Christmas at Børklum Monastery 25. November 2025
Last year it didn't work out, but this year I made sure to mark it in my calendar in time: the Christmas market event with fireworks at Børklum Monastery on Denmark's west coast, near Løkken.
If you don't like Christmas, you should definitely avoid this place. For everyone else, though, it's a must-visit if you're in the area. And I can already tell you: it was absolutely worth it!
Entry starts at 4:00 PM, the fireworks begin at 8:00 PM. And once again, it was so typically Danish: you arrive on time, enjoy the moment to the fullest, and then everything dissolves very quickly. By 8:30 PM the parking lot was already almost empty. Very different from what we know from Germany, where many people show up at some point and then stay for a very long time.
We were already there at 3:40 PM, got a parking space without any problems, and didn't have to walk far. After about ten minutes of waiting, we were allowed in. After paying the entrance fee, we first looked around the museum shop—after all, we wanted to know what we absolutely had to take with us. It turned out to be the checkered Christmas plates, I can only say "love at first sight!"
Our first stop was the historic kitchen: there were æbleskiver, typical for the Danish Christmas season, plus gløgg and hot chocolate. Outside in the courtyard, roasted almonds (even with licorice flavor!), crêpes, and all kinds of delicacies tempted us. The cathedral was unfortunately closed. We'd been there three years ago and would have liked to visit it again.
But there were beautiful exhibitions with metalwork and wooden artworks, lots of gorgeous Christmas creations. You could see these in the former stables and also in the cellar. And of course, you could also learn about various mysterious events here at and around the monastery and get a little bit spooked.
Then came the absolute highlight: the family's private rooms were open and decorated festively. I was really impressed by the lovingly decorated rooms—you could hardly get enough of them. It was truly magical! To protect the old floors, everyone was given plastic socks to put on, and then we were allowed to explore the rooms.
Lovingly decorated dining rooms, living spaces, libraries, and hallways. Christmas spirit filled the air and visitors were either reverently quiet or loudly expressing their delight to their friends. There was little in between.
After this extensive tour, we refreshed ourselves once more in the historic kitchen. After that, we moved on to the exhibition of historical clothing from the 19th century onwards. More tempting stalls awaited: works made of fabric, felt, wool, and countless decorative items in various crafts. Of course, a visit to the Santa's workshop couldn't be missed.
To finish off, we settled into the café of the main building and ate a delicious sandwich with Flagstæk, along with a non-alcoholic beer and a Pepsi. Thus fortified, we listened to the Christmas band—and then saw the beautiful fireworks.
All in all, a successful visit and definitely an event you should experience!
