Tivoli Gardens - the place that inspired Hans Christian Andersen and Walt Disney
Today, we're going to Copenhagen! I admitted last time that I sometimes draw inspiration for travel from books, which is why I really wanted to cross the Øresund Bridge. To fully enjoy the trip from Malmö to Copenhagen, I chose to travel by bus, but you can also go there by train or, of course, by car.
The first part of the route is the most interesting and leads across the bridge. Then, you have to drive a few kilometers across an artificial island, which soon disappears underwater, and then you enter the tunnel.
The journey passed so quickly that I didn't even have time to take too many photos. I especially liked the wind farm in the Baltic Sea.
I planned the trip around Copenhagen to be 100% on foot, which turned out to be quite a challenge. Luckily, the first destination was very close to the station - it was the Tivoli Gardens, a 19th-century amusement park. Why Tivoli, even though I can't stand crowded and noisy places? Again, it's all because of books :) Tivoli appeared in several crime novels as the backdrop for events, and it stuck in my memory. Besides, I have a weakness for places with rich history.
The Tivoli Gardens were opened in 1843 and have been evolving continuously since then. Among the first guests was Hans Christian Andersen; this visit inspired him to write one of his fairy tales. Over a hundred years later, the park was visited by Walt Disney himself, for whom Tivoli became a model to emulate when creating Disneyland. He was impressed by the ambiance and the shape of this place. Not to mention the numerous Scandinavian crime authors, in whose works Tivoli appears from time to time.
That's why I was so curious about this place. I just wanted to take a walk to experience its famous atmosphere. And indeed, at times, I could feel like a time traveler.
I half expected to see families with children lifted straight out of 19th-century paintings - elegant ladies with parasols and little boys in suit jackets.
I loved this iconic Ferris Wheel erected in 1943.
I enjoyed observing how both children and adults were having fun. I was surprised to discover the popularity of some booths that seemed much less attractive than roller coasters and carousels. I saw genuine excitement there. I believe that we're not so different from the people who visited this place two centuries ago :)
But adrenaline enthusiasts can also find something exiting for themselves here.
An extraordinary attraction is one of the oldest roller coasters in the world, still operating since 1914!
Whatever you plan to do in Tivoli, motifs from different parts of the world would enhance your visit.
I enjoyed the quite extensive green enclaves where one could take a break from the hustle and bustle. The name 'Tivoli Gardens' is entirely justified. I tried to imagine what impression this place made on children 150 years ago. Sometimes I wish I could see the world through eyes unspoiled by advanced technology.
I spent about two hours just walking around, wandering through the maze of streets and paths. I was thnking a bit about Scandinavian crime novels, and a bit about Andersen's fairy tales (some of them were quite scary, weren't they?).
At the end of the visit, I escaped from the sun and the hustle and bustle to watch the local aquarium. I sat for a long time, gazing at the colorful fish, and you know what? I understood why people keep them at home. Watching them is like meditation. It calms and quiets the mind.
It was really worth visiting Tivoli Gardens, even though I'm not fond of such places. But this one is an exceptionally charming combination of history, fairy tales, and dreams in the heart of a modern city. I could definitely have stayed there longer, but I really wanted to see a bit more of Copenhagen that day.
So in the next post we will continue our walk around the capital of Denmark. Bye now!
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