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    Gudhjem

    Denmark

    Gudhjem

    CityCultureCulinaryNatureBeachFor Families

    The fishing village on Bornholm's northeast coast stretches in steep alleys from the granite harbour up the hill. Smokehouses, artisan crafts, and the boats to Christiansø define the village.

    by Felix Gillen

    1. Home
    3. Destinations
    5. Denmark
    7. Bornholm
    9. Gudhjem
    The fishing village on Bornholm's northeast coast stretches in steep alleys from the granite harbour up the hill. Smokehouses, artisan crafts, and the boats to Christiansø define the village.

    Sights in Gudhjem

    Discover the most important sights and attractions

    Gudhjem Port

    1Gudhjem Port

    The small granite harbour is the centre of the town, surrounded by smokehouses, ice cream parlours and restaurants. From here, the post boat sails to the Christiansø archipelago, and swimming is enjoyed in summer among the rocks next to the harbour.
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    Oluf Høst Museum
    Museum

    2Oluf Høst Museum

    The museum is located in Norresân, painter Oluf Høst's former home. He lived in Gudhjem, capturing the island in vibrant colors. His works hang where he lived and worked, alongside changing special exhibitions. Behind the house, a rock garden with studios ascends the slope towards Bokul.
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    Bokul

    3Bokul

    The rocky hill above the town is Gudhjem's best viewpoint. From the bench next to the flagpole, you look out over the rooftops and the harbour, reaching Christiansø on a clear day. Access is via a sheep pasture.
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    Melstedgård
    Museum

    4Melstedgård

    The old farm south of Gudhjem is an agricultural museum with animals, historic equipment, and a garden in 1900s style. During the summer holidays, there are carriage rides and activities for children, while Bornholm products are sold in the Skafferiet café and farm shop. Opening hours vary with the season.
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    City walks in Gudhjem

    Curated walking tours through the city's highlights, handpicked by experienced travel journalists.

    Gudhjem: Port, Smokehouse and Bokul

    You walk from the harbour to the smokehouse, to the Oluf Høst Museet and up to the rock hill Bokul, ending at the church above the harbour. The paths are short but partly steep; allow about two hours.

    ~2 Std. 15 Min.
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    Stops (5)

    Dining & Drinks

    1

    Café Plateau

    Restaurant on the hillside above the town with a terrace and views over Gudhjem and the sea. Serving homemade cuisine, also breakfast and brunch in the mornings. Opening hours vary seasonally.
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    2

    Norresan

    Café at the small harbor Nørresand in the north of the town, directly on the coast. Served are coffee, cakes, and lunch plates from local ingredients, indoors and outdoors with sea view. Open daytime only.
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    3

    Klippely Shawarma

    Snack bar near the harbor with Shawarma, Falafel, and small sides for takeaway or dining in. An affordable alternative to the smokehouses.
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    4

    Gourmet Bornholm

    Gaarden, Bornholm's House of Regional Food Culture, is located next to the Agricultural Museum Melstedgård. It is not a classic restaurant, but offers cooking classes and workshops, for example, on smoking or Bornholmian cuisine. Light lunch dishes, coffee, and cake are available next door at the museum's Café Skafferiet.
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    5

    Restaurant Venezia

    Italian restaurant in the town center with pizza and pasta, an uncomplicated spot for a dinner with family.
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    6

    Gudhjem Smokehouse

    The renowned smokehouse, with its white chimneys, sits right on the water next to the harbour. It offers a smoked fish and salad buffet, plus à la carte dishes, including Sol over Gudhjem. Ordering and clearing are self-service.
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    Dining & Drinking

    In Gudhjem, you'll experience cuisine deeply shaped by the Baltic Sea and Bornholm's local produce, particularly smoked fish. Restaurants such as Norresan or Gourmet Bornholm offer fresh interpretations of regional specialties and classic maritime dishes.

    Sun over Gudhjem

    You can get smoked herring on rye bread with raw egg yolk, chives, and radishes in every smokehouse in town.

    Harbor Smokehouses

    The smokehouses serve buffets and à la carte dishes featuring herring, mackerel, and salmon, often enjoyed at waterside tables.

    Cafés and Ice

    Around the harbor and alleys are cafes, ice cream parlors, and a candy kitchen.

    Culture & Spirit

    Fishing and PaintersGudhjem long thrived on herring fishing, a legacy evident in the smokehouses with their tall white chimneys. It is also said that the dish Sol over Gudhjem – smoked herring with egg yolk on rye bread – originated here. Every summer, a cooking competition by this name takes place at the harbour.In the 20th century, the island's light attracted artists, most notably Oluf Høst, whose former home is now a museum. Ceramic and glass workshops continue this tradition today.

    Exploring locally

    Explore the town on foot, but paths are steep. Buses link Gudhjem with Rønne and other island towns; parking is available at the edge of town.Bikes are well suited for local excursions; due to the hills, an e-bike is advisable. The coastal path north to Helligdomsklipperne is about five kilometers long.

    Accommodations in Gudhjem

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    Campgrounds in Gudhjem

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      • 2Oluf Høst Museum4 days
      • 3Bokul5 days
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    Nearby

    Bornholm

    Bornholm

    The Baltic Sea island of Bornholm is closer to Sweden than to the rest of Denmark. Granite coasts in the north, fine sandy beaches in the south, round churches, smokehouses, and fishing villages make it a unique travel destination.
    Hammershus Ruin

    Hammershus Ruin

    Hammershus Castle Ruin sits on a cliff at Bornholm's northwest tip and is considered Northern Europe's largest. Hiking paths lead all around the Hammeren peninsula.
    Ales Stenar

    Ales Stenar

    Ales Stenar is Sweden's largest preserved stone ship setting: 59 boulders form the outline of a 67-meter-long ship on the cliff above the fishing village of Kåseberga. The site is located on the south coast of Skåne, about 20 kilometers east of Ystad, offering expansive views over the Baltic Sea. From Kåseberga harbor, a short, steep footpath leads up.
    Ystad

    Ystad

    Ystad is a small port town on the south coast of Skåne with a well-preserved historic town centre. Around 300 half-timbered houses, St. Mary's Church, and the Franciscan Monastery, founded in 1267, define the old town. Ystad is also known as the setting for Henning Mankell's Wallander crime novels and as a ferry port to Bornholm.
    Jasmund National Park & Königsstuhl

    Jasmund National Park & Königsstuhl

    Jasmund National Park in northeastern Rügen, at 3,003 hectares, is Germany's smallest national park. It was established on September 12, 1990, and since June 2011, parts of its beech forest have been a UNESCO World Natural Heritage site. The chalk cliffs of the steep coast are approximately 70 million years old; Caspar David Friedrich painted them in 1818.Its most famous point is the 118-meter-high Königsstuhl, home to the National Park Centre, where a skywalk has extended over the edge since 2023. A panoramic trail runs for about eleven to twelve kilometers along the high cliff coast from Sassnitz to Lohme, or you can take a shuttle bus from the Hagen car park.

    Sources & method

    • Photos: Wikimedia Commons, Unsplash, Pexels. Each photo carries its credit.
    • Place data such as addresses and ratings comes from Google Maps.
    • The content is based on web research from public, traceable sources. How the content is made · The role of AI