Nørre Vosborg
The more than 700 year old manor house Nørre Vosborg was thoroughly renovated between 2004 and 2008. It is Denmark´s best documented manor house with a close connection to the history of the local area.
The house is now a centre consisting of a hotel, restaurant and course facilities.
Photo:Geopark Vestjylland
The History
The history of Nørre Vosborg can be traced back to 1299 when the house was located in the river Storå estuary in Nissum Fjord. At that time the fjord was open to the North Sea and the house was strategically placed relative to transport routes. It was, however, its location near the sea that brought an end to the original Vosborg that was destroyed by a flood in 1593. The location of this original house can be traced today near the present Nørre Vosborg. The old site has been studied archaeologically and traces of an old tile works have been found. Even before the original Vosborg was destroyed en extension had been built at the present location at Nørre Vosborg in about 1575. This became the main manor house and is a 4-storey building with additional stables. The present buildings were constructed in the period from the 15th to the 18th century.
Photo:Holstebro Kommune
The large area of grassland that belonged to Nørre Vosborg provided the basis for the production of steers for export, and this was an important source of revenue for the manor house for many years. From 1824 to 1868 Nørre Vosborg was owned by Andreas Evald Meinert Tang who developed the entire area around the house. He experimented with new methods of farming, including a focus on dairy cattle. He also developed the tile works associated with the manor so that it became the largest in the area, and also established a distillery. He was politically active and was visited by Hans Christian Andersen who came to the area to experience the west coast of Denmark. Nørre Vosborg was taken over by Realea (now RealdaniaByg A/S) in 2004. They carried out an extensive renovation of the manor house over a period of four years. Several interesting discoveries were made during the rebuilding. Nørre Vosborg has now one of the best-documented histories of a manor house in Denmark.
Photo:Søren S. Willadsen
A Cultural Centre
Nørre Vosborg is now owned by the property company RealdaniaByg A/S who is responsible for preserving the buildings for future generations. The manor house is run by the Nørre Vosborg Foundation as an active cultural centre of international significance paying regard to the surrounding nature and landscape. There is now a hotel, restaurant and facilities for courses. The restaurant has a menu consisting of locally produced raw materials. Guided tours of the area are available and there is a group of 70 volunteers who contribute to development and maintenance.
Photo:Holstebro Kommune
Cooperation With the Aspiring Geopark
Nørre Vosborg is a significant location for communication in the geopark and negotiations to establish an agreement are underway. The restaurant hopes that the geopark can contribute to the training of future staff by increasing their knowledge of local food produce.