Høgdal Cultural-Historical Visitor Farm

A farm where time moves slowly

Høgdal sits on a rise in the countryside outside Them, its cluster of low, thatched farm buildings gathered around a sheltered cobbled courtyard. Founded in 1796 by Jens Jensen Lemming, the farm passed from father to son for five generations, its layout and interiors gradually shaped by the everyday needs of rural life rather than grand designs. Walking through the gate today, you step into a small, self-contained world where the rhythm of work, seasons and animals once dictated everything. Instead of polished museum halls, you find whitewashed walls, heavy timber beams and creaking doors. Indoors, modest rooms are often set up with period furniture, tools and domestic objects that suggest people have only just left. Outside, woods and fields loom close, underlining how intimately the farm was tied to its surrounding landscape.

The story of two brothers and a preserved way of life

The most recent chapter in Høgdal’s history is shaped by the two brothers Jens and Peder Jensen, the fifth generation to run the farm until the mid-1970s. Their decision not to modernize heavily meant that when the property eventually became a visitor farm, much of its character had been preserved almost intact. In many ways, their lives form the core narrative here: stubbornly practical, closely connected to the soil, and cautious about change. Interpretive material and guided activities, when offered, frequently circle back to that legacy. Rather than focusing on dates and distant politics, Høgdal tells the story of rural Denmark through the lens of one family farm: how roof thatch was maintained, how hay was stored, how food was preserved, and how winters were endured in these low, timbered rooms.

Hands-on traditions and seasonal events

On selected days, Høgdal comes alive with historical workshops and themed events inspired by old rural practices. These can include simple crafts such as needle felting and beeswax figure making, flour grinding in small coffee mills, or traditional courtyard games like throwing pea bags and horseshoes. The focus is on tactile, accessible activities that reveal how everyday objects were made by hand. At other times of year, cultural-historical events might explore the surrounding nature, with guided mushroom walks or animal-track outings that link the farm to the forest. Schools and groups can book more structured visits, combining farm history with playful tasks, animal encounters and basic environmental awareness, all grounded in the site’s authentic setting.

Animals, courtyard picnics and quiet corners

Even when buildings are closed, the farm remains a pleasant place to wander from the outside. Simple paths and farm tracks lead around the perimeter, where you may meet goats browsing by fences or cats sunning themselves on stone steps. Chickens sometimes scratch in the yard, adding gentle background clucks to the rustle of leaves and distant birdsong. Visitors often bring a packed lunch to enjoy in the sheltered courtyard, using old walls as windbreaks. With no commercial bustle, the atmosphere is notably calm: there are few formal facilities, limited signage and plenty of unhurried corners to sit, watch clouds drift over the fields and imagine earlier generations crossing the same yard in heavy wooden clogs.

Lake District landscapes and a sense of place

Høgdal lies within the broader Søhøjlandet Lake District, a region of softly undulating hills, forest and water. From the farm, the horizon opens onto cultivated fields, hedgerows and distant tree lines, offering a gentle, low-key sense of elevation rather than dramatic vistas. The setting reinforces how farms here were both working businesses and tiny islands of community in a wider rural mosaic. The combination of preserved buildings, simple animal life and open countryside makes Høgdal as much about atmosphere as it is about exhibits. It is a place to slow down, notice details—an old latch, a hand-hewn beam, a weathered doorframe—and connect those details to a broader story of Danish rural heritage that is fast disappearing elsewhere.