Gavnøs history
Gavnø Estate is a large farming and forestry undertaking, which is located near Næstved on South Sealand.
The estate is owned by the family Reedtz-Thott, and has been in the possession of the family since 1737. The current owner is landlord Otto baron Reedtz-Thott.
The belonging area is approx. 2,300 hectares, of which 1,200 hectares are farm land and 1,000 hectares are forest. 130 accomodations belong to the estate. The estate has 40 employees. The income derrives from agriculture (with cow- and wildboar keeping), forestry, fruit plantation, rental accomodation, hunting activities along with rental of gravel digging.
The main building and the park
The main building, Gavnø Castle, is occupied by the family Reedtz-Thott and consists of 3 wings. The erection of the castle began in 1402, where Queen Margrethe I build one of the only two Dominican convents in Denmark. The convent church located in the South wing of Gavnø Castle is identical with the the convent church erected in 1402. The North wing is erected in approx. 1650 and is listed. The erection of the East- and South wing, as we know it today, was completed in approx. 1750 and is listed. A part of the castle is open to the public on payment of an entrance-fee in the period from April to September.
The castle garden was laid-out in the 1750s. Originally it was a French inspired baroque garden with avenues and parterre gardens. The castle garden is open to the public on payment of an entrance-fee. Around 1850 the garden was re-laid-out in British scenic style, so that the lawns became more connected and the view of the castle garden more open. 100 years later this specific landscape with single majestic trees and large lawns turned out to be well suited for a flower park.
The lime avenue with trees from Kongens Nytorv
The long lime avenue in the south of the castle garden was planted in 1755 and has incidentally an exciting story as the trees come from Kongens Nytorv in Copenhagen where King Frederick V had planted them. As the trees became too big to be there and in the King’s opinion obstructed the view of the equestrian statue of Christian V, the King presented Count Otto Thott with them. The trees were transported to Gavnø by horse-drawn carriage and planted in the castle garden where they stand big and majestic in the South Sealand mould. Besides an artificial hill in the castle garden from his time carries 12 magnificent lime trees. The hill is called Troldehøjen (The Troll Hill). In the collection of paintings of the castle there is a copperplate from 1703 showing Christian Gyldenloeve’s obsequies. The obsequies move from the Thott Palace in Copenhagen across Kongens Nytorv. Here the lime trees can be seen before they came to Gavnø.
The Alley of Japanese cherry trees
The current owner, Baron Otto Reedtz-Thott, was introduced to the Japanese entrepreneaur Mr. Takaki by his uncle in the mid 1980’. Mr. Takaki established a bakery in Hiroshima in 1948, a few years after the end of the 2nd World War. In 1959 he visited Denmark for the first time and discovered Danish pastry. He became very impressed with the flavour and texture of it. In 1962 Mr. Takakis bakery was the first in Japan selling Danish pastry.
Mr. Takaki had for some years done business with baron Otto Reedtz-Thott’s family cooperation, Tholstrup Cheese A/S, importing its cheeses to Japan, and was invited to visit Gavnø. Mr. Takaki was taken by Gavnø and was of the opinion that it was one of the most beautiful places he had ever seen.
By his death in 2001 baron and baroness Reedtz-Thott was contacted by his family. The family sought permission to raise a monument honouring the memory of their late father along with plaing 200 Japanese cherry trees along the road to Gavnø.
Each year Gavnø greets representatives from Mr. Takakis family or Andersen Group, who wishes to visit the very place that the founder of the Andersen Group was so inspired and taken by. Since 2007, Andersen Group has opened two bakeries in Copenhagen named ”Andersen Bakery”. The beautiful alley and the monument can be seen along the road leading from Gavnøvej to Gavnø. The monument is placed on the left side of the alley. The 200 cherry trees blossom in May.
