About Kysten Hotel Bornholm
THE 150-YEAR-OLD HISTORY OF THIS HOTEL IN BORNHOLM
KYSTEN HOTEL Bornholm has a history dating all the way back to 1877, thus boasting 150 years of heritage. The hotel, formerly known as Hotel Herold, is steeped in history, and here you’ll get a glimpse of it. We find it fascinating to explore how life has unfolded here over the years. It’s part of the personality of this hotel on Bornholm.
The Humble Beginnings of this Hotel on Bornholm
The hotel began as an inn and was one of the few hotels on Bornholm at the time. It later became known as Hotel Erna and Hasle Temperance Hotel.
In 1908, the hotel was named Hotel Herold and bore this name until 2024 when a new era for the old hotel on Bornholm began with the name HOTEL KYSTEN.
Read more about the current hotel here.
Once This Wasn’t the Only Hotel in Hasle on Bornholm
Today, HOTEL KYSTEN is the only hotel in Hasle. But it hasn’t always been that way.
In the early 1900s, when Bornholm was discovered as a destination, many hotels were built in Hasle and on Bornholm. Hasle also once housed Hotel Hasle in the center of town and the beautiful Hasle Badehotel by Sydstranden (South Beach).
Learn more about Hasle & Bornholm here.
Hotel Herold – a Renowned Hotel on Bornholm
The name of the former Hotel Herold originates from the Herold family, who in 1865 gave birth to the town’s pride, the royal chamber singer Vilhelm Herold, as the 8th child out of a total of 12.
It was the older brother Henrik Gotfred Herold, who was a baker in Hasle, who purchased the hotel in 1908 and bestowed the family name upon this hotel on Bornholm: Hotel Herold.
Herold – the World-Renowned Son of the Town
Vilhelm Christoffer Herold was trained as a teacher but became a world-renowned opera singer with performances in Chicago, London, Vienna, Berlin, and more.
Later, he returned to Denmark as a royal chamber singer and director at the Royal Theater, and in his later years, he also pursued sculpture.
But no matter how far he traveled, he always remembered his hometown and its people – and his brother’s hotel on Bornholm. Stories of his sudden singing and participation at the funerals of Hasle residents he knew from childhood are still told in Hasle.
Herold ended his singing career in 1915. But when he lost his fortune in a bank crash in 1922, he became a teacher at the opera school and gladly offered free lessons to poor talents.
In 1937, Vilhelm Herold passed away in his home in Frederiksberg, Copenhagen. His urn returned to Hasle and was laid to rest at Hasle Assistens Cemetery.
Learn more about Vilhelm Herold here.
Life at the Harbor in Hasle
“The yarn winders” were supports where the fishermen and their wives laid out herring and salmon nets. The fishermen had a communal pot for boiling the nets in.
Right up until 1960, the fishermen all lived west of Storegade. Folklore said that they didn’t actually fare very well east of the main street.
Hasle Harbor was formerly a prominent fishing port with proud vessels. From 1850 to around 1975, approximately 50 ships were registered here, mostly galleys and schooners, in addition to a dozen vessels briefly registered in Hasle.
You can imagine all of this when you enjoy the view from your hotel on Bornholm.
When Hasle Broke Coal
During World War II, there was a shortage of fuel. As coal had previously been mined in the area, it was believed that this mine could supply Denmark with coal during the war. The coal was shipped out from Hasle Harbor.
All the remaining material was dumped along the coast just south of Hasle – forming the “moon-like” landscape now known as Kultippen.
And the 200-meter-long hole that was dug out is known today as Rubinsøen (Ruby Lake).
Unfortunately, they started mining coal too late, and the yield in the 4 years of work did not exceed what was used on Bornholm in less than 1 year.
Want to Know More About the History of this Hotel on Bornholm?
Just imagine what our lovely hotel on Bornholm has seen and experienced over the past 150 years. The stories it could tell us.
If you’re interested, take a look around the common areas, where we’ve framed old photos from the hotel and Hasle. You might find it interesting to see.
See more pictures of the hotel here.
Also, check out Hasle-Egnens Lokalhistorie og Filmværksted, from which these wonderful old pictures have been borrowed.
