Nexø
The history of the town of Nexø
Nexø lies on the east coast of the Danish Baltic Sea island of Bornholm, roughly halfway between Svaneke and the southern tip at Dueodde, and is the island’s second-largest town after its capital, Rønne. The town’s development has always been closely tied to its harbor, and thus to fishing and shipping. Nexø also has another distinction, connected with the name of the great Danish poet Martin Andersen Nexø. He spent his childhood here and added the town’s name to his own. His internationally best-known book is “Pelle the Conqueror.” The book was made into a film and won international awards. Like the poet, the main character spent his childhood on Bornholm. Nexø has probably been destroyed more often than any other town on Bornholm: by attackers, storm surges, fire, and finally Soviet bombs in the last days of World War II. The town was destroyed because of the German occupiers’ resistance; of around 900 houses, only a little over 100 remained intact. Nevertheless, numerous half-timbered houses have survived throughout the town. Around 150 wooden houses were built on the outskirts as a gift from the Swedish state after the war.
Fischräucherei in Nexø auf der Insel Bornholm
Photo: © Rainer Höll
The holiday destination of Nexø
Today, Nexø is above all a business and shopping center for the holiday-home developments in the southern part of Bornholm. A glass-blowing workshop with a shop in the heart of town attracts many visitors and continues an old Bornholm tradition. The former courthouse now houses a maritime museum, while the old town hall serves as the Nexø local history museum. With its maritime atmosphere, the extensive harbor area is a popular attraction for tourists. Visitors can enjoy a unique mix of harbor facilities, warehouses, small restaurants, and fish smokehouses; there is even a liqueur factory to complete the maritime ambience. The tourist information office is located right at the harbor in Nexø. Martin Andersen Nexø’s former home has been converted into a small museum. It presents the poet’s life from the age of 13 onward. Close to town is the popular Bornholm Butterfly and Tropical Land. The Dueodde golf course is near Bornholm’s finest beach on the south coast.
Nexø and the sea
The large fishing harbor bears witness to the importance of fishing, which lasted until the 1970s. Even today, Nexø is a port of call not only for Danish fishing boats. A ferry from here connects the island with the Polish city of Kołobrzeg (Kolberg). Nexø harbor is not only Bornholm’s largest fishing harbor, but also a harbor for pleasure craft. There are 40 berths available for visiting yachts. The harbor can be entered day or night, taking wind, currents, and visibility into account. The small lake of Stenbrudssø lies on the northern edge of Nexø. The fishing lake has natural populations of crucian carp, perch, tench, and eels.
You can book a holiday home in Nexø directly
Places of interest on Bornholm
