We were thrilled to welcome trainees and crew from the School Ship DANMARK. We jumped at the chance to exchange maritime histories and to show the sailors around our contemporary art exhibitions. 

The three-masted DANMARK provides training for young people seeking a career at sea, as it has since its birth in 1933. The trainees who visited us today have been sailing for over 3 months. They are nearing the end of a life-changing voyage that has taken them from Spain to Portugal, Iceland, and finally the country where the DANMARK first launched almost 100 years ago.

Originally built (1639–44) by King Christian IV (1577–1648), Valdemars Slot has been fundamentally shaped by Denmark's naval history. The estate came into the family of its current owner – Louise Iuel-Brockdorff Albinus – through her tenth great grandfather and naval hero the Admiral Niels Juel (1629–97). 

Juel won the estate as payment from the King for his victory in the famous Battle of Køge Bay (1677), which gained the Danish-Norwegian alliance control of the Baltic Sea. Wars against Sweden (1657–60) had caused significant damage to the palace, and creditors were circling. At a time when it seemed likely VS would be demolished, Juel rescued the palace, ushering in a new era for the people of Tåsinge and a long history to look back on today.