Torreby Castle – join us on our regal adventure!
Torreby Castle – join us on our regal adventure!
Did you know that we have a Swedish castle with a fabulous golf course in our hotel family? Torreby Slott in Munkedal, not far from Uddevalla, is the perfect place for a weekend getaway with a loved one, a golf weekend with friends, a birthday celebration or perhaps even a ghost hunt? We've tried absolutely everything that this nineteenth century castle has to offer – and trust us, you'll certainly want to go there as soon as you've read the article!
We’re two moderately discerning ladies in our thirties, and we’re driving down a country lane heading towards Torreby Castle. When the majestic building appears before our eyes like something out a fairytale, and all we can think is: “Wow!”
We sit up straight and adopt a more regal pose. In addition to the stunning castle, we’re also blown away by the lush green golf course that surrounds it, which is in fact one of Europe’s very best park golf courses.
Not to be forgotten of course is that this castle is also a hotel, where greats such as Ingrid Bergman and the Monegasque princes have stayed! You can also have dinner and visit the hall where Greta Garbo once twirled around the dancefloor.
Hotel Manager Niklas Karlsson greets us at the beautiful fountain outside the castle that really adds an extra touch of elegance to the surroundings.
"There’s a lot of history here, but to give you a quick summary before you check in, I can tell you that Torreby Castle was built in 1887 having been commissioned by Norwegian businessman Niels Georg Sørensen."
It was sold by the family in 1948, and in 1960, the new owner Stig Widell had the surrounding fields and orchards turned into a golf course, and a club was formed a year later. First the course had 9 holes, before being expanded to include 18 holes.”
"This is actually Sweden’s oldest golf course and golf club,” Niklas states proudly.
Driving in style – in a golf buggy
We think all golf enthusiasts out there should be thanking Stig Widell for this impressive golf course! We almost end up wishing that we played golf, just for the chance to experience this unique place properly. Imagine sunshine, stunning natural surroundings, freshly cut green grass, fruit trees at holes 1, 2 and 9 (dating back to 1908 and now the only remaining trees of the original 2,500 that were once here at the castle), as well as Sweden’s largest and deepest fjord, Gullmarn.
Green, green grass as long as the eye can see.
Fancy playing some golf in this fabulous setting?
The golf course is literally right next to Torreby Castle.
Niklas wonders whether we might like to try out the golf buggy and do some putting. Neither of us can play, and we quickly spot the pros in their fancy outfits, no doubt having a good laugh at us as we pretend to look like we belong here on the golf course. We can skip the golf part, but we’d be more than happy to try out the golf buggy again!
An idyllic location to say the least!
We set off on the little golf buggy and quickly understand why this is one of Europe’s best golf courses. We drive past several people out enjoying a nice walk in the sunshine, and head onward past a beautiful fountain, an idyllic little bridge and a couple of ponds. We’re surrounded by stunning nature and forestland, and it finally dawns on us just how huge this golf course really is!
A golf course that guarantees peace of mind.
It’s quiet, calm, green… An idyllic location to say the least! And you don’t have to play golf to enjoy this place. We discover a little pathway that leads to a bathing spot in the Gullmarn fjord, and decide to have a walk down here later this evening. Yet little do we realise that a surprise awaits us down there! To be continued…
What's hiding in the castle?
We’re back at the castle and we finally get the chance to see what a real castle looks like inside. We open the door and are greeted by interior design that is luxurious, antique and homely all at once.
It smells a bit like when you’re at your grandparents’ place, and it feels more like we’re at someone’s home than at a hotel.
There’s Abba music sounding out from the speakers and the vibe is nice and calm. We are served coffee and biscuits while Niklas is busy pointing at various things.
– Mye av møblene dere ser her og som finnes på rommene, samt flere av gulvene og tapetene, er originale helt fra gammelt av.
