Brandbjerg Manor

Near Grejsdalen lies the white manor house Brandbjerg, beautifully surrounded by forest, valley, park, and lake. Today, the manor is part of the folk high school Brandbjerg Højskole.

Brandbjerg Manor is located a few kilometers north of Jelling, surrounded by forest, park, lake, and moat. Characteristic of Brandbjerg’s appearance is its white simplicity and elegance.

On a daily basis, the manor can only be viewed from the outside, but Brandbjerg Folk High School regularly hosts events with public access. Read more about the folk high school.

History

Brandbjerg was originally a manor and was first mentioned in writing in 1543. Since then, the estate has been owned by both noblemen and, after the introduction of absolute monarchy in 1660, by commoners.

At Brandbjerg Manor, you will find one of the few folk high schools that can boast its own ghost. The Grey Lady, who is said to appear at midnight during the full moon, is a beautiful young daughter of the lord of the manor, who lived at Brandbjerg Manor during the Swedish Wars in the 17th century. She fell in love with a Swedish soldier and decided to flee from her strict father. But the soldier never showed up as agreed. Back at the manor, her father forced the young girl to confess and killed her.

The current main building was constructed in the 18th century. In 1950, the old manor buildings were converted into a folk high school, where young craftsmen from the area could learn to run their own craft business. Later, Brandbjerg became a regular folk high school, and in the 1970s, the large modernist school wing with classrooms and dormitories was added. In the 1980s, the school’s sports hall was built, and finally, a new music house was inaugurated in 1996.

Surroundings and Walking Routes

Brandbjerg means “steep mountain,” and indeed, Brandbjerg is situated 130 meters above sea level, on the edge of steep, forested slopes. The school owns about 100 hectares of land, most of which is covered by forest and meadows.

There is a network of trails around Brandbjerg Sønderskov, and some of them connect with the Grejsdal Trail. The nature here is ancient natural forest, meaning forest that has not been planted for at least the last 200 years. Large parts of the forest have been untouched since 1997, and therefore it is not permitted to fell or plant trees. There is access to Brandbjerg Sønderskov from, among other places, Brandbjerg Folk High School. You can find maps and descriptions of the area as well as brochures about Brandbjerg Sønderskov.