Hotel, railway and fancy residential buildings
Hotel, railway and fancy residential buildings
The development of Saltsjöbaden
Two years after the land purchase, the development of Saltsjöbaden began. Järnvägsaktiebolaget Stockholm-Saltsjön was formed with the aim of building a railway between Stockholm and Saltsjöbaden and to subdivide and sell plots of land along the route. The company's largest owners were KA Wallenberg and Ernest Thiel. Two grand villas were built in 1892 for Ernest Thiel and his brother Arthur Thiel, which came to be known as Ackevillan and Bikupan. The area was given the name Vårgård, which makes Vår Gård a year older than the Grand Hotel Saltsjöbaden and the railway that was inaugurated the following year.
Two years after the land purchase, the development of Saltsjöbaden began. Järnvägsaktiebolaget Stockholm-Saltsjön was formed with the aim of building a railway between Stockholm and Saltsjöbaden and to subdivide and sell plots of land along the route. The company's largest owners were KA Wallenberg and Ernest Thiel. Two grand villas were built in 1892 for Ernest Thiel and his brother Arthur Thiel, which came to be known as Ackevillan and Bikupan. The area was given the name Vårgård, which makes Vår Gård a year older than the Grand Hotel Saltsjöbaden and the railway that was inaugurated the following year.
Inauguration of Saltsjöbaden in 1893
Construction progressed and on May 10, 1893, Saltsjöbaden was inaugurated when the Grand Hotel and the railway were ready.
In place was none other than King Oscar II who solemnly declared that Saltsjöbaden was now open to the public. It was a day filled with festivities where the entire Swedish fleet docked in front of the hotel to fire a salute. On this particular day, Sweden had no defense. Now began the establishment of Stockholm's finest seaside resort, Saltsjöbaden, which would attract well-to-do inner-city residents to both vacation and build palatial residential buildings. With the new railway it was easy to get out to the exclusive area and its scenic surroundings. Even King Oscar II often returned with his family and guests to spend the summers enjoying salty baths and extravagance. Mellangårdsholmen or Kungsholmen as it was popularly called became the king's private bathing spot and today the islet belongs to Vår Gård and is called Vår Gård 's Holme.
Picture below: Mellangårdsholmen, which today is called Vår Gård 's islet
"Sweden's most modern seaside resort"
To advertise the place, a kind of advertisement for "Sweden's most modern seaside resort" was published.
Here is an excerpt from the brochure - Stockholm Saltsjöbaden, 1902 from the Wernerska Samlingarna: "Through its fresh sea air, which is, however, softened by surrounding coniferous and deciduous forests, Saltsjöbaden has a very pleasant climate, never troubled by any oppressive summer heat, and is therefore suitable particularly well for bathing and air spas both for the healthy and for convalescence centers.
In particular, Saltsjöbaden in the winter time, due to its refreshing nature and the silence that prevails then, is very beneficial for nervous and insomniac people". Not entirely different from that reason, guests from near and far still visit the beautiful resort that borders both the city and the archipelago.