winter, check opening times in advance.