Bornholms Kunstmuseum

About the museum

The idea of an art museum on Bornholm goes back to the portrait painter Lars Hansen, who in 1871 bequeathed his fortune for a museum and a technical school in Rønne and also donated his own paintings. His works still form a cornerstone of the collection.

For a new building, the Bornholm county council, together with the Danish Association of Architects, announced an open competition in 1990. Among 187 entries, the firm Fogh & Følner prevailed. The white building on the east coast near Rø, close to the Helligdomsklipperne and about 6 km north of Gudhjem, opened in 1993 and follows the natural slope to the rocky coast on three levels. A glass-roofed museum street connects the rooms, and an octagonal observation tower and a bridge of steel and teak open up views of the sea, the coast, and, in clear weather, as far as Sweden and Christiansø. The same architects extended the building in 2002/2003 by about 1,000 m² for the collection, special exhibitions, and administration.

The collection comprises art related to Bornholm from the Golden Age to the present as well as crafts. A focus is the Bornholm painters of around 1910–1930 such as Karl Isakson, Edvard Weie, Oluf Høst, and Olaf Rude, who were the first in Denmark to take up inspiration from French Modernism. In addition there are several special exhibitions each year in the skylit galleries and a freely accessible sculpture garden.

Highlights

• Works of the Bornholm School, including Oluf Høst, Edvard Weie, Karl Isakson, and Olaf Rude
• Architecture by Fogh & Følner with a glass-roofed museum street
• Octagonal observation tower and bridge with views over the Baltic Sea
• Freely accessible sculpture garden
• Location at the Helligdomsklipperne with the cave Den Sorte Gryde

Permanent exhibitions

• Bornholmerskolen – Paintings by the Bornholm painters of around 1910–1930, who saw the landscapes of the island and of Christiansø anew with inspiration from French Modernism.
• Skulpturhaven – Around the museum stand sculptures by artists connected to Bornholm, such as Ole Christensen, Jun-Ichi Inoue, and Erik Thommesen; visiting is free.

Founded

1893

Director

Jacob Bjerring-Hansen

Visitors per year

approx. 36,051 (2017)

Admission & discounts

Members of Bornholms Museumsforening have free admission and get 50% off for one companion. The café and sculpture garden are accessible without a museum ticket.

Accessibility

• Partially wheelchair accessible
• Elevator
• Accessible restroom
• Accessible parking
• Service dogs welcome
• Tactile models & exhibits: no information
• Sign language tours: no information
• Easy-to-read materials: no information
• Audio description: no information

Wheelchair lift, elevator, and accessible restroom available; large electric wheelchairs have difficulty in some narrow passages, and the observation tower can only be reached by stairs. Loan wheelchairs and folding stools free of charge at the ticket desk. Drop-off and pick-up possible directly in front of the main entrance.

Kids & families

Great for kids & families

• Family tours & workshops
• Activity booklet, scavenger hunt or kids’ audio guide
• Hands-on stations
• Stroller-friendly

Open creative workshop on the lower floor with changing activities, seasonal family workshops (including in summer), a painting corner with a view of the water, and the search game "Detaljejagt" with a worksheet at the ticket desk. Cinema with short films for families. Strollers without swiveling front wheels are not allowed in the museum; loan buggies are available, and your own stroller can be left inside.

Getting there & parking

The museum is located near Rø between Allinge and Gudhjem, about 6 km north of Gudhjem (coastal hiking trail just under two hours). In the summer half-year (approx. mid-April to mid-October), the wooden ship M/S Thor sails in about 55 minutes from Gudhjem to the Helligdomsklipperne below the museum; there are also electric boats from Bornholms Bådfart from Bådsted Havn and Tejn Havn.

Amenities & dining

• Café
• Museum shop
• Coat check
• Lockers

Café Helligdommen with salads, sandwiches, and tapas and a terrace onto the sculpture garden, also accessible without a museum ticket. Free coat check in the basement, lockable lockers against a DKK 10 deposit; umbrellas, large bags, backpacks, and hiking poles are not allowed in the exhibitions. Food you bring yourself can be eaten in the sculpture garden.

Events & venue rental

The museum hasn’t published any information on this – please ask the museum directly.

Plan your visit