It’s a summer morning. The first light filters through the trees, the crunch of footsteps on gravel blends with the birdsong. Children are already outside, barefoot, building huts with branches. Breakfast is ready in the communal kitchen, and the smell of freshly baked bread drifts through the rooms.

It might sound like a scene from a rural novel. But this is everyday life at Svanholm, just an hour from Copenhagen.

1978: the estate, the vision, the beginning

It all started with a simple idea. A group of activists, idealists, families and dreamers came together to buy an old 400-hectare estate. They wanted to create a real alternative to the dominant individualistic and competitive model. Not a utopia, but a tangible place—made of land, homes, work, and human connection.

Since then, Svanholm has grown like a living organism, evolving through decades of change, challenges, and bold decisions—always staying true to its founding intuition: the deepest freedom is the one we build together.

Community Living in Svanholm

Today, Svanholm is home to around 85 adults and 60 children. There’s no leader. No hierarchy. Just a cooperative system where everything is decided collectively—from farming investments to Sunday dinner.

People work on the farm, in the on-site school, the communal kitchen, or in various workshops. Some have jobs outside, but everyone takes part in community life. Money is shared—earning more doesn’t mean being worth more. The economy runs on solidarity, not competition.

Tending the Earth, Nurturing Relationships

Svanholm is one of the pioneers of organic farming in Denmark. The fields produce grains, vegetables, and fruit. They raise cows and chickens, and much of the food is self-produced.

The pace is set by the seasons, not by the markets. Everything is designed to regenerate the soil and help the community move toward full food self-sufficiency.

Then there’s the communal kitchen—the beating heart of the village. It’s where a culture of presence is built, where every interaction becomes a chance to listen and learn.

Alternative Education at Svanholm

At Svanholm, education is also a shared journey. Children are part of an outdoor homeschooling approach: they live close to nature, learn by doing, and explore with freedom.

The on-site school doesn’t impose strict curricula or grades—it follows curiosity. Adults care for the little ones like one big, extended family.

How to Join the Community

Becoming part of Svanholm doesn’t happen overnight. Anyone interested begins with a trial period, a chance to really get to know one another.

Living together also means clashing, changing your mind, making compromises. Svanholm isn’t perfect—it’s real. And in that reality lie possibilities the outside world seems to have forgotten. Those who choose to stay or join do so for a deep reason: the belief that another way of living on Earth is truly possible.

In Conclusion

In the heart of Denmark, Svanholm is a cooperative community born in 1978. Today, it's home to over 140 people who cultivate the land without exploiting it, grow together without competing, and build a different future by living the present with awareness.

And you? Would you leave the city behind for a place like this?