Gudhjem
museum park
Where history, nature and art come together in one place
Where history, nature and art come together in one place
Today, Gudhjem Museum Park serves several different purposes.
“In the old days”, the area was part of Gudhjem Vang, where the town’s residents – fishermen as well as farmers – had small plots of land for cultivation and grazing.
For a number of years, the area in front of Gudhjem Museum was home to sculptures by the Bornholm artists Ole Christensen, Inge Lise Westmann, Julie Høm and Jun-Ichi Inoue. The area in front of the sculptures was maintained as a conventional grass field.
In 2021, the 15,000 m² field towards the forest was converted into a butterfly habitat with wild plants and shrubs. The mown paths through the area south and south-east of the museum invite visitors to take a walk.
At the lower end of the area, towards Melstedvej, a pond was established in December 2021, adding further life to the area.
In 2023, a number of sculptures by Jun-Ichi Inoue and Ole Christensen were moved into the habitat, where they now interact with the surrounding nature.
In 2025, Gudhjem Museum received a grant from BEOF, our local energy company, making it possible to establish a foraging garden as part of the park. Hazelnut hedges and fruit trees have been planted, and in time visitors to the park will be free to pick nuts and fruit. Shrubs and trees have also been planted for the butterflies to serve as host plants where they can lay their eggs.
Every year, Gudhjem Museum organises activities in the park, including guided butterfly walks and traditional haymaking with scythes.
The park and its educational activities are supported by Bornholm Regional Municipality and Bornholms Brand. The expansion with the foraging garden and host plants for butterflies is supported by Bornholms Energi og Forsyning and the Regional Municipality’s Local Community Fund.
In October 2025, the many functions of the area were celebrated at an official opening event.
The History of the Area
GUDHJEM VANG
The area that today houses Gudhjem Museum Park was originally part of Gudhjem Vang. This was a piece of land just outside the town, where fishermen and farmers each had a small plot they could cultivate.
The plot of land that Gudhjem Museum owns today originally belonged to Madsens Gaard at Brøddegade 34 in the town.
The Park’s Wild Nature
Gudhjem Museum acquired the site primarily to preserve the view from the museum across Svaneke Bay.
For many years, the area was simply a grass field and was not used for any other purpose than preserving the view.
But in 2021, the board of Gudhjem By- og Museumsforening decided to restore wild nature to the area, creating a future habitat for wild plants and insects.
Art in the Park
Even before the park was established, Gudhjem Museum had a collection of sculptures, both its own and works on loan, all of which were located right by the museum entrance.
At the same time as the decision was made to turn the area into a nature habitat, the museum planned to relocate the sculptures. This was realised in 2023, as the museum, with support from various foundations, gained the opportunity to acquire more of the works.
A system of mown paths leads visitors down to the artworks in the park.
The Park as a Foraging Garden
To make the park an attractive destination for local residents, a new element was added in 2025.
A number of shrubs and trees were planted which will, in time, produce nuts, plums, cherries, apples, etc., which visitors to the park will be free to pick.
But it is not only people who benefit. A number of popular host plants for butterflies have also been planted. Here, butterflies can lay their eggs, and the caterpillars can feed on the plants.