Haraldskær Manor

Haraldskær is located on a hill south of Skibet, close to Vejle Å and in the middle of the beautiful Vejle Ådal, whose hilly terrain was created by the meltwater of the Ice Age. Here you will find Haraldskær Manor, which today houses the Haraldskær Sinatur Hotel & Conference.

History

Haraldskær Manor was first mentioned in 1434 when the owner was Niels Friis. Haraldskær remained in the Friis family until 1601. They were responsible for the construction of the current main building, which dates from 1536. The main building has since been burned down and rebuilt several times.

The last member of the Friis family, Albert Friis – councilor and governor of Riberhus – increased the estate and in 1590 built the current west wing, which rises in two stories over a vaulted cellar, and to the east has a square stair tower with a special descent to the cellar. After his death, Haraldskær experienced a turbulent existence among several distinguished families.

In 1912, an additional wing was built, giving Haraldskær a knight's hall. In 1916, Haraldskær was bought by the manufacturer C.M. Hess in Vejle, who restored the main wing and rebuilt the dilapidated side buildings.

Since 1969, the main building and 30 hectares of land have been operated by the Danish Teachers' Association, which runs a conference center on the site. Throughout the 1970s, the listed main building was carefully modernized and a room wing was added. The farm buildings and 270 hectares of land are owned by Vejle Municipality.

To this day, Haraldskær hides many stories from the past. The large post that forms the supporting structure in the old stair tower is said to originally come from an old ship mast, from the time when you could sail all the way to Haraldskær via the Vejle Å. The old clock in the main building, which works reasonably accurately after significant effort, dates from 1763. And of course, Haraldskær also has its own ghost. The story goes that a young lady, who grieved herself to death because of unrequited love, haunts from Skibet Church, through the old fireplace room, and down to Vejle Å.

Neighbors to Haraldskær include the ruins of the old manor mill, Kvak Mølle, and Skibet Church. The church was built between 1125 and 1150 and belonged to Haraldskær until about 1936. The chalk stone church contains some very beautiful frescoes from the 13th century.

Routes in the Area

Here you can see a selection of the area's routes. Refer to the Hiking folder - Vejle Ådal and website Udeliv Vejle or for a complete overview.

• Haraldskær – Ådalsruten. A 6.5 km round trip. A beautiful walk through the valley and grazed meadows. Read more about the route at this link: Haraldskær - Ådalsruten - Udeliv Vejle
• Haraldskær – Engstien. A 1.5 km round trip. The route goes in the area around the Haraldskær Sinatur Hotel. The route is very close to the open exhibition room Vejle Ådal and Fjord. Read more about the route at this link: Haraldskær - engstien - Udeliv Vejle.
• Around Kongens Kær and Knapperup Sø. A round trip of about 8 km. You can start the tour from Vejle and follow the path around Kongens Kær. Cross Vejle Å over the bridge and continue past the sports fishermen's clubhouse. Cross under the motorway and follow Bindeballestien back to the city. Read more about the route at this link: Kongens Kær og Knabberup Sø - Udeliv Vejle

If you want a longer tour, both the Bindeballestien, the Coast-to-Coast Trail, and the Heerweg pass through this area.

Download the Hiking Folder

Follow this link and download the hiking folder for Kongens Kær, Knapperup Sø, and Haraldskær Forest: Map of Vejle Ådal -_Kongens_Kær_- PDF

Nature Exhibition Haraldskær

You can also find the nature exhibition in Haraldskær located right next to Haraldskær Manor. Read more about it via this link: Besøgscenter Haraldskær | Vejle Ådal og Fjord | VisitVejle 

Cycling Routes in the Area

Near Haraldskær, you can find several good and long cycling routes:

• Firkløveret (The Four-Leaf Clover Route) passes by Haraldskær and offers more than 1500 meters of elevation. Click on link - Firkløveret - Udeliv Vejle
• Find many more routes around Vejle via this link: Test Vejle's super routes by bike | VisitVejle