Art & culture in the Baltic Sea region’s manors

Aristocratically cool: the new creative spirit behind old walls

If you thought it was all just hotels and history, think again. Today, many manors are places of art and culture

Seagulls and modern art, old glamour and the avant-garde – it’s hard to think where all this comes together as closely and attractively as it does in some of these “Baltic Manors” in the hinterland of the Baltic coast. The vastness of this landscape and the generosity of its historic architecture give you the inner peace you need to enjoy art in a new, more conscious way. If the various collections of painting, sculpture and photography inspire you to give it a try yourself, you can get creative in various workshops. And how about taking a look at history? There are many unexpectedly progressive things to discover in the region’s past – for example, at a cooking event in an original manor kitchen in Denmark that once belonged to a very progressive landowner. And then there’s a Baroque castle in Sweden where a feminist collective pays homage to a very independent 18th century countess.

Bicycle Tours in Baltic Manors regions

Tours to the Baltic Manors
We collected 20 bicycle tours in seven countries. Find your bicycle tour in Lithuania, Kaliningrad, Poland, Germany, Denmark and Sweden. The old houses are surrounded by amazing nature. Ride through woods, lakes and the coastline and meet interesting people and hosts in the Baltic Manors.

Follow this link to all tours with maps at komoot

Lolland-Falster, Denmark

The taste of history

Museum with a historic show kitchen
» More about the Reventlow Museum Pederstrup

The former manor house of the Reventlow family (Danish-German nobility) is now an exciting museum about manor house culture that appeals to all the senses. You learn in a very vivid way how this noble family lived – which was very progressive for its time. As a statesman, D.C.F. Reventlow (1748-1827) reformed Denmark’s agricultural and social policy, while his wife Frederikke brought up their eight children in an extremely modern and liberal way. Among other things, she dispensed with the strict dress code and attached great importance to a holistic education. The ‘show kitchen days’ in the historic kitchen are an absolutely unique experience. Every Thursday, the “Mamsell” heats up what is possibly Denmark’s oldest oven to bake and cook with those visitors interested in historical recipes. A great event, especially for families with children. The manor park is a wonderful place to stroll and picnic too.

“Fire in the oven” – A historical cooking event - takes place in the season. Find the calendar here

Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany

Modern photography behind old walls

Museum for contemporary photography 
» More about Kummerow Castle

Kummerow Castle on Kummerow Lake in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania has been exhibiting one of Germany’s most renowned private photo collections since 2016. The carefully restored Baroque castle has an exhibition area of more than 2,000 square metres. In these rooms, a remarkable resonance is created between art and a place where traces of the past have been deliberately preserved. Traces that bear witness to the building’s use in changing social orders and ideologies. In this way, the restored palace itself becomes a piece of highly expressive art too. Today, the two floors of the main building are reserved for the permanent exhibition of selected collection holdings, while the attic and the “Kabinett” – a small adjoining room – are used for annually changing special exhibitions. The collection features work by international artists, from Marina Abramović to Andreas Mühe and from Werner and Ute Mahler to Mira Yanagi. While the current special exhibition “A Journey” presents works by Arno Fischer, there is also the work of Heiko Krause to discover in the “Kabinett” exhibition. Kummerow Castle is less than a three-hour drive from Berlin.

 

Pomeranian Voivodeship, Poland

“Genius Loci” of a Pomeranian manor

A creative location for parties and workshops
» More about Pałac Grąbkowo

The artist Karolina Maria Gołębiowska is convinced that the special fluidity of her manor, the Pałac Grąbkowo, has inspired her painting style in a special way in recent years. Within the framework of workshops, guests can also be inspired by this “genius loci” and become Karolina Maria’s temporary art student. Together with her family, the artist has put her heart and soul into restoring the beautiful manor house and park, and since then she has been welcoming guests to art seminars as well as vernissages, celebrations and salon evenings. The chamber concerts and costume parties in Grąbkowo are also very popular. Those looking for a unique location for a particularly romantic wedding are also in the right place here.

