In the early 1800s, Sweden’s healthcare system was poorly developed, and one of the few treatments for chronic illness was to visit a spa town and “drink the spring.” The method was as simple as it was clever: “Drink 7–9 liters of water a day, standing—ideally while walking.”

Varberg began building its reputation as a place of healing when the town’s natural spring, Svartekällan, came into use in the early 1800s. Located in Stora Apelviken, the spring was in operation from 1811 to 1888. The site still exists today and is marked as a cultural heritage location, though the spring water is no longer drinkable. Eventually, a pavilion was built in town—where today’s Brunnsparken stands, opposite the church—and the spring water was brought there from Svartekällan.

THE BATHHOUSES

As spring drinking became increasingly popular, it was soon complemented by bathing in both hot and cold water. Until 1869, bathing directly in the sea was prohibited—considered “life-threatening”—so special bathhouses were built. Hot and cold bathhouses were constructed north of the fortress, and what is now Societetsparken began to take shape. The current cold bathhouse is the third version; the first two were destroyed by violent storms.

The first Hot Bathhouse was built in 1822 and featured five bathing rooms where, even back then, treatments like seaweed wraps and massages were offered. In the early 1900s, this was replaced with a state-of-the-art bathhouse east of the fortress, which remained part of Varbergs Kurort until operations moved to Lilla Apelviken in 1992.

SEASIDE BATHING GAINS POPULARITY

As train, car, and bicycle travel became more accessible, people from inland Sweden began journeying to the coast and its beaches. Bathing quickly evolved into a popular pastime, and by the late 1930s, it had become a natural part of summer life, especially after paid vacation became a legal right. In the 1950s, visitors began arriving in caravans, filling local campgrounds. Kiosks, restaurants, hotels, and summer cottages became part of the beach culture, and Varberg’s shores drew guests from near and far.

DR. ALMER AND THE SANATORIUM

In 1902, Varberg’s city doctor Johan Severin Almer began caring for children with tuberculosis at Lilla Apelviken. The children had a form of tuberculosis called scrofula, which caused swollen glands, chronic nasal infections, lip eczema, and eye inflammation. Almer — known locally as the sun doctor — was a firm believer in the healing power of sunshine, fresh air, saltwater baths, and a nourishing diet.

That first summer, six children and a nurse stayed in a farmhouse that still exists today, called Apelviksgården, on the edge of the area. Two years later, the Association for Coastal Care of Scrofulous Children was founded, and the first dedicated pavilion was built right at the shoreline. The sanatorium expanded every other year, continuously growing in both patient numbers and services.

After 11 years, the first stone building was constructed — the same building where our bar is located today. None of the early wooden structures remain. The patient group grew larger and older, and soon, people with other forms of tuberculosis were also treated at KÅSA. When Almer passed away in 1927, the Varberg sanatorium was the largest in Scandinavia, with 574 beds and around 200 employees. The site had its own postal address and was virtually self-sufficient, with its own gardens, farm, bakery, carpentry shop, weaving room, school, and more.

APELVIKEN’S CEMETERY

Although treatment at the sanatorium was often effective, not every patient survived. Many came from poor backgrounds and distant parts of Sweden. Repatriating deceased family members was prohibitively expensive for many, and initially, the deceased were buried at the city cemetery.

In 1925, permission was granted to establish a cemetery on the sanatorium grounds.

Dr. Almer died on his 66th birthday, May 13, 1927, and during his funeral, the cemetery was officially inaugurated. He was the first person buried there. A tall memorial stone dedicated to Almer and his life’s work stands in the southwest corner of the cemetery.

After the end of World War II, the spread of tuberculosis declined thanks to new medicines and vaccines. The sanatorium shifted focus to orthopedics and the treatment of polio. In 1967, Kustsanatoriet was renamed Apelviken Hospital, specializing in orthopedics and long-term care. When Varberg’s new hospital opened in the early 1970s, only the long-term care unit and a nursing school remained in the old sanatorium buildings.

1985 – A PIVOTAL YEAR

In 1977, the County Council took full control of Apelviken Hospital for long-term care. But 1985 became a pivotal year for the site. That year, the council sold the former sanatorium to Olle Johansson Bygg in Borås, with plans to demolish the buildings and develop summer cottages in their place.

To save the site from destruction, Varberg Municipality exercised its right of pre-emption and, in 1987, announced an architectural competition. The winning proposal came from Contekton Architects, who envisioned building Northern Europe’s most modern spa resort, focused on recreation, rehabilitation, and conferences. The new facility would be rooted in the traditions of Varberg’s health resorts and Dr. Almer’s ideals of light and warmth.

THE BUILDINGS ARE COMPLETED

Contekton Fastighetsutveckling AB, the company behind the winning proposal, was commissioned to renovate the site in a way that preserved its unique atmosphere and allowed the new buildings to blend seamlessly into the surroundings.

In 1991, the coastal hotel was completed with 39 suites, and in 1992, the operations of Varbergs Kurort were relocated from the old Hot Bathhouse down to Apelviken. Many of the team members working today moved with it from the original site.

Former Speaker of the Swedish Parliament, Ingemund Bengtsson, officially inaugurated what is now Varbergs Kusthotell—then named Varbergs Kurort och Kusthotell. The concept gradually shifted from a traditional health retreat to a holistic experience for body and soul, free from strict regimens and now offering hotel and restaurant services under one roof.