DBJ Museum – Bornholm Railways

Travel back to Bornholm’s railway history in Nexø

Did trains really run on Bornholm? Yes – for 68 years, the railway played an important role in life on the island and helped shape the development of Bornholm in the first half of the 20th century. At DBJ Museum in Nexø, you can experience the unique atmosphere of Bornholm’s railway heritage and get close to a fascinating chapter of the island’s history. An authentic railway environment has been created where both children and adults can explore historic carriages, photographs and original objects from Bornholm’s railways.

Visit the Nexø line’s postal carriage, sit in the minister’s carriage, explore freight and luggage wagons, and gain insight into how the railway helped shape Bornholm.

Three railways – three stories

Bornholm stood apart from the rest of Denmark by choosing a narrow-gauge railway inspired by German design – with just one metre between the tracks.

Originally, the island had three very different railways. The Rønne–Nexø line was the island’s everyday lifeline, built to transport both people and goods across Bornholm.

The Rønne–Allinge line, also known as the North Country Line, was created with tourism in mind. In the early 1900s, especially German visitors flocked to Bornholm, and the journey to the grand hotels of North Bornholm was meant to be an experience in itself. Stations, platforms and trains were designed to impress.

The Gudhjem line was the final addition to the railway network and part of a larger vision to connect even more of the island. Plans extended further, but the proposed railway to Svaneke was never built.

The story lives on

In 1935, the three lines were merged under the name Bornholm Railways, and until 1968, trains remained a natural part of everyday life on the island. Today, the story lives on at the museum in Nexø, run by the Association of Bornholm Railways, a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to preserving and sharing this unique part of Bornholm’s history.

The museum is open from early June until the end of September, as well as during the autumn school holiday.