About Us

Herthadalen is a focal point that has evolved in interplay with the forest, people, and time. Since 1788, the house has provided the setting for everyday life, meals, and celebrations – and today, the story continues at a pace where presence and quality are allowed to take centre stage. For generations, the place has been part of the landscape surrounding Ledreborg and what is now Skjoldungernes Land National Park. The forest, fields, and paths around us are not merely a backdrop, but an active part of daily life here.

Today, Herthadalen is run with respect for what was, and an eye for what is. We have carefully renovated and built upon it, so the place can continue to be used and lived in – without losing its soul. Here, people continue to gather for meals, celebrations, meetings, and breaks from everyday life. Sometimes grand and festive, other times quiet and simple. What they all have in common is the desire to create a place where you want to stay a little longer.

Herthadalen is not a finished concept, but a living place. Shaped by the seasons, by the people who work here – and by those who pass by. And perhaps that's precisely why it feels the way it does.

Part of Ledreborg/

Ledreborg Castle was built in 1740, and with the castle came a vibrant landscape of farm buildings, fields, forests, and communal gathering places. Herthadalen emerged as part of this holistic picture – a place where everyday life unfolded close to the earth, and where meals always played a central role. The forest provided the raw materials, the land set the pace, and the community bound it all together.

Today, this story is carried on in gently updated surroundings. With respect for its history and an eye for simplicity, Herthadalen continues to be a meeting point for people, meals, and experiences – in the middle of the National Park's open spaces, close to Ledreborg, and deeply rooted in the region from which it all originates.

Acorns since 2013

We took over the property in 2013 and have since renovated, refurbished and extended. Today, Herthadalen stands as a place where history lives on, and people continue to gather to celebrate life's moments.

Here, there isn't far from thought to action – nor is there much distance between people. We've allowed the place to grow at a calm pace, with room for both everyday life and celebrations. A place where you're welcome to linger a little longer, have another drink, and let the atmosphere find its own form.

Seasonal produce

At Herthadalen's forest kitchen, we work based on the concept People and Meals, where local produce, quality, and organic are at the heart of it.

Our menus are inspired by the season – with greens from Herthamarken, herbs from the forest, and meat from animals that have had a good life. For us, animal welfare and taste are inextricably linked.

Farm shop

There are a number of skilled producers in the local area, and it is with humility and pride that we can present the many players. Not just in our restaurant, but also on our shelves in the farm shop.

Find, among other things, the world's best chocolate from Friis-Holm, our favourite cider from Olsens made with apples from their local 75-year-old orchard, and apple mead from Snoremark, which you might find yourself getting slightly addicted to. Pop by during your visit. We accept cash, MobilePay, and Dankort.

A place with attitude

At Herthadalen, we make conscious choices – especially when it comes to what we serve our guests. For example, we use locally tapped tap water instead of expensive imported bottled water.

For us, sustainability isn't about symbolism, but about everyday action. Small choices that make sense and, all together, make a difference. We strive to be a place where responsibility, quality, and thoughtfulness go hand in hand – naturally & without pointing fingers.

GOOD CRAFTSMANSHIP

We greatly cherish good craftsmanship. In the kitchen, we pickle, bake, smoke, and ferment ourselves. We make our food from scratch with respect for the ingredients and the work behind them.

We believe that good craftsmanship can be tasted – and that it makes a difference when someone has had their hands in it all the way through.

LOCAL PRODUCERS

You can taste it when ingredients are cultivated by enthusiasts – passionate people who obsess over every detail because they simply can't help themselves.

These are the types of collaborations we engage with on a daily basis. Common to them is an uncompromising approach to quality and great respect for both the raw materials, the animals and nature.

Personal hosting

At Herthadalen, we put people first. Our guests' experiences are our greatest focus, and we are passionate about creating a place that allows for presence, peace, and connection to the earth.

The aim is to create a place where people and meals meet in community – and to provide the setting for life’s great celebrations: from the small moments of everyday life to life’s major events.

Nordic Aesthetics

At our place, food isn't just about taste – it also needs to look good. We care about aesthetics and are inspired by Nordic simplicity.

The colours are kept natural, the expression is clean, and we only use what makes sense for the dish. We source flowers and herbs as much as possible from our own herb garden or from the forest around us.

UNIQUE LOCATIONS

At Herthadalen & Ledreborg, we have a range of unique venues at our disposal. Some venues invite calm and contemplation, others grand moments and shared celebrations.

Common to them all is the location in the midst of forest and tranquility, the sense of presence, the aesthetics, and the feeling of being in a place where time may as well take its time.

Photographer: Iryna Borisova

Photographer: Carolina Segre Twile

Fertility goddess

The Story of Hertha

Herthadalen is named after the fertility goddess Hertha, in whose honour the local farmers erected a statue. Every spring, the statue was placed on a cart adorned with foliage and driven around the fields to make the earth fertile. After this, the goddess was to be washed in Knapsø, and the serfs who had served her were fated to be swallowed by the lake.

Legend has it that young girls were to go alone to Hertha's sacrificial site deep in the forest of Herthadalen. Here they were to wash her altar clean, and in this way, they could hope for a fruitful life. In the 19th century, her altar was transformed into a pulpit, from which it is said that the first constitutional speeches were held by N.F.S. Grundtvig. The goddess's altar or pulpit is certainly worth an excursion, so ask us for directions the next time you are passing by.

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FROM THE WOOD

Psst… Become a friend of the forest. Sign up for our monthly newsletter. Every month, we will draw a winner from amongst the “Forest Kitchen Friends” for a paid dinner in the forest for 2 people. The gift voucher has a value of DKK 1,000.