New at Egeskov 2010

Egeskov Castle conveys its exciting history by turning back time to 1875  Peacefulness, slow-moving time and enchantment are luxuries nowadays. Egeskov Castle, one of the most popular tourist attractions on the Danish island of Funen, is therefore taking a completely different direction than most Danish amusement parks, which year after year introduce higher, faster and noisier attractions.  When Egeskov Castle opens its gates for the 2010 season on Friday 30 April the famous attraction will be swept back to 1875.  The transformation will be accomplished by professional actors who, via a series of tableaus and role-playing performances, will relate the history of the castle, live and in the flesh.  This will be the most substantial change of track since Egeskov Castle was opened to the public in 1964, and economic support to cover the costs of the stage director, actors, costumes and props has been received from the project Play and Learning – Kids n’ tweens. "Egeskov has an exciting history. A history we want to tell our visitors. Now they will be able to experience the castle's history at first hand. The park will be teeming with actors, sounds and scents, all helping to create an atmosphere reminiscent of 1875. The objective is to transform Egeskov into a time warp," explains Michael Ahlefeldt. Throughout the season, several recurring characters will perform in role-playing performances held at strategic locations in the grounds. Onlookers will also become involved in the performances, and children will be able to learn for themselves the difference between being a son of the count or, for example, a stable boy.  "Our inspiration comes from places like Astrid Lindgren's World in Vimmerby, where the much-loved author's many characters convey her writing through exciting open-air performances. Our task here at Egeskov is, however, even more formidable because we want to tell a story which few of our visitors know in advance," explains the 45-year-old count, who is looking forward to his 19th season as owner of the 456-year-old castle.  To ensure that Egeskov's history is portrayed as well as possible, Michael Ahlefeldt has engaged the services of stage director Peter Milling, who has hand-picked a number of professional actors.  "A large number of amateur actors will also participate. We have quite simply been inundated with enquiries from people who want to help us re-enact Egeskov's history. One good example is a group of local artists who will offer visitors the opportunity of trying their hand at drawing and painting, pastimes which played an important part in the upbringing of the middle classes at that time," says Michael Ahlefeldt.  The basic story in Egeskov's new historical focus is the wedding of Jessie Bille-Brahe and Julius Ahlefeldt in 1875. As a horse-drawn carriage is needed to tell the story properly, there are once again horses in the old stables at Egeskov.  A new toy museum has been opened for the 2010 season, and the permanent collection of veteran cars has been supplemented with several new vehicles up to the season's opening on 30 April. Among the new cars is a Jaguar XK 100, probably the first true sports car ever built. A two-seater Ford A Roaster, a BMW 501 from 1955 and a Ford Taunus 17M from 1961 are also among this year's new additions, together with Michael Ahlefeldt's Ford T Rajo, a fantastic racing car from 1916.