Baltic Manors Festival in Denmark on 16 August 2026

Unlike in the post-communist countries, the manor houses of Scandinavia are still largely inhabited and managed by their original owner families. This is also true in Denmark. Many of these houses have been in the private ownership of the same family for generations and are not normally open to the public. It is therefore no surprise that interest — and, for some, curiosity — is high when, on one day each year, the usually closed manor-house doors of around 60 estates open and visitors are invited to look behind their historic façades. In most cases, it is the manor owners themselves who offer guided tours during the festival — and are often happy to stay for a chat over a cup of coffee afterwards. There is usually a great deal to discover. Even where estates have remained in the same families for generations — often after a long history as large agricultural estates — many Danish manor houses have had to reinvent themselves time and again, and continue to do so today. They carry astonishing stories from the past, as well as exciting ideas for the future.