Experiences have been scarce lately and cancellations have been plentiful. However, there is always an upside even with this as it makes you really super excited about the experiences that actually happen. We have long wanted to visit Bjertorp and as they say in the advertisement; "Suddenly it happens!". Once there, you are greeted by a solid stone portal, which makes you immediately understand that there is something else here than the typical West Gothic farmhouse.
The castle has nothing in common with the French fairytale castles but is characterised by the architectural ideals that were in vogue at the turn of the century. This means lots of natural materials, lines that meander like plants, irregular patterns and everything else associated with Art Nouveau.
The architect was Ferdinand Boberg, best known for buildings such as NK, Rosenbad and Valdemarsudde. An interesting anecdote is that when the architect was hired, he refused to take on the assignment as he thought it was a completely ridiculous idea to build a castle in the middle of the Vara Plain. However, he changed his mind when the client came back and said that he was given a completely free hand and an unlimited budget. What architect could resist such an offer? No sooner said than done, the architect produced a proposal but immediately ran into trouble as Mrs Littorin thought the house was far too small at just 1226m2. However, this was quickly resolved by the architect explaining that the measurements were not in cubits but in the somewhat newfangled metres and suddenly the castle was almost 60% larger, 1954m2. This was to her satisfaction and the castle was completed in 1914.
Coming from a wealthy family, Knut Henrik Littorin chose to take a simple job as an office boy in the Nobel oil group and was immediately stationed in Russia. However, he was an ambitious young man and quickly advanced within the group. When the palace was built, he was chairman of the group and also Norwegian consul in Moscow. When the Russian Revolution began, oil magnates were not popular and he had to flee headlong with the Bolsheviks hot on his heels. They caught up with him, but somehow during the escape he had managed to persuade the coachman that they should change clothes. The consul escaped and the coachman probably died a rich man.
The interior of the castle is mostly in the typical Art Nouveau style. Most of the furniture is original and designed by architect Boberg who was also a recognised furniture designer. You can also see occasional Russian influences that probably originate from the Littorin couple's time in Russia.
The castle has two suites that were previously the Littorin couple's respective bedrooms. We stayed in Mr Littorin's room and, as you can see in the pictures, it is decorated in dark wood and theme colours in gold and green. Mrs Littorin's room is much lighter with lots of marble and colours in red and white. An interesting detail in the rooms is that from Mr Littorin's bathroom there is a small anonymous door to Mrs Littorin's bedroom. This seems like a practical solution for a nightly rendezvous.
As for the consul's room, we really liked the vault with the hidden sliding doors and the beautiful tiled stove. A bit of a shame that you couldn't light a fire in the oven as it was quite cool in the room. Everything was new and fresh but it still felt like they renovated with care and thought to maintain the original feel of the room. Just outside the suite there was also an impressive pool table that reportedly weighs two tonnes.
After a few glasses of champagne in the room, it was time for the highlight of the stay, an eight-course chef's menu. In addition to the eight courses, they had also selected six wines that went perfectly with the food. We must honestly admit that we had expected a little less glasses but this was not the case, which perhaps meant that at the end of the meal you did not really perceive the nuances of the experience. You can't help but be impressed when you see a table setting for such a dinner.
What did we get on the plate? You can see the description below and overall all the food was very good and nicely presented. The wines also fit perfectly with the dishes, which really puts the icing on the cake. If we had to choose one dish, it would be the tartare which was exceptionally good with flavours that really married each other. Speaking of marrying, we were a little extra happy that they chose a Chianti Classico for the beef cheek as it made us remember our wonderful honeymoon to the Chianti region. In addition to the good food, there was excellent service and a relaxed atmosphere. We discussed exactly what good service is and realised that a very important aspect is that the staff sense how much attention the guest wants so that it is at the right level. Not too much and not too little. Here it was at a perfect level for us.
A fun detail was that in the middle of the meal, a young guy stood next to the waiter and looked a little shyly at us. We were probably a little foggy from all the wine because it took a while before we realised that it was the chef who had come out to ask us if everything tasted good and if we were satisfied. It was a nice touch and something that shows a genuine interest in making the guests feel good. It was extra fun that they had chosen to invest in such a young chef who was also not the stereotype of what a gourmet chef is expected to look like.
After the meal, we dragged ourselves back to the room, full, satisfied and perhaps a little unusually happy in our hats. It took about 4.5 seconds to fall asleep in the comfortable bed. In the morning there was a knock on the door and outside stood a waiter with a well-filled breakfast tray. It felt very luxurious to be served breakfast in the room. All these small details were really something that enhanced the experience. A nice welcome coffee when you arrived, champagne and truffles in the room and not least the excellent breakfast. All in all, it really made for an experience in the footsteps of Consul Littorin.
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