Gudhjem

Gudhjem is built on a slope of rock running straight down to the sea on the north coast of Bornholm, which gives it steep narrow lanes, houses stacked above one another and no flat ground to speak of, with the harbour cut into the rock at the bottom. It is the classic Bornholm village and the most photographed. Its smokehouse is the one associated with sol over Gudhjem, sun over Gudhjem, smoked herring on rye bread with a raw egg yolk on top, which is the island's signature dish and is named after this place. The Bornholm art museum stands on the cliff nearby, and boats leave the harbour for Christianso. Above the town, Bokul rock gives a view along the whole north coast.

History

Gudhjem has a long history as a fishing village, and its former church, St Anne's Chapel, now a ruin, dates from around 1300. The first harbour, built in the middle of the 19th century, was wrecked by a storm in 1872 and rebuilt in 1889, and a second harbour followed in 1897-1906 as a safe haven for fishing boats. Smoked herring was first prepared here, in the town's smokehouses, and has been sent to Copenhagen since the 1840s, while the ferry to Christiansø has run since 1684. Since 1893 the meridian just east of the town, one hour east of Greenwich, has been regarded as the base of Danish time (Wikipedia, Gudhjem).

What to look for

• Steep lanes down the rock - houses stacked on a slope to the harbour.
• The smokehouse - where sol over Gudhjem takes its name.
• Bokul viewpoint - the north coast from the rock above the village.
• The harbour cut in stone - the port carved into the coastal rock.

When to go

May to September. Half a day. Mornings before the tour buses and the ferry crowds; evenings when the day visitors have gone. July is the busiest month by a distance.

Practical notes

Parking is very difficult and the lanes are not made for cars; leave the vehicle above the town. It is steep throughout, which limits accessibility. Summer crowds fill the harbour. Most of it closes from October to April.

Nearby

Helligdomsklipperne and the art museum are along the coast; Christianso is reached by boat.

Key facts