The proud landmark of the town

The old knightly academy was founded in 1623 by Christian IV and from 1643 was in effect Denmark's very first provincial university, with the right to confer academic degrees. By 1665 the academy lay in ruins following the Swedish incursions, but the dream of raising it again in a new form never disappeared. From 1737 an extensive rebuilding was under way, after a commission had given its approval the year before.

In the same year that Ludvig Holberg bought the Tersløsegaard estate, the county governor von Beulwitz sent a comprehensive plan for reorganising the academy to Copenhagen. It was also widely known that Holberg wished to leave his fortune and his estates to a public-spirited cause. Without being unduly conspiratorial, it can be observed that the coincidence between Holberg's estate purchases and the plans to restore the academy was hardly accidental.

The Academy Garden by Sorø Sø

Today the academy stands on the shore of Sorø Sø, in the middle of the beautiful Academy Garden – a lovely place for a stroll. The garden is inspired by the English landscape style, with lawns, shrubbery and free-standing trees.

Among its highlights is the Fuchsia Garden, with plants more than 50 years old. The garden also has its own open-air stage, where theatre is performed in summer. In earlier years the Royal Danish Theatre staged productions here, including Ludvig Holberg's "Jeppe of the Hill".