In March, ThorNews wrote about the abandoned Luster Sanatorium – aka Harastølen – a historical early 20th century building located in Luster, Sogn og Fjordane county. Now, the sanatorium has finally got new owners, and the price: 1 Norwegian krone (16 cents).

• Read more: Luster Sanatorium Given Away for Free

The couple Barbro and Morten Solem is moving all the way from Lofoten to start a new life on the Norwegian West Coast – nearly 950 miles. Morten tells local newspaper Firda that he and his wife always have dreamed of renovating such an “impossible” project.

– This is a typical project I have longed for. I saw the ad and thought, “we got to buy this”, he says.

None of them have any relation to Luster, and as they got to know exciting history of Harastølen they decided to buy it.

– It is important that the history is passed on, and fate wanted us to discover Harastølen, Morten says.

The new owners are not afraid to pull up their sleeves and start working. Their idea is that the building shall be renovated to meet the current safety requirements so that visitors get a sense of being back in 1903 when the building was new.

In the future, Harastølen will become a health center for all ages, but with a focus on children and adolescents with different diagnoses, syndromes and disabilities.

– We want to use the surrounding nature for different activities, like go hiking or perhaps animal care, so that the children who come here will have an exciting experience. Unfortunately, some children with diagnoses are being set aside in the society. Our surroundings are not always adapted to their needs, and that is something we want to put an end to, Morten says.

The idea comes from his wife Barbro. She has health care education, and is not pleased with the current rehabilitation services for children and young people. How many patients Harastølen can receive is yet uncertain.

– We need to get a better overview of the area and the building before we can make such decisions. We would like to welcome whole families, not just the children, Morten says.

In addition, Barbro and Morten are planning to build a museum inside the sanatorium with artifacts from when Harastølen were a home for tuberculosis patients.

Despite a symbolic investment in the physical building, it is far from free to put it in order. The couple does not have an exact price of what the renovations will cost, but we are talking about millions of dollars.

– We have received financial support, but the project has not yet been fully funded. This is something we are working with, and it looks promising, says Morten.

The couple specifies that all contributions are important for future work.

According to the plan, the first priority is to secure the construction. The main renovation will start next year, and the couple envisions that the building will be completed in three years.

See more photos from Harastølen here

Text by: Anette Broteng Christiansen, ThorNews

Source and photos: Firda

Categories: Quirky