Vallekilde Højskole

During our seminar, we stayed in the Vallekilde Højskole, which is a very unique and traditional part of the Danish culture. It is a special kind of boarding school which people attend and pay for voluntarily to broaden their world-view. It’s a no-degree school – you only go because you are curious and want to learn.

The concept began in the 1800’s as a way of including ‘the people’ into democracy. The idea was that if everybody should have a right to participate they should also learn more about the world and their surroundings. Today it is most often young people at around 19-24 who go for 3-12 months before starting their studies. Teachers often live close by if not at the school and integrate with the students. Vallekilde Højskole particularly specialises in communication studies. Furthermore, all the courses at the school are taught in English which attracts many European students.