Gudhjem

Marina near Gudhjem

Last edited 05.03.2024 at 10:18 by Ruff, RUFFINA

Latitude

55° 12’ 45.6” N

Longitude

14° 58’ 18” E

Description

Picturesque little town with two small harbours on the north-east coast of Bornholm.

NV Cruising Guide

Navigation

GUDHJEM (south harbour): Approach to the harbour is possible day and night, but the entrance is narrow and rocky. Steer into the harbour at leading light 199° (2 F.R).

In strong onshore winds, entry is not possible; the gate to the middle harbour basin is closed. If the harbour is closed, the leading light is extinguished and a red ball is shown at the signal mast of the outer harbour during daytime.

Berths

GUDHJEM (South Harbour): Yachts are best moored in the inner and middle harbour basin at 2 - 4m water depth.

In the outer harbour, ferry berths must not be occupied.

Water only with canister.

Surroundings

In this nice place, which is the tourist centre of Bornholm, you can find good supplies.

Ferry to Christiansø.

NV Land Guide

The terraced town built into the rocks has something Mediterranean. Steep streets, alleys and narrow paths lead through the town up a hill. The impression of a mediterranean place is also supported by the mulberry and fig trees that grow in the small gardens. Actually, one should rather speak of little gardens, as there is no space for big houses and gardens on the narrow coastal strip. The granite slopes reach up to the whitewashed and yellow houses. So-called rock gardens have been created here, on the outskirts of the town. They add to the charm of the old trading town.

The best way to enjoy the picturesque townscape is first from above, from Bokul Rock, some 50 metres high. This vantage point is 300 metres from both the south and north harbours. Where the streets Løkkegade and Brøddegade meet, a small path winds its way to the rock, which offers an excellent panoramic view. And if you have walked all the way here, you are already halfway to Lake Gråmyr, which you will come across 300 metres further southwest in the Gudhjem forest. There are many small forest paths, almost all of which end at the romantic forest lake with water lilies and red carp. Another 200 m further in the direction taken are several ancient graves.

For the hunger after the walk in fresh forest air, Gudhjem has to offer the delicate smoked herrings. The town is even the birthplace of the famous "smoked Bornholm herring". On Christiansø, the fishermen of Gudhjem had seen Scottish mercenaries smoking herrings in the open chimneys of their little stone huts. Back home, they not only imitated the mercenaries, but perfected the art of smoking more and more. In 1886 the Koch brothers finally built the first "proper" herring smokehouse in Gudhjem. The typical smokehouses around the southern harbour show that the smoking of the silver Baltic herring spread quickly. However, the number of small smokehouses has now declined considerably, with a few large smokehouses taking their place. The golden-yellow smoked herrings taste particularly good when eaten still warm from the smoke. Another popular recipe from Bornholm is to eat the fish on buttered bread with raw egg yolk, onions and capers. However, be prepared for this meal to make you thirsty - very thirsty! It's called Sun over Gudhjem, by the way.

Herring played a special role here as far back as the Middle Ages. The large catches during that time and the intensive trade relations with the Hanseatic League made the place one of the wealthiest in Denmark. Today, however, tourism is the main source of income.

Sights include the windmill, which rises above the town and is illuminated at night, and the museum in the old railway station. Traditional costumes, paintings and handicraft tools are on display in the museum rooms at Stationsvej 1.

Behind Gudhjem's "new" church, built in 1893, lies the ruins of the medieval Saint Annæ Chapel, which, like Solomon's Chapel near Hammer (see Sandvig), was frequented by the fishermen of the Hanseatic towns. The fishermen of the Hanseatic League salted their herrings on Bornholm for the Catholic Lent. On the wall of the chapel you can see a memorial plaque for eleven Finnish sailors who died in the sinking of two ships off Bornholm on May 1, 1840.

The passenger ship "Thor" takes you to the Helligdorn rock north of Gudhjem. The "Thor" sails close to the well-known cliffs, for example tørre Ovn (dry stove), våde Ovn (wet stove), Lyseklippen (light cliffs) and Sorte Gryde (black pot).

The boat also drops off and picks up passengers at Liebertsklippe. From the land side, you can also visit the bizarre cliffs on the coastal path.

There are two main excursion destinations in the vicinity of the town: Østerlars Kirke and Rø Plantation. Located about six kilometres south of Gudhjem, Østerlars Kirke is the largest and best-known round church on the island. The building looks particularly imposing because of the many buttresses that support the outer wall. Originally, the round church did not have a conical roof, but a breastwork from which enemies could be fired upon. It is thought that Østerlars Kirke was built as a defensive structure against raids by the Wends around 1150.

The state-owned Rø Plantation begins about four kilometres southwest of Gudhjem. It was established on the extensive Bornholm highlands as early as 1866 and is now a unique natural experience. A stone wall was built around the stony land, which was originally only covered with heather plants, to protect the young plants from being browsed by animals. The founders of the plantation then planted fir, pine, larch and birch trees. Later, an artificial lake was created. Everywhere you can observe the ability of plants to find support and food on bare rock. Today, the area, which is criss-crossed by hiking trails, is a habitat for rare bird species.

If you want to enjoy the view of large parts of Bornholm from a height of 119 metres, you should head to the lookout point "Lens Klint", five kilometres southwest of Gudhjem.

As for the little town itself, it is noticeable that a great many artists have settled in Gudhjem. There are numerous boutiques selling arts and crafts. Street cafés, restaurants and the most varied shops make the old trading town a place where it is easy to stroll around and where you can easily while away a few days.

From Gudhjem there are constant ferry connections to the island of Christiansø. If you have a bicycle, we recommend a trip to the highest waterfall in Denmark. The waterfall in the Døndalen valley is about six kilometres west of Gudhjem, near the village of Rø.

Marina Information

Max Depth 3.9 m

Contact

Phone +45 5692 2336
Email Please enable Javascript to read
Website http://www.brk.dk

Surroundings

Electricity

Toilet

Shower

Restaurant

Imbiss

Atm

Fuel

Grocery

Ramp

Public Transport

Bikerental

Garbage

Comments

Chris Michels, ClieMaLou
Leuke haven! Volop leven mede dankzij de ferry’s. Er zijn twee water toppunten, echter daarvoor moet je wel naar de andere kant van de haven waar je niet mag blijven liggen Schöner Hafen! Voller Leben, auch dank der Fähren. Es gibt zwei Anlegestellen, aber dafür muss man auf die andere Seite des Hafens gehen, wo man nicht anlegen darf
26.08.2023 10:25
Ruff, RUFFINA
Wasser nur mit Kanister.
15.07.2020 10:19

You can add comments with the NV Charts App (Windows - iOS - Android - Mac OSX).
You can download the current version at nvcharts.com/app.

Places nearby