Bornholm is a stunning part of Denmark that seduces with its chalk-white sandy beaches, rocky coast, impressive cliffs and lovely landscape. Melsted Badehotel is located at the water's edge on the idyllic Melsted Strand on the outskirts of Gudhjem. The seaside hotel is surrounded by 18,000 square meters of private beach meadow with views of the sea, peaceful forest, beach, jetty and the island's distinctive cliffs. The scenic areas around the hotel invite you to exciting hiking and cycling trips in all directions. Here we have gathered some of the highlights in our local environment.
GUDHJEM - 'HOME OF GOD'
Within walking distance from Melsted Badehotel, for example along the picturesque old rescue path along the coast, is Gudhjem, Denmark's only mountain town and one of Bornholm's most special towns. Walk the 800 meters down to the harbor via the lively main street - and a little further if you want to experience the beautiful nature that surrounds the town. Some may also remember the famous children's movie "Far til Fire på Bornholm", which was filmed in Gudhjem in the late 1950s. Gudhjem is a regular destination for most of Bornholm's visitors, and there's plenty to explore here in addition to shopping and a wide range of delicacies, including handmade chocolate, pancakes, ice cream at the harbor and fish from the cozy smokehouse.
MAGIC LIGHT
OVER GUDHJEM
Gudhjem is also known for its magical light. Due to Gudhjem's location on the north coast of Bornholm, the light over the town and the sea takes on a magical hue when the sun sets west of the northern tip of the island. Both Danish and international painters have flocked to the town and tried to portray this magical light in their works.
The most famous person from Gudhjem is Oluf Høst, who chose to settle here so he could be closer to one of his main motifs - the view of Norresân and the magical light. You can get an insight into his life and see examples of his paintings in his old studio, which is now the Oluf Høst Museum.
"SOL OVER GUDHJEM"
Bornholm's national dish "Sol over Gudhjem" is an open-faced sandwich with smoked herring, raw egg yolk, onion or chives and possibly radishes, but it is also the name of the big annual cooking competition that takes place in Gudhjem in June.
World-class chefs compete to prepare the best starter, main course and dessert on a large stage on the harbor, where you can also explore a large food market with tastings and a wealth of delicious local produce.
THE CLIFF PATH FROM
THE HOTEL TO GUDHJEM
The cliff path runs from Melsted Badehotel along the idyllic Melsted Strand, crosses a small stream lined with 100-year-old poplars, and then passes through Melsted, a former fishing village with a small harbor and cozy old half-timbered houses. The name "mel" refers to sand and mile. Sometime in the 1700s there was a major sand drift, during which many houses were sanded up, one house is still called "Huset under jorden". The trail continues through a grassland area with grass and pine trees and crosses Gudhjem Camping, where a small fenced-off area protects a historic Viking burial ground. From here the path leads to the idyllic Gudhjem Harbor, and if you continue through Gudhjem's charming streets you will reach the "Røverborgen" on the other side of the town.
HAMMERSHUS CASTLE RUINS
About 20 minutes north of Melsted Badehotel is Northern Europe's largest castle ruin, Hammershus, which is one of Denmark's most significant historical monuments and Bornholm's most visited attraction. Hammershus was first built around 1249 and served as a castle and fortress for more than 400 years. It later became the seat of the island's administration and state prison, where Leonora Christina and Cortitz Ulfeldt were imprisoned until their dramatic escape down the steep cliff walls.
Experience Hammershus in a whole new way from the new visitor center at Hammershus, where you can enjoy an impressive panoramic view of the castle ruins.
ALMINDINGEN FOREST
Almindingen is just a fifteen-minute drive from Melsted Badehotel and is Denmark's fifth largest forest, covering a total of 6,000 hectares, where you can experience Ekkodalen, Rytterknægten and the European bison. With its 2 km, Ekkodalen is the island's largest crevasse valley - don't forget to test the echo here.
