Update: We have added the last piece to the puzzle in what is called “Denmark’s Rivera”, the small hotel in the little village of Liseleje. Direct link in the map below.
A hundred years ago there was a summer tradition for families to stay for a week in a so called “bath hotel”, a small, most often wooden guest house by the sea, serving all meals. After the second world war this fell out of fashion since people now wanted to have their own summer houses. The Bath hotels were closed, and often rebuilt and turned into private summer houses.
But in Denmark this routine has survived and seen a popularity boom in recent years. Old gest houses in many parts of the country have been renovated and modernized by entrepeneurs from the radical Danish restaurant business. The marketing idea is expressed as “Gourmetophold”, a stay that offers salty baths, nature walks and plenty of “hygge” and a gastronomical experience to end the day, followed by a good night’s sleep in a classical summer house bedroom. We have stayed in five of these bath hotels, four of them located on the “Danish Riviera” on northern Zealand, and one on the island of Bornholm.
(Direct links in the map) (zoom in on small screens)
Stammershalle Badehotel is located on the north coast of Bornholm between the small towns of Gudhjem and Allinge. It was built in 1911 for rich German tourists and exactly one hundred years later it was taken over and renovated by a couple from Copenhagen, experienced chefs and ambitious entrepeneurs. There’s no sandy beach on this rugged part of the coast, but the relaxed surroundings and the great food is what attracts their guests.
The rooms are rustic but well equipped and fresh. There’s an anteroom with a fireplace where guests gather for a drink before dinner, or if it’s a warm summer evening sitting outside in deck chairs and sipping a cold drink is an alternative.
We were served an eight-course dinner with fitting wines, and were overwhelmed by the exciting tastes and the beautiful presentations. We count Stammershalle among the best restaurants that we have visited in Denmark.
Stammershalle is open for guests from late March to October 31. Visit their home page here.
There are national flights from Copenhagen to Bornholm, but another quick transport is a ferry from the southern Swedish town of Ystad.
Gilleleje Badehotel, Gilleleje
The long sandy coast of northern Zealand is called the “Danish riviera”, it’s easy to understand why. Beaches and charming fishing villages all the way, Hornbæck and Gilleleje are maybe the two best-known examples. In Gilleleje the Gilleleje bath hotel is perched on a steep hill west of the harbour, with fantastic views of the sea. It’s an unusually big building for a bath hotel, more like a small city hotel. They have a spa with a hamam (warm stone benches), and a very nice restaurant.
To get to the little “town centre”, near the harbour, there’s a footpath from the hotel that will take you there in a few minutes. It’s a lively fishing harbour with a forest of masts, fantastic fish shops and small food vendors. You should absolutely try their shrimp plate served with a cold beer. You’ll find some sandy beaches on both sides of the harbour.
Gilleleje badehotel is definitely worth a visit, even though it doesn’t quite have that special summer sea guest house feeling. Still you’ll get the fresh sea outside, a blazing fireplace in the lobby and a great dinner here!
You can find their website here.
This place is actually not called “badehotell”, but in almost all aspects it is. Though not located by the sea, it’s a stone’s throw from the railway station. This is a true gem with a great hospitality, their own restaurant and a lovely garden. It’s definitely a bit less expensive than the other places mentioned here. Hornbæk is a big swimming resort with wonderful beaches and the town has good shops and restaurants. Ewaldsgaarden has a short high season, between the end of June and the end of August they are open all week, the rest of the year only on weekends.
You’ll find their website here.
It’s easy to go by local train from Helsinore to Hornbæk and Gilleleje. Or rent a bike in Helsinore, you’ll do the 13 km ride to Hornbæk in about an hour.
Helenekilde badehotel, Tisvildeleje
On the western end of the Danish riviera is the small fishing village of Tisvildeleje, a lovely and idyllic little place. Which is also the site for our favourite among the four bath hotels described here, Helenekilde. It’s just like Gilleleje perched on the brink of a steep hillside with fantastic ocean views. It’s surrounded by parks and lush gardens, and it has a really great restaurant with seating facing the sea. The building has lots of wide balconies and a patio where conversations buzz in the air through the summer evenings. The sun sets just outside, a big fire is lit and the talks can continue.
Helenekilde’s website is found here. To get to Tisvildeleje you can catch a train from either Copenhagen or Helsinore to Hellerup. There switch to a local train to Tisvildeleje station.
We love the idea of the “badehotel” and the gourmet stays, it’s like a window into times gone by when lives had a different tempo. And the summers were full of mystic energy!
Liseleje badehotel, Liseleje
Last one in the string of pearls along the so called “Danish Riviera” is Liseleje, like the previous ones it’s an old fisherman’s village now turned into a summer paradise. A small village that we visit in late autumn, when most of the houses are deserted and many shops and restaurants are closed. But a few inhabitants stay, and they can all be seen walking on the beach in the afternoon, defying the grey, cold and windy wheather. Even tougher are three men preparing for kitesurfing in the rough seas.
There’s not much to say about Liseleje bath hotel, it’s just a reception and a small lobby. An adjoining café is closed and so is the restaurant. Pål-Erik, a Norwegian in the reception offers to call in someone to cook dinner for just us, but we decline and walk 1,5 kilometers to a quite exceptional meat/steak restaurant called Maku.
The guest rooms at Liseleje are placed in an annex, a one-storey building that reminds us of motels in the 1950s and 60s. But the rooms are recently renovated and clean. Still you will probably enjoy the setting more in the summer.
The bathroom is very compact and without ventilation, so it gets foggy quickly. Breakfast is somewhat limited but the omelet is warm and that’s appreciated, because the breakfast room is very cold. At this time of year.
This hotel’s home page is found here.
To summarize our experiences of the Danish Bath hotels we conclude:
- Best hotel: Helenekilde in Tisvildeleje.
- Best food: Stammershalle in Bornholm
- Best in-house spa: Gilleleje.
- Most charming: Ewaldsgaarden in Hornbæk.
- Best beach: Liseleje.
