With more galleries than bakeries on Bornholm, the island’s extraordinary evening light that bathes the sea and sky in pearly pinks and mauves makes it a haven for artists. The eccentric Danish painter Oluf Høst (1884 -1966) whose museum home in Gudhjem is worth a visit, found his muse here and nowhere else. His works fetch thousands of pounds today but during his life Høst refused to part with any of them, even ripping a painting in half rather than sell it to a dealer who had proffered a briefcase crammed with 500 Kroner notes.
North of Gudhjem the architecturally-splendid Bornholm Art Museum overlooking fields of grazing cows showcases local artists with some impressive sculptures outside. Take the path to the rocky coast for even more spectacular views.
Watch glass being blown at Baltic Sea Glass between Svaneke and Gudhjem, before picking out a unique show-stopping piece ‒ or three ‒ to take home.
Shop for Danish fashion, glass, and homeware in Svaneke, Oluf Høst’s birthplace on the east coast. Pernille Bülow’s mouth-blown lamps remain a top seller 32 years after she first established her studio on Glastorvet in 1989.
More examples of the island's progressive design proclivities include the 1950s pyramid-shaped Svaneke Water Tower and Green Solution House in capital Rønne, both by Jørn Utzon, the Danish architect responsible for the Sydney Opera House.
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