Hotel Bretagne - The history of Bretagne and Honbaek

In the past when people were superstitioues there lived a big monster in Hornbaek lake.

The monster was called Lakenikken. Sometimes it changes its body . One day it became a horse walking around on a field near the lake.

A farmer who was walking in the field, behaved like it was one of his own horses, so he took it for his plough and suddenly the horse jumped into the lake and was gone forever.

Hotel Hornbækhus
Hotel Villa Strand
Sophienberg Slot

In 1897 the building was completed and taken into use as a hospitale by Doctor A.C.P. Reiersen. Already in April 1905 the hospital changed owners. It was now taken over by Doctor Einar Brünniche (Dr. in medicine). One of the streets in Hornbaek is named after Doctor Brünnice.

Doctor Brünnice became well known – not only in Denmark – but also in foreign countries. Among the well known Danish patients we can mention the famous Skagen painter P.S. Kroeyer. Also the artist Holger Drachmann, who both painted and wrote poetry used the clinic – he actually died there in 1908.

Due to an increasing demand for hotel rooms, the clinic was changed into Hotel Bretagne in 1932.

In the recent years the hotel has been renovated and are now – again – accommodating guests, who wish to enjoy the unique location by the lake overlooking Kattegat.

The history of Hornbaek

A mention of Hornbæk as a community liable to taxes is found in Esrum Abbey´s Letter Book from 1497. The abbey laid down copyholder Olaf Bendtsen´s rent at 1 barrel of fish, others only had to deliver half a barrel. Agriculture was not the principal source of income, but it was fishing in Øresund (or the Sound), which was rich in herring in those days.

More than 500 years have passed since then, and a few events should by mentioned. The present Hornbæk Church was inaugurated in 1737. There had been two churches on the site before, but they fell victims to the rough climate with sand drift on the north coast. Today 266 years old, the church is surrounded by the fishing hamlet´s houses, sheltered by plantations to the east and west and displaying spendid interior, including the medieval baptismal font with lion figures, four votive ships from the time of the English War 1807 - 14 and an altarpiece by the artist C.V. Eckersberg.

In 1774 an English vessel was shipwrecked in the bay off Villingebæk. Five members of the crew were drowned, but fishermen from Hornbæk were alarmed and heroically went out to bring the only survivor, the skipper, safely ashore. This rescue aroused much attention in the press, and author Johs. Ewald was later inspired to his play "Fiskerne" (The Fishermen) whose scene is laid in Hornbæk. Here a fisherman sings "Kong Christian stod ved højen mast", which has been Denmark´s official royal anthem since 1906. Fishermens in Honbaek

In the 1870s Hornbæk was discovered by artists like Kristian Zahrtmann, P.S. Krøyer, Viggo Johansen and Carl Locher. In his paintings Krøyer depicted the fishermen´s work at sea and ashore, while Johansen had their domestic life as his theme. A well-known marine painter, Locher had permanent residence in Hornbæk during the period 1881 - 89. His house can still be seen at Østre Stejlebakke. Holger Drachmann was active in Hornbæk both as a painter and poet.

The atmosphere of the beach is described in his poems "Sange ved havet" ("Songs by the Sea", 1877) and the fishermen´s life in his collection of short stories "På sømands tro og love" (1878).

The artists were followed by the tourists. They would stay in the fishermen´s homes at the beginning, but then the first houses intended for summer stays were built west of Hornbæk in Kystvej and Lyngvej. The openeing of Hornbæk Railway in 1906 enabled Copenhagen businessmen to visit their families on Sundays. On the introduction of the holidays acts stipulating the duration of working days and holidays, many more people could visit Hornbæk, enjoying the pebble-free beach with views to Kullen and the Scanian coast of Sweden - an almost Italian environment. Pensions and hotels were opened, there were a total of 14 in town in the 1930s. The inn on the harbour was extended to become a seaside hotel, Hornbæk beachhotel, whose old buildings were demolished in 1935 to be replaced by a large functionalistic hotel, marketed as the most fashionable in North Sealand. In the 1940s, eight of the famous Hornbæk Revues were performed at the hotel, produced by Stig Lommer. After a financial crisis, the hotel was sold in 1952 to be used as a hospital for polio victims and today it is called Fysiurgisk Hospital, a physiotherapeutic department at the State University Hospital.

During the prosperous 1960s, the holiday home areas were supplemented with parcels of farms in Horneby, Stenstrup and Saunte. Today these areas almost have the appearance of coniferous woods sheltering wooden cottages along their tarmac roads. Hornbæk´s time as hometown for professional fishermen is today a thing of the past. The harbour has become a popular yacht harbour and extended with a new basin and piers. A wide selection of shopping facilities are available, the basis for which is provided by the local population of about 5.000 and the visiting tourists. Today, Hornbæk is a modern holiday and seaside resort and a commercial centre with a rich history and clubs and associations representing a wide variety of interests.

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