Nørre Vosborg Castle, Vemb, Denmark

Niels Bugge was one of the first known owners of the Nørre Vosborg manor in the 14th century. In 1532 a huge storm surge enveloped and demolished the buildings, which were not rebuilt on the same site. Knud Gyldenstjerne moved Nørre Vosborg inland to its present, safer position. The estate was subsequently owned by the Linde Leths (1707–1778) and the Tangs (1783-1946), the latter family hosting many prominent guests at their imposing manor. Among them, in the summer of 1859, was Hans Christian Andersen, who here found time to write poetry and tales, cut silhouettes, and generally amuse himself relating accounts of numerous resident ghosts.

The fascinating castle complex consists of buildings from four centuries, and represents five different architectural styles. Built in 1552, the Gyldenstjerne residence features characteristic Gothic garrets and has been remodelled several times. The Renaissance, half-timbered Ide Lange residence was built in 1642. With its supporting columns of joined wood, this is one of the earliest of its kind in this part of Denmark. The Baroque style, particularly evident in the prominent stairways, is represented by the De Linde residence, which was built in 1770 on the foundation of a former carriage house and barn. Under the house, there were once five or six cells to hold prisoners on their way to high court in the city of Viborg. The Tang residence was built in the New Classicist style in 1839, and connected to the Gyldenstjerne wing by a New Gothic bay room.

Following a fire, the south section of the barn complex was rebuilt in 1951. Having once provided shelter for cows, calves and pigs, it today houses a foyer and multi-purpose hall with seating for 300 persons, as well as a conference room and three hotel rooms. The north section was built in 1778. It played an important role in the bullock business in bygone days, and still retains its typical North Jutland characteristics with burned tiles, hipped thatched roofs and blue wooden doors. At one time a haymow, bullock barn and horse stalls, as well as the farm bailiff’s residence, the building now contains the hotel reception, gift shop, some hotel rooms, as well as exhibition and banquet venues.

The Gate Tower is synonymous with Nørre Vosborg, and one only needs to see it to understand why. Built in 1790 by Peder Tang when he owned the manor, it was inspired by Dutch architecture he had seen on a business trip abroad. Note that the face of the clock has only one hand.

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Nørre Vosborg Castle

User Reviews

Clau DIU (3 years ago)
Nice location and good food!

Michael Hofmann (3 years ago)
Amazing hotel build around an old manor. Very quiet and relaxing. We stayed in the new annex building. Rooms there feature a modern, contemporary design. Breakfast is in a separate building and offers a good buffet selection. Dinner is served in the manor main building. Very tasty and prepared with local ingredients. Service in the restaurant was very friendly and personal. Prices are on the higher side. We really enjoyed our stay.

Peter Warholm (3 years ago)
Cool old estate buildings, now modern conference center.

Daniel Munkholm Møller (4 years ago)
I had a great stay at Nørre Vosborg! The place is surrounded by beautiful historical buildings and wonderful nature. The rooms are large with modern interior and in minimalistic Scandinavian design. I was also pleased with the service provided by the staff in both the restaurant and at the reception, which was kind and helpful. Lastly, the food served at dinner and breakfast was of high quality - a bit pricey but reasonable.

Betty JD (4 years ago)
We were driving around Denmark and wanted to find a nicer place to stay on our journeys so we drove a bit out of our way to stay here. The grounds and the facilities are absolutely beautiful here. There are many walking trails outside of the property as well as biking options, but strolling around the property grounds itself is very nice. The staff was all helpful and attentive in both the reception and the cafe. We only had a chance to eat at the cafe but our food was superb and they were very accommodating when we asked for something that was not on the menu. Many of the buildings have a wonderful historical charm on the outside but the facilities inside are clean, modern and updated. Even the new buildings they have built for lodging fit nicely into the layout and look of the property. I highly recommend this place as a destination. We were sad that we only had time to stay here for one night.

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

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Historic Site of the week

Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba

The Mosque–Cathedral of Córdoba, also known as the Great Mosque of Córdoba and the Mezquita is regarded as one of the most accomplished monuments of Moorish architecture.

According to a traditional account, a small Visigoth church, the Catholic Basilica of Saint Vincent of Lérins, originally stood on the site. In 784 Abd al-Rahman I ordered construction of the Great Mosque, which was considerably expanded by later Muslim rulers. The mosque underwent numerous subsequent changes: Abd al-Rahman II ordered a new minaret, while in 961 Al-Hakam II enlarged the building and enriched the Mihrab. The last of such reforms was carried out by Almanzor in 987. It was connected to the Caliph"s palace by a raised walkway, mosques within the palaces being the tradition for previous Islamic rulers – as well as Christian Kings who built their palaces adjacent to churches. The Mezquita reached its current dimensions in 987 with the completion of the outer naves and courtyard.

In 1236, Córdoba was conquered by King Ferdinand III of Castile, and the centre of the mosque was converted into a Catholic cathedral. Alfonso X oversaw the construction of the Villaviciosa Chapel and the Royal Chapel within the mosque. The kings who followed added further Christian features, such as King Henry II rebuilding the chapel in the 14th century. The minaret of the mosque was also converted to the bell tower of the cathedral. It was adorned with Santiago de Compostela"s captured cathedral bells. Following a windstorm in 1589, the former minaret was further reinforced by encasing it within a new structure.

The most significant alteration was the building of a Renaissance cathedral nave in the middle of the expansive structure. The insertion was constructed by permission of Charles V, king of Castile and Aragon. Artisans and architects continued to add to the existing structure until the late 18th century.

Architecture

The building"s floor plan is seen to be parallel to some of the earliest mosques built from the very beginning of Islam. It had a rectangular prayer hall with aisles arranged perpendicular to the qibla, the direction towards which Muslims pray. The prayer hall was large and flat, with timber ceilings held up by arches of horseshoe-like appearance.

In planning the mosque, the architects incorporated a number of Roman columns with choice capitals. Some of the columns were already in the Gothic structure; others were sent from various regions of Iberia as presents from the governors of provinces. Ivory, jasper, porphyry, gold, silver, copper, and brass were used in the decorations. Marvellous mosaics and azulejos were designed. Later, the immense temple embodied all the styles of Morisco architecture into one composition.

The building is most notable for its arcaded hypostyle hall, with 856 columns of jasper, onyx, marble, granite and porphyry. These were made from pieces of the Roman temple that had occupied the site previously, as well as other Roman buildings, such as the Mérida amphitheatre. The double arches were an innovation, permitting higher ceilings than would otherwise be possible with relatively low columns. The double arches consist of a lower horseshoe arch and an upper semi-circular arch.

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