Rytterknægten is Bornholm's highest point, with the Kongemindet tower dating from 1856, offering stunning views over the whole of Bornholm and, on clear days, even as far as Christiansø. Don't miss a delicious lunch at the idyllic Christianshøjkroen if you're in these parts.
It is obvious to explore the area by bike, we are happy to help with bike rental.
DUEODDE BEACH
Dueodde beach is probably Bornholm's most famous beach and is one of the best sandy beaches in Europe. The sand is so fine that it has been used to make hourglasses. The beach stretches for several kilometers on the southern tip of Bornholm, and a trip up Dueodde Lighthouse offers the most amazing view of the coastal area and the entire southern part of Bornholm.
The beach is just about half an hour's drive south along the coast from Melsted Badehotel.
ØSTERLARS ROUND CHURCH
Out of Denmark's total of 7 round churches, 4 of them are located on Bornholm. The churches were built in this way so that they could also be used as defense works.
Østerlars Round Church is both Bornholm's and Denmark's largest round church, and the best known of the four characteristic Bornholm round churches. Here you can experience the special church space with fine frescoes and enjoy the elevated tranquillity.
Østerlars Round Church is just a 5-minute drive from Melsted Badehotel.
BORNHOLM ART MUSEUM
The Bornholm Art Museum is an attraction in itself and is considered one of the gems of the Nordic region with its exciting architectural design. The museum is located just about 6 km from Melsted Badehotel in one of Denmark's most spectacular landscapes; an area known as Helligdommen. From the museum, a path leads down to the protected Helligdomsklipper cliffs with sharp cliffs, rugged granite columns and steep rock walls with deep passages and caves, the so-called "ovens".The area and the cliffs are named after a sacred spring that in ancient times flowed into the Baltic Sea at the foot of the cliffs.
DØN VALLEY - DØNDALEN
Døndalen is, like Ekkodalen, a rift valley, but Døndalen is considerably wider and home to Denmark's largest waterfall, where the Døndaleå River drops a full 20 meters.
Døndalen is just a 7-minute drive from Melsted Badehotel and then a hike of about 1 hour. If you walk well, it is worth taking the stairs that lead up to the viewpoint Amtmandsstenen, from where you can see all the way to Christiansø.
ROCKING STONES
On Bornholm, there are at least three large rocking stones rocks that the different Ice Ages have left behind ice sheet has transported to those very places - and yes these big boulders move if you know how and where to push. The largest and most famous rock, a 35-ton walking block, is located in Paradispakkerne, which is a beautiful hiking area. The exciting thing about these large boulders is that there are various legends associated with them, for example, it was once believed that the rocking rocks of Bornholm move because they lie on a large diamond. Today, however, we know that the rocks are made of granite, similar to the bedrock on which they lie.
SVANEKE TOWN
Svaneke town is located just 15 km south of Melsted Badehotel and is one of the island's most charming towns with cozy shops and eateries.
The town won the title of Denmark's most beautiful market town in 2013 and is an ideal family destination with its many cozy workshops where local crafts can be experienced first-hand. For example, you can see how all kinds of delicacies are made in the Bolsjefabrikken, Karamelleriet and Chokoladeriet. You can experience glassblowing at Pernille Bülow and see the traditional method of smoking herring unfold at Svaneke Røgeri.
CHRISTIANSØ, FREDERIKSØ AND ERTHOLMENE
If you stay at Melsted Badehotel, don't miss out on a trip to Denmark's easternmost point, Ertholmene with Christiansø and Frederiksø with magnificent nature, fantastic birdlife, peace and quiet and time for reflection.
Christiansøfarten sails daily from Gudhjem to Christiansø and can be reached on foot from Melsted Badehotel along the stunningly beautiful cliff path along the coast to Gudhjem. From the harbor in Gudhjem, M/S Thor also sails a beautiful trip along the coast from Gudhjem to Helligdomsklipperne.
