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Nexø Museum: Bornholm’s Story Through Local Eyes

Discover Bornholm’s dramatic maritime, wartime, and everyday history in a harborside museum filled with evocative exhibitions and authentic local stories.

4.5

Nexø Museum, set on the scenic harborfront in the town of Nexø, is a captivating place to experience Bornholm’s maritime roots and evolving social history. The museum, housed in a historic merchant’s building, features engaging exhibits on seafaring, fishing, German occupation during WWII, and the region’s transformation. Visitors can explore restored interiors, artifacts, models of vessels, and collections tied to the life and resilience of the island’s people.

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Local tips

  • Allow extra time to explore both the permanent collections and any temporary exhibitions.
  • Multilingual displays are available, but staff are happy to help clarify special details.
  • The museum is set close to the waterfront and harbour cafés—combine your visit with a coffee overlooking the sea.
  • Some areas of the historic building feature stairs; visitors with mobility challenges may want to check access in advance.
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Getting There

  • Public Transport

    Frequent buses connect Rønne with Nexø, the island’s second-largest town, making the journey in 30–40 minutes. Nexø’s central bus terminal is a short, pleasant walk from the harbor area. Adult tickets typically cost DKK 25–35, and services run hourly on most days.

  • Taxi

    Taxis from Rønne or other major Bornholm towns reach Nexø’s harbor in around 30 minutes. Fares are usually in the range of DKK 350–450 depending on start point, with taxis dropping passengers steps from the museum entrance.

  • Driving

    Visitors arriving by car can follow the main island routes to Nexø. Parking is available in lots near the waterfront, just a short stroll from the museum. Most parking is free or low-cost (DKK 5–10 per hour), but the area can be busy during summer market days.

  • Walking

    For those staying in Nexø itself, the museum is prominently set on the harbor, within easy walking distance of the main commercial streets, cafés, and seaside promenade.

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Stepping into Nexø Museum is like stepping into the very heart of Bornholm’s living history. Set in a beautifully preserved 18th-century merchant’s house, it is more than just a museum—it’s a window into the maritime heartbeat, wartime hardship, and everyday determination that define this part of Bornholm. Nexø Museum draws visitors for its diverse and thoughtfully curated exhibitions. It is especially famous for illuminating Bornholm’s role during World War II; exhibits detail the 1945 Soviet bombing of Nexø and the island's months-long isolation from the rest of Denmark, a chapter uniquely poignant in Danish history. Visitors will find reconstructed rooms and vivid displays about wartime life, complemented by personal stories and rare photographs. The merchant’s home setting is itself a highlight, with creaky wooden floors and restored period rooms that evoke centuries of trade and seafaring tradition. Outside of the WWII narrative, the museum celebrates Nexø’s heritage as Bornholm’s second-largest town. It charts a course through the island’s fishing, shipbuilding, and pottery industries, with evocative tools, nautical instruments, models of historic ships, and insightful displays about the port’s lifeblood. There are sections devoted to the daily life of Nexø’s residents, the vibrant harbor trade, and the famous herring fisheries that once made the town prosper. Every corner offers stories from the generations who called this harbor home. Throughout, interpretation is clear and multilingual, making the museum welcoming for international guests. Artifacts and atmospheric reconstructions appeal to families and history enthusiasts, while also offering a quiet sense of pride and survival. Seasonal exhibits and programs further enliven the experience, frequently adding new perspectives or commemorating major historical anniversaries. Located right on the working waterfront, Nexø Museum is an evocative, accessible stop for anyone seeking deeper understanding of Bornholm, its resilience, and its enduring connections to the sea.

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