Pataholm - a SPA resort with history
The soap and spa tradition has a long history in Pataholm.
In 1885, the spa resort Pataholm was founded. On the scenic island of Pataholm, along the coast of the Kalmar Strait, visitors were invited to experience a place that combined nature, health, and the beauty of the Swedish archipelago.
At the time, Pataholm was already known for its extraordinary surroundings. Contemporary descriptions speak of “nature’s beauty” – lush groves of both deciduous and pine forest, and a picturesque archipelago stretching out into the sea. It was in this unique landscape that the Brunns- och Badinrättning (spa and bathing establishment) opened its doors on the 10th of June 1885.
The spa followed the popular European health traditions of the 19th century. Water from Pataholm was analysed at the chemical station in Kalmar and described as comparable to the most renowned healing springs in Sweden. Guests could enjoy both natural and artificial mineral waters, reflecting the era’s belief in the therapeutic power of mineral baths.
Visitors came not only for the water but for the full spa experience. The bathhouse offered warm baths such as mud baths made with clay from Ronneby, pine-needle baths, salt baths, and medicinal treatments. A cold bathhouse by the sea allowed guests to bathe directly in the clear waters of the strait – a refreshing ritual typical of Nordic spa culture.
Life at Pataholm was also social and leisurely. It attracted artists and painters. Guests stayed at the Brunnshotellet or in rooms throughout the small town and nearby countryside. Meals were served at the hotel restaurant, and entertainment included sailing in the surrounding archipelago. Regular boat traffic connected Pataholm with coastal towns such as Kalmar, Borgholm, Mönsterås, and Oskarshamn, making the small resort part of a vibrant Baltic travel network.
What makes Pataholm unique is that even in the 19th century it combined several worlds in one place: maritime trade, rural calm, and spa culture inspired by European health resorts. The same landscape that attracted visitors in 1885 – the forests, the sea, and the quiet beauty of the archipelago – continues to define Pataholm today.
This small coastal village once welcomed travellers seeking health, nature, and community. More than a century later, that spirit still lives on in Pataholm.
Inspired by the spa menu once offered here, we have developed soaps of a quality that is hard to find today. Creating products that can be used in and around our oceans without harming them is the foundation on which we build our company today, in 2026.
Just like in 1885, we make our soaps using natural clay, sea salt, local plants and essential oils. Instead of the traditional pine bath, we offer soaps with juniper and pine, combined with clay, that you can enjoy in your own bathroom. We have also drawn inspiration from the scents of lavender and geranium, plants that we often see growing around Pataholm. Traditional Bread scents such as petit grain (pomerans) as well as fennel frequently return in our soaps.
Through these scents, we hope you will feel something of the atmosphere of this remote spa resort - a place so secluded that it ultimately could not survive the modernisation brought by the arrival of the railway.
Article about Pataholm Bath from May 9th 1885. The Spa is said to open on June 10th the same year.