Our philosophy, responsibility and history
Your visit to Kolarbyn is not only an unforgettable experience, it is also an important contribution to the people who live in the neighborhood. Together we preserve the nature and culture you have come to experience.
Your contribution to the nature & culture
During your stay in Kolarbyn you will experience some of the local and organic that we have chosen to work with. We choose KRAV certified products as much as possible. Kolarbyn is an environmentally friendly accommodation built in natural materials. We avoid chemicals and toxins. Part of the proceeds received by the Kolarbyn goes directly to the conservation of nature and culture in different projects.
We preserve charcoaling
In August 2004 Kolarbyn started a project to make the old tradition of charcoaling to live on in Skinnskatteberg. Charcoaling is an old-fashioned method of producing charcoal in kilns for the extraction of iron, the people in Skinnskatteberg have done it for more than 400 years. When iron production was replaced with modern methods, the demand for charcoal reduced and today the knowledge of charcoaling is disappearing with the older generations. In Kolarbyn and the area around there are hundreds of remains of charcoal kilns, which testifies to the glory days when the iron built up the Swedish econmy. In order to make the tradition survive, Skinnskatteberg Municipality builds twelve charcoal huts at Kolarbyn in 1996. In 2004 Kolarbyn reformed to be a hostel, Skinnskatteberg municipality expressed a high desire to the hostel to keep up with the tradition. Since Kolarbyn became a hostel, there has been at least one charcoal kiln per year, sometimes more. A popular feature among local residents who gathered to watch the coal kiln. The knowledge was already operational and many younger people have helped to watch the kiln at night. Vindros (the company that runs Kolarbyn today) contribute money by letting some part of the proceeds go to the purchase of charcoal burning and other materials needed. An important person in the project is Bernt-Olof Johansson, also called Piltorpar’n (with A certificate of charcoaling) with extensive experience in charcoaling.
The next kiln is planned for the summer, often around Saturday 18th of August. We are constantly working on developing additional opportunities to conserve charcoal culture for future generations.
Thank you for your participation!
By being a guest in Kolarbyn you will help to keep up with the tradition of charcoaling. You are also welcome to join and work with the kiln when it is running, a tough but fun work. Thank you for your participation!