I love a weekend get-away don't you? A few weeks back I was invited to visit
Wanås Restaurant Hotel, a design hotel on the Wanås estate, deep in the heart of the Skåne countryside here in Southern Sweden. The magnificent estate is also home to a fairytale medieval fortress, a Sculpture Park (
Wanås Konst) and an organic farm. Doesn't that sound romantic?! And guess what? It also tied in perfectly with my husband's birthday! Needless to say, I was packing our weekend bag faster than I could say
"Ja!". Here are a few pictures I captured from our magical stay.
Wanås has a long history of inviting guests and art lovers, however, it wasn't until May. 2017 the estate opened its first hotel. Located in a converted 18th century building, architect Kristina Wachtmeister (one of the members of the family seat who lives on the estate) joined forces with Amundsen + Jansson to create the eleven room hotel. The team worked hard to maintain many of the original details of the building, including 1 metre thick walls and beautiful beams and created an interior that combines "Nordic design and sustainability, with locally sourced materials".
One of our favourite rooms was the communal lounge. We completely made ourselves at home by the fire with a drink (so perfect for warming the cockles after a snowy walk through the sculpture park!).
Pictures: 'Pappa och jag' by Ylva Ogland and 'En annan väg' by Ann-Sofi Sidén to the right.
Another thing that makes the lounge toasty is that guests are invited to pour themselves a cup of coffee (or something stronger from the bar) and curl up on the sofa with an art and design book from the library (I might even have added my own one!).
Kristina was keen to use local resources wherever possible. The stairway leading to the first floor is made from oak from the estate.
All eleven hotel rooms have been individually decorated. Ours had high vaulted ceilings with original beams, as well as a small library of books, specially designed furniture by
Christian Halleröd Design and a B&O Bluetooth speaker to play our favourite tunes! It would have been fairly easy to hang out there
all weekend!
I LOVED the pink tiles with black grouting in the en-suite bathroom. How fab are they? I think I might just have to steal this idea at home? We were also treated to an
Ifö roll-top bath (love a good soak, how about you?!).
After a little chilling, we tucked into the most delicious brunch at the Wanås restaurant. The menu is influenced by its surroundings: "the forests teeming with game, mushrooms, berries, and the organic farm that produces milk and meat, as well as vegetables."
Pictured: RUBN lights & Hans Wegner sofa upholstered in leather from the Wanås estate. Note to Local friends - don't miss this brunch if you head to the sculpture park for the day!! Then again, you do kinda want to stay the night or you'll miss out on the four course supper - a true testimony to the chef's vision, and no doubt one of the reasons why the restaurant is included in The White Guide, 2018.
Skåne being Skåne, you can never quite rely on the weather. But as the famous Swedish saying goes: "there's no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing," and Wanås Restaurant Hotel has it covered with a very handy mudroom complete with
Stutterheim raincoats (also available
here) and different sized wellies for guests to borrow!
So, it was in this vein we wondered out to
Wanås Konst which can be glimpsed behind the medieval fortress (home to the Wachtmeister family and often accommodating artists from all over the world working on their exhibits).
Run by an independent, non-profit foundation, the estate houses 70 site-specific contemporary artworks outdoors and inside the gallery. In the winter the indoor gallery (and shop) is closed for a few months (it's open between end of March until December) but there were plenty of incredible pieces to view in the park alone, including works by
Anna Hamilton,
Yoko Ono and
Ann-Sofi Sidén. Just as we stepped out the sun appeared from nowhere and the golden light filtered through the trees, placing a halo around the snowflakes falling from the sky. It was magical!
If you're anything like me and feel the need to touch EVERYTHING, you'll be pleased to hear many of the sculptures are interactive, with some artists even claiming their work isn't complete without people on them, in them or by them. This also makes it a GREAT place for families!
Featured sculptures: 'Two Different Anamorphic Surfaces' by Dan Graham, 'Together and Apart' by Antony Gormley, 'Old Sow Between The Trees' by Hannelie Coetzee, and 'A House for Edwin Denby' by Robert Wilson.
I have to say, we were sad to leave! If you're visiting Sweden I can
SO recommend a weekend stay at this magical hotel - or if time is of the essence, at least swing by for brunch and a lovely walk (art and Swedish nature - what's not to love?!).
"This year will be colourful, sparkling and large scale. We're very excited," says Elisabeth Millqvist.
And who are we to miss out?!
A big thank you to everyone who made us feel so welcome at
Wanås Restaurant Hotel including Kristina, Sofia and Elisabeth! It was an incredible weekend and we can't wait to visit again soon!
Photography: all pictures by Niki Brantmark / My Scandinavian Home except the kitchen, dining table and bathroom which are by Magnus Marding. *This was press trip to Wanås Restaurant Hotel, however all words are my own and I only ever recommend places to visit that I love and think you will too!