A creative break at the manor:

  • Art workshops and seminars
  • Holiday in one of the 21 rooms
  • Parties, weddings, family celebrations
Mecklenburg-Western-Pomerania, Germany

Gallery and “Rising Star Residency”

International Contemporary Art
» More bout Buggenhagen Castle

Buggenhagen Castle is located only 2.5 hours from Berlin, near Anklam and just before the Baltic Sea island of Usedom. When art professor Till Richter discovered the then vacant building a few years ago, he knew that this was the place for him. He has turned Buggenhagen into a place for young artists from all over the world, a stage and a springboard for their careers. Every summer, three special talents are invited by a jury to create works at the 3-month “Rising Stars Residency”, which are then exhibited in the gallery. When Till Richter curates his own collection, as well as the temporary exhibitions here at Buggenhagen Castle today, it is somewhat reminiscent of the aristocratic art patrons of earlier times. Today, however, this includes painting and sculpture as well as photography and video art. In a certain sense, the figure of the art-loving lord of the manor has been reinvented with a great deal of creativity in this place.

Telšiai District, West-Lithuania

Art and Culture at Plungė Manor

Estate with 52 hectares of park in Žemaitija
» More about the Plungė art museum

The collection in Plungė is famous for its contemporary and historical art treasures, some of which come from this region and some of which have found their way to this special place from all over the world. The Plungė Manor is located in the northwest of Lithuania, in the region of Žemaitija, also known as Lower Lithuania. With its changing exhibitions, the Plungė Art Museum helps to promote local artists including those from the Žemaites community – an ethnic minority that has resided in this region since historical times and which was still pagan until 1413. The manor house complex, which was almost completely destroyed during the Second World War, has since been extensively restored. With great effort, the entire manor house ensemble has been revived and transformed into a lively and sophisticated home for culture enthusiasts.

To the Plungė Art Museum Blog

Southeast Skane, Sweden

At a ladies’ court

Christinehof Culture Castle
» More about Christinehof Castle

As a rule, a castle always has a lord who built it and ruled over it. Not so in the case of Christinehof Castle in the very southwest of Sweden. Here, we are talking about a very independent and influential woman. The golden Baroque castle was built in 1741 by Countess Christina Piper, who was one of the most successful businesswomen of her time. Since 2017, the cultural association “Christina’s Wänner” has been the operator of the castle and its concept aims to bring Piper’s history and her special entrepreneurial spirit back to life. At creative events and on authentic guided tours in historical costumes, the spirit of this exceptional 18th century figure appears before you. Today, Christinehof Castle is a vibrant cultural centre with a wide range of exhibitions, lectures and concerts. There is a café in the entrance hall, charmingly furnished in Gustavian style. Christinehof Castle is surrounded by a nature park with beautiful hiking trails that are accessible all year round.

manors are places of art and culture

creative spirit behind old walls

Celebrating a new life in old walls – and meeting many space pioneers

The Baltic Manor Festival

Let yourself be infected by the enthusiasm of the new owners during a guided tour of the house, take a stroll through castle parks in the mild evening light to the sounds of classical music and later have a personal conversation around the campfire with a glass of wine. What began in 2010 in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania as the so-called “Mittsommer Remise” is now also offered by many manors in Poland, Lithuania, Sweden and Denmark: a country party at a manor with live music, cultural performances and good food. No other region in the world has a higher density of manors than the southern Baltic region. In addition to the manors that always welcome guests with their hotels, restaurants and cultural venues, many privately used estates also invite guests to celebrate at the “Baltic Manor Festival”. Celebrating in the style of a lord of the manor, you might say, although today it is of course much more informal. During the guided tours, you can gain a vivid insight into the work in progress, the ideas behind the redevelopments and the visions of the space pioneers. It is a real joy to see how much new life and future potential is being created there.

Modern art in historic places

The festival of contemporary art in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern "KUNST heute" shows current art of regional and national artists in more than 130 places - including historic manor houses, castles and churches. It takes place from 30. September - 08.October 2023. The photo shows the project LANDart in the manor house Lexow in the lake district.