A place with
history in the walls
ABOUT VILMA
Some places don't need to make up a story. They already have one.
01 / BEFORE VILMA
A place that has been here long before us.
At the edge of the Oslofjord, close to Filtvet guy, people have been coming to eat, drink, bathe, live and be together for well over a hundred years.
This is such a place. A place where the sea has always been close, where boats have been a part of everyday life, and where summer guests, artists, life enthusiasts and curious people have come to get a little further away from everyday life.
The story begins long before Vilma Sjøbad – and actually long before Villa Malla.
FILTVET LIGHTHOUSE BETWEEN 1890 AND 1900 / IMAGE FROM THE ARCHIVES
02 / SUMMER PARADISE
Then Filtvet became a little holiday paradise.
Already towards the end of the 19th century, Filtvet has become a popular summer and holiday destination. The regular boats made the place more accessible, and Filtvet developed into a small swimming and holiday paradise by the fjord.
The hotel business flourished here, and around 1900 the Swiss villa stood, which would later become Filtvet Hotel completed. Later the place would be named as Filtvet Bath and Hurum Beach Hotel.
A SMALL MOMENT FROM 1894
You can almost imagine it.
And then there was this with the artists.
During the place's early heyday, several of the great artists of the time sought refuge there. Filtvet Edvard Munch and Christian Krohg were among those who spent summers here.
And Munch actually left behind a little evidence.
In one of his sketchbooks from 1894, he wrote about a dinner at Filtvet The date was July 9th.
A warm summer day. The fjord in front of the house. A few glasses on the table. Artists, summer guests and locals letting the day slowly turn into evening.
Maybe that's exactly why people came here at that time.
And maybe that's why people still come here today.
03 / VILLA MALLA
A new chapter began in 2006.
After a long history as a hotel, seaside resort and gathering place, the place was known for many years as Hurum Strandhotell.
When Sonja Lee and Laurent Surville took over the then dilapidated property in 2006, the next chapter began. After an extensive renovation, Villa Malla opened in 2007 and was once again Filtvet to a destination for food, swimming, music, weddings and long days by the fjord.
For almost twenty years, Villa Malla became a beloved stopping place for people who came both by land and sea from the Oslo Fjord and the rest of the world.
VILMA SJØBAD / 2024
04 / VILMA SJØBAD
But good places rarely stand still.
In 2024 the next chapter began and Villa Malla became Vilma Sjøbad .
We didn't want to erase what had been. Quite the opposite. We wanted to preserve all the beauty that already existed here – the sea, the beach, the history, the house, the lighthouse, the boats and the feeling of being a little disconnected from the rest of the world – and create something new out of it.
A hotel. A restaurant . A beach. A pier. Music, dinners, long lunches, late nights and slow mornings. A place where you can come for a coffee and stay for dinner.
Where you can jump into the sea before breakfast, order something cold for lunch and end the day with a glass of wine as the sun disappears behind the fjord.
Just like people have done here for generations.
WHAT WE BELIEVE IN
The best places aren't just buildings. They're people, food, music, stories, and moments.
05 / TIME FOR NEW STORIES
A shared philosophy.
Today it is operated Vilma Sjøbad of Byliv – the people behind several of the places that have received Oslo to live a little more. The Culture Arena Tower, TAKET at Steen & Strøm, BAR Tjuvholmen, Hôtel Charmante, FYR, Stallen and Villani are some of the projects in the bag.
What they have in common is the belief in the same thing:
That the best places aren't just buildings. They're people, food, music, stories and moments that stay a little longer than you thought.
That's also what we want Vilma to be. A new chapter in a very old place.
So welcome to Vilma Sjøbad . Eat something good. Take a bath. Stay overnight. And feel free to write your own story in the house.
There has been room for many before you.