The coronavirus pandemic may have brought most of the global property market to a standstill but in Sweden, which never fully went into lockdown, a village has gone up for sale for 70 million Swedish krona ($7.3 million).
Satra Brunn is a “wellness village” on the outskirts of the Swedish capital of Stockholm.
The village dates back to 1700 when doctor Samuel Skragge discovered the water source at Satra and bought the surrounding land. He then built a well, well house, hospital, church and housing.
This was at a time when natural springs soared in popularity, as drinking and bathing in high-quality water was thought to have a rebalancing and healing effect on one’s health and wellbeing.
Word spread about the “healing properties” of Satra Brunn’s water, attracting the local elite to build summer homes on the land, which have since been donated to the land’s owners.
Guests were invited to drink the town’s water every day. Warm or cold plunge baths were also offered, as they were believed to help emotional imbalances.
Then in the 1740s, the grounds and houses were bought by a bishop from the city of Vasteras, who a few years later left it to Uppsala University, one of Sweden’s top universities.
In 2002, the university then sold Satra Brunn to 16 local entrepreneurs and the village has since been run as a spa and events venue.
Since 2015, a bottling business has also operated in the village, which is included in the sale. It is only one of seven springs to be awarded Sweden’s highest water purity designation.
The village itself stretches across almost 60 acres, with another 84 acres of undeveloped land included in the purchase.
Satra Brunn and all its real estate is registered as a limited company, meaning there are no restrictions for foreign buyers, according to broker Jonas Martinsson, who described the architecture of the village as a “walk through time.”
Residence Fastighetsmakleri, an affiliate of Christie’s International Real Estate in Sweden, holds the listing.
