GULDKAGGEN – A FRIEND OF YESTERYEAR

GULDKAGGEN 1800-CENTURY 2Google translate:

Burgsvik is one of Gotland’s oldest ports (lanthamnar). In the picture above you can see the long Pier and Harbour magazine Hamnmagasinet was built in the 1600 ‘s, but this unique and early photograph is from the late 1800 ‘s and is on display in the Gotlands Fornsal. 

Guldkaggen 1900

The photograph above gives a clear picture of how hamnmagasinet looked like a chilly winter day at the turn of the century. The photograph is the property of Öja Church bys cultural association.

The pictures below were taken by Guldkaggens previous owners Barbro Eriksson, probably from 1969-1982.

Guldkaggen and grinding stone, 30-40?

Guldkaggen, the 70 's? Guldkaggen on distance, 70-80 's Guldkaggen with stone PierGuldkaggen, early 80s

The four color pictures above represent Barbro Eriksson’s Guldkaggen from the early 1980s. Photo: Barbro Eriksson

History:

Barbro takes over port warehouse 1969

Barbro Eriksson bought the port warehouse 1969. She came as a single mother with three young children to Gotland (from Stockholm) in order to find a place to live. After many trips back and forth across the island she finally fell head over heels for the old port warehouse in London.

Barbro bought the warehouse for 37 000 SEK.  The intention from the beginning was not at all that she would open a restaurant or Café or even an ice cream kiosk. She just wanted to stay in a beautiful place. She often stood in the window of the 3rd floor, (where she had her apartment from 1980) watching the beautifully view with sea on three sides.

When Barbro and the children moved in they camped early years indoors, there was nothing in there. No interior walls, hardly any floor, strange roof, a faucet with cold water at the bottom of the ground floor. Food was cooked on the kerosene stove. Then she began to slowly but surely to refurbish, rebuild, repair and build new. Not all by herself, of course, but she has often told how she hauled wheelbarrows with stone, mortar, planks and more. To her relief, she had some old men on the island of Gotland to help her and the the children.

While the work was going on the first real tourism come to the Marina in Burgsvik. Boat tourists went of course first to Guldkaggen and asked for coffee, waffles and ice cream, and asked if she had a washing machine. That’s how it began in the early 1970s. Barbro thought she could BREW a pot of coffee, she could also run a washing machine and bake a waffle at a time when people asked for it. The kids got beautiful start selling some ice cream in “red shed” She began even then decorate the red shed so people could sleep there.  The menu expanded year after year, from the Castle Cook to chicken and dumplings. At the beginning of the 80s it became a real restaurant with food prepared from scratch. Under chef Michael Appelqvists year the restaurant was several times mentioned in the ‘ best Road food “and had most of the summer days quite crowded both on the inside and outdoor seating.

Source: Towe & Venkat (daughter-in-law and son of Barbro Eriksson)

Guldkaggen was sold in 2006 to Alm & Co. In 2014 four families In 2006 Guldkaggen again with restaurant, Cafe and bars. Thanks Barbro to you created such a wonderful place!