"The rest is more modern, but maintains the same old style,” Niklas explains as he guides us through the living room that has lovely seating areas, wonderful carpets, a fireplace and a huge glass cabinet along one of the walls.
"You can just sit back and relax with a good book or have a nice chat with your friends. The glass cabinet was discovered when the castle was renovated several years ago – and so were these books from the 1800s.”
"We haven’t dared to touch the books, but we’ve put them on display in the glass cabinet,” Niklas tells us as we admire the little collection of books.
Stay in the same room as a celebrity? Yes, please!
We head up a charming, creaking staircase and reach a large living room with doors leading into five hotel rooms. The other two rooms are located at the top of the castle, on the third floor. The hotel has 28 beds in total, and we discover that they can even connect up to three rooms, providing ideal accommodation for families and groups of friends travelling together!
On every door, there’s a picture of a famous person who has stayed in the room. We’re shown to Greta Garbo and Ingrid Bergman’s favourite rooms – and this is where we are going to spend the night! As we step into the Ingrid Bergman room, we’re thrilled to see a beautiful canopy bed in the middle of a room that is larger than our first flats…
It’s amazing to discover that some of Sweden and Norway’s biggest celebrities have stayed here!
Original furnishings and décor from the 1890s create a wonderful majestic atmosphere – it makes us feel like royalty! We almost feel like a king or some other VIP is going to turn up – or that we’ll be shooed away by some museum personnel reminding us not to touch any of the antiquities! Are we actually going to be spending the night here?
The Ingrid Bergman room.
Original décor from the 1890s in the Ingrid Bergman room.
What could be better than a nice long soak in this Victorian bathtub?
“As you can see, the beds have a wonderful old style, but most of them are actually new beds that we ordered from England. We wanted to preserve this fabulous classic style throughout the castle, even if everything is not original,” Niklas says before we head up to the third floor to one of the largest rooms in the castle that served as an apartment for a lady for almost 70 years!
The Greta Garbo room – and yes, Greta Garbo has indeed stayed here!
The shared living room is the perfect place to sit back and relax with a book, or get some work done. Or go ahead and peruse the wonderful items in the glass cabinet!
“She was once a member of the golf club and ended up moving here. She wasn’t the only one from the golf course to do so. This was regarded as a fancy and exclusive place to live. This lady had a lifetime lease that meant she could stay here no matter what happened to the building – even when it became a hotel! She was 92 years old when she got her green card and passed away at the age of 102! She certainly took advantage of her lifetime lease,” Niklas says with a smile.
A party, ball, Christmas feast or conference? Torreby will fix it for you!
This is not just an ideal place to enjoy golf, dinner and a nice weekend break – it’s also the perfect location for a wedding, party, birthday celebration, gala dinner, Christmas feast or family gathering! We can help you arrange all kinds of events here and will do our utmost to make sure it’s truly one of a kind!
“We have space for up to 90 guests in the events hall. Just before the summer, we hosted a high school class here for their leavers ball – it was such a vibrant atmosphere here at the castle,” Niklas says, before telling us that they will be welcoming around 90 people here in the same space for a wedding next weekend.
Torreby Castle – it’s the perfect location for a fabulous wedding! Have your wedding outside and then move inside for the celebration!
Several couples have had both their wedding ceremony and the reception here at Torreby Castle – but the castle itself can certainly serve as a great venue for more than just parties and fun! Go ahead and plan your next work event here with excellent food and a great range of teambuilding activities!
3-course dinner all week
We’re feeling peckish, and we’re finally ready to experience a 3-course dinner at a castle! You can enjoy a castle dinner every Friday and Saturday at 7pm on the dot! We’re not sure what to expect – will it just be a normal dinner or something else?
And it's just as we’d hoped! We feel like we’ve landed at a fabulous royal banquet. And the service is beyond impeccable!
In short, there’s salmon to start, followed by venison for the main course and a chocolate fondant for dessert. And there are fabulous wines to accompany every dish, which really are the icing on the cake!
