When it comes to these two brothers, they're unapologetically living the life of their dreams — and they don't plan on giving it up any time soon. Andy and Nick Bertrand, construction workers who own Bertrand Brothers Landscaping & Construction, are obsessed with Norse history so much that they decided to transform their Montana woodlands property into a Scandinavian village where they live as Vikings. They call the village “Valhalla” and, using their craftsmanship skills, they are building dozens of Viking-style buildings across their 30-acre property.
“Our father will sometimes ask us if we’re ever going to grow out of this phase,” Andy said in an interview. “And I’m always like, ‘I’m all the way grown up, I’m at the adult part of life, and it’s only going to get more and more like this.’”
In their plans, the twins expect Valhalla to have a giant mead hall and plenty of Nordic-inspired cabins that they intend to rent out short term. They also plan to have stone runes and carved relics.
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Once they've finished building their village, the twins hope to host a year-round Celtic festival. They also intend for Valhalla to be a modern take on the Middle Ages. A space on the property will be designated for Hobbiton-style in-ground homes.
“It would be fun to share it with everybody and have a place where people can really dive into the Nordic and Viking culture," Nick shared. "We’re looking for it to be a full immersion experience, a full step away from the modern world."
When it comes to how long it will take them to complete their project, the brothers suspect an entire decade. They also noted that their dream village is a "lifetime project."
The 35-year-old twins were born and raised in Bemidji, Minnesota. They shared that they feel a deeper connection with their Norse ancestry. "This will be a great place to elevate that and celebrate the Celtic and Nordic cultures," Andy said.
Their Scandinavian roots came from their father's side of the family, which they've used as inspiration to build their community. They are actively sharing their construction projects on their Instagram and Facebook platforms.
"Now that we have our own piece of ground, it's going to be kind of a full circle where we can take all of these passions and roll them into something that's our own," Andy said. “We’re never simply living in the modern world. It’s just not interesting enough for us.”
