Holmegaard Værk

From peat bog factory to design landmark

Holmegaard Værk occupies the historic Holmegaard Glassworks, founded in the 1820s on the edge of Holmegaard Mose, a peat bog chosen for its ample fuel for the furnaces. Here, Countess Henriette Danneskiold‑Samsøe turned her late husband’s idea into reality, establishing a glass factory that began by producing humble green bottles before evolving into a powerhouse of Danish design. Over the 19th and 20th centuries, the site expanded into a full industrial complex and helped shape an entire company town devoted to glass. After production ceased and the old glassworks closed, the buildings were reborn in 2020 as Holmegaard Værk, a museum dedicated to glass, ceramics and craftsmanship. Many of the original industrial structures, including the furnace hall and workshops, are preserved, so you move through spaces that once rang with the sound of glassblowers at work. The result is a rare combination of authentic factory atmosphere and contemporary exhibition design, firmly rooted in South Zealand’s landscape and history.

Inside Scandinavia’s great glass collection

The heart of Holmegaard Værk is its extraordinary glass collection, spanning almost two centuries of production. One dramatic wall presents tens of thousands of Holmegaard items, with examples of almost every design ever made lined up in a shimmering mosaic of forms and colours. From early bottles and utilitarian jars to mid‑century stemware and sculptural vases, the display shows how tastes, technology and design ideals changed over time. You encounter work by influential designers such as Jacob E. Bang and Per Lütken, whose clean lines and functional elegance helped define modern Danish glass. Familiar pieces like Provence bowls, ship’s glasses and iconic candleholders sit alongside rarities and prototypes. Clear didactic texts and atmospheric lighting guide you through themes of craft, industry and style, turning a dense collection into a visual story about how everyday objects become design classics.

The hotshop and living craft traditions

What sets Holmegaard Værk apart from many industrial museums is that glassmaking is still very much alive here. In the hotshop, contemporary glass artists work at roaring furnaces, shaping molten glass with long pipes, wet wooden blocks and shears. The heat, the rhythmic turning of the pipes and the hiss of steam recreate the physical intensity that once defined the factory floor. Demonstrations show how a bubble of glowing material is coaxed into vases, bowls or experimental art pieces, often in dialogue with historic forms from the collection. Explanations of techniques such as gathering, blowing, moulding and cutting help you read the subtle traces of the maker’s hand in finished objects. Watching a piece cool and harden connects the static museum displays around you with the labour and skill that created them, making the site feel like a working craft laboratory rather than a frozen relic.

Ceramics, art and immersive exhibitions

Beyond glass, Holmegaard Værk also houses a major collection of Kähler ceramics, tracing the evolution of another great Danish design name from 19th‑century pottery workshop to modern brand. Rows of vases, dishes and decorative pieces chart shifting colours, glazes and patterns, and together with the glass collection they form Scandinavia’s largest combined presentation of glass and ceramics. Temporary exhibitions bring in broader art and design themes, from modern lighting and architectural glass to international artists whose works engage with transparency, colour and material. Large halls such as the Hebsgaard space are used for ambitious installations in glass and light, often playing off the original industrial architecture. The interplay between heavy brick structures, steel beams and delicate translucent objects adds a sculptural dimension to any visit.

A day out in South Zealand’s glass landscape

Surrounded by South Zealand’s forests and boglands, Holmegaard Værk feels both rural and surprisingly grand in scale. The chimney stacks, long production halls and broad outdoor areas hint at the days when hundreds of workers lived and laboured here, while new pathways, exhibition entrances and public areas soften the site into a relaxed cultural venue. It is easy to combine a museum visit with walks in the nearby nature or other regional attractions. The museum is well suited to unhurried exploration: you can linger over design details, watch multiple glassblowing sessions, or simply sit and take in the ever‑changing reflections of light in the glass displays. Family‑friendly interpretation, creative activities and spacious interiors make it accessible to a wide audience, from design enthusiasts to casual day‑trippers, all drawn into the story of how sand, fire and human ingenuity turned a peat bog factory into a modern cultural beacon.