Serampore, Kolkata (India): 232-year old Denmark Tavern reopens

In Serampore, Kolkata (India), a 232-year old hotel & tavern has reopened for business travellers and tourists. The Denmark Tavern has been restored and is ready for bookings. The opening ceremony of the historic building was attended by ambassadors and envoys from Denmark, Norway, Finland, Iceland and Sweden.

The hotel and tavern is one of the last remnants of Danish presence in India; over the past two years, it has been restored and refurbished as a cafe with six hotel rooms. The city of Serampore is several centuries old and has witnessed both the growth and decline of the feudal system, the coming of the Danes and their settlement.

According to a report The Hindu, the historic building was a ruin for a long time. Its historic meaning was lost until in 2010, more than 200 years after the tavern’s heyday, a group of restoration experts studied it. They found that this building used to be an 18th century inn for sailors, where the Danes had kept their flagstaff and cannons. It was decided that the building would be restored and reused.

In two years, builders restored the tavern to its former glory as part of Serampore Initiative, a restoration programme for several Danish heritage structures led by the National Museum of Denmark.

The hospitality chain owned by the Apeejay Surrendra Group will manage the property of The Denmark Tavern.

Further reading on thehindu.com

Image by Sangita Paul/West Bengal Tourism Development Corporation/National Museum of Denmark