A Sense of Place: Interpreting Manorial Culture in Modern Tourism
The European Network for Country House and Estate Research (ENCOUNTER) is pleased to announce that registration is now open for the 10th ENCOUNTER Conference. The conference is hosted by the network in collaboration with the interreg project Baltic Manors Route and the European University Viadrina in Frankfurt/Oder (Germany) at 25.–26. June 2026.
Manor or country houses are iconic symbols of European cultural landscapes, combining history, culture, architectural and natural beauty. Many now serve as rural tourism destinations, transforming from elite residences into commercial attractions mainly for the middle class. In the framework of the conference the development of manor houses as a tourist destination and their historical transition to becoming ‘public property’ should be highlighted first. How did some manors become famous for their gardens, libraries and collections, and how did they establish themselves as hubs of knowledge transfer?
The second part shall be dedicated to the sense of manorial tourism in our times. The prospect of a vacation in a castle may well be enticing and often evoke romanticised ideas of aristocratic life. The public's expectations are quickly identified and, of course, catered for. While this approach can be economically necessary – given the high maintenance costs – it risks reducing these sites to ahistorical, nostalgic fantasies, isolating them as middle-class enclaves.
This raises several questions: Where is the balance, and what dictates the strategy for development and preservation? How can manor house tourism contribute to sustainable, inclusive rural development? Where do we find good practices of social innovation and social entrepreneurship? What efforts are being made to achieve this through collaboration with educational sectors, environmental groups, and civil society? Are the historic houses also used to explain the complexity of national and social changes in the modern era? The political and social relevance of manors open to tourism is clear, as they often stand as the most attractive features in economically struggling regions. As educational resources, manor houses can illuminate social, economic, and ecological changes, fostering resilience thinking for modern challenges.
This conference explores the intangible value of manor or country houses beyond the necessary monetary gains. Values that distinguish the manor house sector from all other tourist offerings
ENCOUNTER was founded in Denmark in 2015 and has since provided a framework for interaction between scholars and cultural institutions in Europe sharing a professional interest in the research and interpretation of manor and country house history.
Full programme (pdf). (Coming soon)
Practical details
Conference fee:
Two conference options are available: one including and one excluding participation in Friday’s excursion and dinner.
Option 1: 130 EURO:
- Conference programme on Thursday, 25 June, and Friday, 26 June
- Guided walk Thursday, 25 June
- Dinner on Thursday afternoon 25 June
- Excursion Friday, 26 June
- Dinner Friday afternoon 26 June
Option 2: 80 EURO:
- Conference programme on Thursday, 25 June, and Friday, 26 June
- Guided walk Thursday, 25 June
- Dinner on Thursday afternoon 25 June
The fee includes conference preparation, lunches, coffee & refreshments.
Accommodation is not included in the price.
Registration and payment via gammelestrup.dk/encounter/encounter-conference. The registration deadline is 18 June 2026.
Location:
European University Viadrina
Große Scharrnstr. 59, 15230 Frankfurt (Oder)
Main building, room: HG 109 "Senatssaal" 1. Floor
(around 15 minutes’ walk from the train station)
Accommodation:
Among other offers on booking.com we recommend: “City Park Hotel” in Frankfurt (Oder) or the ”Hotel Villa Casino” in the twin town S?ubice on the Polish side of the border.
Contact information:
Organizers:
Funded by:
