Finding Paradise: Bergman’s Fårö

The latest issue of style mag W celebrates director Ingmar Bergman‘s ties to the lonely and otherworldly isle of Fårö in the Baltic Sea. We loved the article so much, we thought we’d pay a visit to the place where he film some of his most iconic films, including ‘Persona‘, ‘Shame‘ and ‘Scenes From a Marriage‘, which was shot at the home of one of his five ex-wives.
 

 

To get to Fårö first you’ll have to fly to Stockholm’s Arlanda airport, easily accessible from most major cities. But that’s only the beginning. From there it’s either a short flight or three-hour ferry to Visby, Gotland, where you can rent a car for the free, one-hour ferry that takes you, finally, Fårö.
 
Once you reach the remote, and picturesque island, you’ll start to understand why Bergman chose to settle–and film–there. Its rocky Langhammars shore featured in many of his films, starting with ‘Through a Glass Darkly‘, in which the craggy coast mirrors the main character’s fragile mental state.
 
Though the town is a popular summer resort, it’s fall that was the director’s favorite time of year in Fårö. If you care to brave the Scandinavian autumn, you won’t find much in the way of accommodations. But you will find the quaint Stora Gåsemora, a seaside resort that offers historical buildings and a converted mill for lodging.
 

 
photo by Ludovico Fagioli/Flickr