All guests are served a wonderful 3-course set menu for the week. Just let the kitchen know in advance if you have any special dietary requirements.
Swimming, sunsets & seals (!)
When you’re staying at Torreby, there’s certainly no reason to head into Uddevalla or Smögen for dinner – but we certainly recommend a day trip! Most people tend to stay here at the hotel, Helene Skjenneberg, CEO of Festningshotellene tells us:
“Smögen is a beautiful summertime destination, as is Uddevalla. Nevertheless, most people just come here for the castle itself, to enjoy this regal setting with great food, tranquility, golf and stunning natural surroundings. Or an event of course. You can even have a great swim in the water near the hotel – it’s a truly idyllic place,” Helene says.
An idyllic bathing spot just a short walk away from Torreby Castle.
We follow Helene’s recommendation and head off on a lovely walk down to the water. Even though we think it’s a bit too chilly for a swim, we see people jumping into the water from the pier and then heading into the private to warm up.
We hear a sound from the water and suddenly spot a little seal (!) poking its head out of the water, just as the sun splashing vibrant colours across the sky. We hear some cows in the distance and as we gaze out across the water, we are filled with a warm feeling! This truly is an epic place to enjoy some peace and quiet with plenty of opportunity for recreation and socialising. The sun pops out once more as we head up back to the castle.
There are only nice ghosts at Torreby Castle, right...?
When we’re ready for bed, we realise that we’re the only guests staying at the hotel! It probably wasn’t such a good idea to ask Niklas about those alleged ghosts…
“The man who took over the hotel when it became a golf club, immediately sensed that it was haunted. Things just used to break, for example. Once there was a vase that cracked on a table. Things have fallen off the shelves, candles have flickered dramatically despite there being absolutely no draft. There have also been numerous occasions that animals have refused to enter the building. A dog was almost coaxed in but he barked so much it felt like he had to be barking at someone…”
Hotel Manager Niklas Karlsson has numerous ghost stories to share for those who want to hear them!
Niklas was able to provide some words of reassurance.
“Having said that, a medium came here about a year ago and purged the “souls” of the ghosts. After that it has been pretty calm and quiet throughout the castle. The ghosts have basically become kind,” Niklas says.
As we go to bed, we hold onto the belief that the ghosts are kind now, even though we’re not entirely convinced. The beds are so comfortable so that one of us falls asleep straight away, while the other lies awake listening for sounds of ghosts into the early hours before finally dozing off!
Surprising breakfast
As with dinner the night before, all the stops are pulled out for breakfast! We spot a lovely window table laid for two people that looks out onto the lush golf course, and pleasant music creates a wonderful atmosphere.
We are greeted by a platter full of croissants and cinnamon buns, as well as lots of fruit and berries, yoghurt, granola, cured ham, salami, various cheese, coffee, apple juice, orange juice, and a variety of breads and rolls.
"Welcome and bon appétit! Would you like any eggs? Or something else? We usually serve breakfast at your table when there are just a few guests here. When there are more people, we set up a buffet breakfast with the same variety of food,” Niklas explains.
We politely decline any extras as we don’t think we can eat all the food on display. We get a doggy bag and we know for sure that we do not want to leave this lap of luxury and return to dry bread, ordinary beds, and all the hustle and bustle at home.
Rent the entire castle for a night you say?
We seriously consider returning for Christmas to experience the festive spirit in this charming location! What could be more Christmassy than a delicious seasonal buffet in a castle covered in decorations and snow falling outside? Or how about busting some dance moves in the same place as Ingrid Bergman, Greta Garbo and and the Monegasque princes?
With fabulous service, a wonderful tranquil setting, stunning natural surroundings, and amazing food and drink, this hotel is an ideal destination for all those seeking a luxurious stay! You can even rent the entire castle for a night! But we advise you not to ask Niklas about those ghosts…
