Barony Rosendal

The Barony Rosendal is the most well-known attraction in Kvinnherad. The barony is often referred to as "The smallest castle in Scandinavia".

The history of the Barony dates back to the 1650s, when the nobleman Ludwig Rosenkrantz came to Bergen as commissioner of war for the Danish king. At a ball at the fortress of Bergenhus he met Karen Mowatt, sole heiress to the largest fortune of the country at the time. Her father was a great landowner, and had more than 550 farms all over the western part of Norway. They married in 1658, and were given the farm Hatteberg in Rosendal as a wedding present.

In 1661 Ludwig Rosenkrantz started building his own castle in Rosendal. He completed this in 1665, and the castle was in private ownership until 1927, when the last owner donated it to the University of Oslo. The castle is now a museum. A guided tour of the castle takes you through the different periods of time from 1665 up to 1930. The oldest restored rooms are still like they were decorated in the early 1800s.

In 1678 the castle was elevated to the status of barony - the only one of its kind in Norway. Around 1850, a beautiful renaissance garden was laid out around the castle. The garden is often referred to as the most magnificent "Victorian garden" in Norway. Among other things around 2000 roses in blossom can be experienced here (June - November).

The families in the Barony Rosendal were important people of cultural Norway. Authors Henrik Ibsen, Jonas Lie, Alexander Kielland and painters Hans Gude and Anders Askvoll visited the castle often. Musicians like Edvard Grieg and Ole Bull were guests here. Often there were concerts in the Barony Rosendal — a tradition which is still kept alive.

External links

* http://www.baroniet.no/