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In this place, where generations of lighthouse keepers once lived, the lighthouse has now been transformed into an award-winning destination with only nine rooms. As a guest, you will stay in the historic lighthouse keeper's residence and experience what it is like to live on the island and on the sea's terms.
Just an hour from Gothenburg and twenty minutes by boat from Marstrand, an experience awaits that offers both tranquility and drama. Here, nature and history come together to create a unique accommodation on the west coast, where every stay becomes an experience of a lifetime.
Staying at the Pater Noster is more than just a hotel visit - it's stepping into a story about the sea and the people who once lived here.
Since ancient times, seafarers have feared these waters.
The name Pater Noster, Latin for "Our Father", has been used as a prayer by sailors countless times before the ships dared to approach the jumble of islands and islets that make up the treacherous skerries. Almost a hundred islands spread out like a ribbon from the southwestern tip of Tjörn out to Hamneskär where Pater Noster is located.
Here, at the far end of the sea, in one of Sweden's most barren, windswept and exposed places, Pater Noster was eventually built - the king of lighthouses. A high-tech masterpiece that for more than a century guided, saved and gave hope to seafarers.
In the shadow of its protective light, the lighthouse families built their homes, creating a miniature community on an island that had always been considered uninhabitable. The lighthouse dwelling has also housed castaways who - despite the lighthouse's guiding light - were shipwrecked by the strong ocean currents and treacherous foundations. For more than a hundred years they lived out here, on the terms of the island and the sea.
The Pater Noster lighthouse Pater Noster in 1868 on the island Hamneskär the renowned engineer Nils Gustaf von Heidenstam, who was also commissioned to develop a lighthouse system along the Swedish coast.
The Heidenstam lighthouses, the so-called Heidenstammers, were designed as open iron pillar towers. The design was simple and ingenious. The lighthouse was built in sections, three to seven, and could thus be varied in height. Pater Noster has one storey more than the other lighthouses built by Heidenstam - hence Pater Noster is called the "king of lighthouses".
Pater Noster is the most famous and stately iron lighthouse. It took 4 months to assemble Pater Noster and on November 1, 1868, it was lit with the help of lighthouse keepers who lived on the island. The lighthouse crew consisted of 3 families: the lighthouse keeper, the lighthouse keeper and the lighthouse assistant with their wives and children.
In 1977, Pater Noster was extinguished and replaced by the caisson lighthouse Hätteberget. Pater Noster ended its service and had to be dismantled due to the wear and tear it had been subjected to in the harsh weather.
For more than 30 years, the non-profit association Friends of Pater Noster fought for its lighthouse and finally got help from other actors, such as private individuals, industry and finally the state, to have the lighthouse completely renovated.
In July 2002, Pater Noster was lifted from her foundation on a barge. After extensive renovation, great efforts and large financial contribution, she was lifted on July 4, 2007 back on her foundation on the island Hamneskär. Today she shines for recreational and fishing boats and for all of us who are in love with Pater Noster, all the way to the mainland and the surrounding islands.
If you don't suffer from vertigo, you're more than welcome to climb the 32-meter-high Pater Noster Lighthouse, where you'll have a great view of the island, the sea and the horizon.
Pater Noster is since 2015 a state building monument with a high cultural and historical value that we want to preserve and take care of. We want to recreate certain parts of the lighthouse environment, such as the old lighthouse gardens. We also wish to bring back the old foghorn cannons that once stood by the foghorn house.
The lighthouse environment is unique with its lighthouse tower, foghorn house, dwelling house, powder house, photo booth, boathouse and outhouse.
As West Coast natives, the five of us who run Pater Noster have a great love for this place. We aspire to highlight the history and life of the island as it has been for 150 years. We live and breathe the salty breezes, the fresh air and are inspired by the winds of history.
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At Pater Noster we care about your comfort and want to give you a good night's sleep. That's why we have chosen to have DUX beds in all our rooms. The Swedish-designed bed has one goal, to deliver deep, restful sleep with perfect comfort so that you wake up refreshed and ready for the next day's experiences on the island. To find out more about the full range of DUX beds and furniture, click onwards.
Most interested in the sea around the island is Royal Court supplier Poseidon Diving Systems, which develops state-of-the-art products for all categories of divers. Since 1958, the Gothenburg-based company has been inventing groundbreaking equipment and pushing both technology and design. Discover the wonders of the sea and the moments that surround them during your stay with us with equipment from Poseidon.
In 2020, designers at Stylt transformed the old residence of generations of lighthouse keepers into a unique and personal boutique hotel. Located on an isolated and windswept island on the Swedish West Coast, the house was built in 1868 at the same time as the lighthouse Pater Noster. Stylt created the interior design concept using the dramatic history of the island, its former inhabitants and the surrounding nature as sources of inspiration.
Over 70 years have passed since the Swedish founder of Tylö built his first sauna heater. With solid traditions in craftsmanship, long experience and pride in its heritage, Tylö offers completely unique sauna experiences - something that we at Pater Noster fell for and thought fit especially well in our genuine and absolutely outstanding archipelago environment.
With the help of our friends, we have created that special feeling that highlights and enhances the history of Pater Noster and the lighthouse families. All our friends are deeply in love with the place and interested in the history of life on the island. Their strong commitment helps us to deliver the highest quality and make your experience unique and memorable.