Hindsgavl Slot, Middlefart

Location

Located on the western tip of Funen, an island in Denmark’s Middelfart municipality, Hindsgavl Slot is ideally situated for exploring the beautiful Danish countryside. The castle’s vegetable garden, which furnishes its kitchens with fresh herbs and produce, opens onto a 165-hectare deer park, which provides excellent walks through forests, ponds and rolling hills. On Funen, visitors can experience zoological gardens, open-air museums and an extensive collection of carefully preserved castles and manor houses.

Accommodation

At the castle, rooms are predictably luxurious. The exposed brickwork of the castle walls create an atmospheric contrast to the fabric-covered headboards and white ceilings. Whether overlooking the gardens, river or deer park, expect excellent views. If you’d prefer somewhere more contemporary, there are also rooms available in the recently converted stable block.

Dining

The castle’s restaurant, The White Lady, has recently been recognised by the White Guide 2015/16 as one of “Denmark’s Best Restaurants”. Owing much of its success to the fruit and vegetables from the castle’s garden, the restaurant relies heavily on local produce. With homemade bread and pastries, honey, jam, chocolate and cold cuts, the breakfast buffet is a particular highlight. The lunch menu features favourites such as Caesar salad, steak burgers in rosemary buns and fish fillets while dinner is a five course feast. A typical meal consists of spiced pumpkin soup, lemon butter monkfish, skin fried mullet on a spinach sauté, braised pork cheek and, for dessert, hazelnut macaroons with blackberries and vanilla ice cream.

Facilities

Aside from deer and sculpted gardens, the 40,000 square meter castle grounds are home to Sorgenfri house where Hans Christian Andersen, surely inspired by the picturesque locale, wrote his now-famous love poetry. Enjoy guided or private walks with views of Fænosund River to one side and the 800-year-old castle to the other. Nightcaps in the form of cocktails and drams of brandy are available in the castle’s intimate bar or terrace. Summed up by Andersen, the castle has “the most beautiful view in Funen… almost in Denmark”.