In the Norwegian coastal city, Haugesund, Lothes Mat & Vinhus is one of those restaurants that keeps things traditional. But could it be that some of the former residents of the house are behind the strange things that have been going on for decades?
Overlooking the dark waters of the Smedasundet Sound, Lothes Mat & Vinhus, appears inviting. Warm lights glow through tall windows. Glasses clink. Conversation hums softly over carefully prepared food and wine. It is the kind of place where history feels tasteful rather than threatening.
Read More: Check out all ghost stories from Norway
But once the evening quiets and the last guests leave, something else takes a seat upstairs.
A house with a scarred past
The building that now houses Lothes Mat & Vinhus was originally constructed in 1850 as a private residence by Ole Evensen. As the custom was then, they moved the entire house, so it could be even older, maybe by centuries. It stood through decades of change in Haugesund, watching ships pass and industry rise along the waterfront.
Then, in 1905, fire tore through the structure. The blaze destroyed much of the building and claimed the life of one man. Who he was, how he lived, and why he was there that night remains largely unknown. His name has faded from record. His presence, according to those who work here, has not. But is he the only ghost lingering?
Sounds without a source
In this house, Lothes Mat & Vinhus has maintained a high gastronomic profile since 1989 after Lothe took over it and made it into a restaurant, wine bar and cafe. Ever since then, people have told him about the haunting going on behind the walls and over the years, he and his staff experienced it himself.
The second floor of Lothes Mat & Vinhus is where the stories concentrate. Footsteps crossing empty rooms. Drawers opening and slamming shut on their own. Glasses shifting, sometimes falling, sometimes shattering without explanation.
These events do not announce themselves dramatically. They happen suddenly, without warning, and often when only one person is present. Lothe himself mentioned that the strange things happened mostly in the early afternoon or late at night before and after the guests have left.
Chairs are dragged out from the table and placed in the middle of the rooms. He also says that he has seen a curly haired older woman looking out from the window as he comes and goes.
The Dead Man in the Corner
Is the man haunting the house this unknown man who perished in the fire, or is it actually something that happened decades later that are the root of the haunting?
In 1930 a man called Karl Heggedal went through the ice and drowned together with three boy scouts at Villduen. He was put in one of the corners on the second floor for a week as they watched over his corpse. Right behind it is his picture as well as a picture of his funeral.
When a psychic took a walk through the house, she mentioned that he was probably one haunting it as well. As a religious man and officer of the salvation army, the psychic speculated that he might not be too happy with the wine they are serving at the restaurant. Even when Lothe opened his restaurant in the 80s, the politicians giving permission to serve alcohol were skeptical, being a fairly religious and strong ties to the prohibitionist movement in the early 1900s.
A presence that does not like to be alone
Employees report a shared reluctance to be alone in the building after hours, and some have even closed up early because they didn’t dare to stay there any longer. The cleaner used to work at night, but there was a sense that someone was nearby, listening, moving just out of sight. Lights remain on longer than necessary. Doors are double checked. Conversations continue even when no one is answering.
The activity is strongest upstairs, where dining rooms fall silent after closing. More than one staff member has left early rather than remain alone with the sounds.
The spirit does not seem violent. But it is unmistakably disruptive.
A haunting beneath elegance
Lothes Mat & Vinhus remains one of Haugesund’s most beloved restaurants. Its food is celebrated. Its atmosphere is admired. Most guests leave with nothing more than a good meal and a pleasant memory.
But when night deepens and the building empties, the second floor tells a different story. At Lothes Mat & Vinhus, not every guest needs a reservation.
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References:
Haunted Inns and Ghosts of Norway