Tivoli Gardens
蒂沃利公园 · Copenhagen, Denmark
Opened in 1843 next to Copenhagen Central Station, Tivoli is the world's second-oldest amusement park still in operation; its 1914 wooden roller coaster, Chinese-style Pantomime Theatre and the lights that come on after dark are its most charming sights.
Know before you go
- Using flash during performances
- trampling the lakeside or flower beds
- littering
This article is Not yet verified. Please check official announcements for prices, opening hours and dates.
Stories & people
Stories & people
History
One line that won over the king
When the former army officer Georg Carstensen asked King Christian VIII for a charter, he argued: "When the people are amusing themselves, they do not think about politics." The king granted him a five-year charter and a plot of land, and Tivoli opened on 15 August 1843.
Source: Wikipedia: Tivoli Gardens; Odyssey Traveller: Tivoli Gardens
History
Tivoli in wartime
In June 1944, Nazi sympathisers blew up the concert hall and other buildings in the park, and the wooden roller coaster was damaged too. The park reopened within a few weeks, and the coaster was repaired and running again the same year.
Source: Wikipedia: Tivoli Gardens; Odyssey Traveller: Tivoli Gardens
Legend
Andersen and "The Nightingale"
Hans Christian Andersen is said to have visited Tivoli when it opened, and the visit is said to have inspired his fairy tale "The Nightingale".
Culture
Culture & customs
Background
Tivoli Gardens is in central Copenhagen, Denmark, right next to the Central Station. The park opened on 15 August 1843 and is the world's second-oldest amusement park still in operation, after Bakken, whose origins go back to 1583. From the start the park had a theatre, bandstands, restaurants and cafés, flower gardens and mechanical rides such as a merry-go-round, and coloured lamps lit it after dark. Hans Christian Lumbye, musical director from 1843 to 1872, wrote a great deal of dance music for Tivoli and became known as the "Strauss of the North". The Chinese-style Pantomime Theatre, built in 1874, is the oldest original building in the gardens; the 1914 wooden roller coaster still runs and is one of the oldest operating wooden coasters in the world. Walt Disney visited Tivoli several times before Disneyland opened in 1955, and the park is often seen as one of Disneyland's inspirations.
Local customs
- Enter in the evening as the lights come on, and ride the 1914 wooden roller coaster
- watch a show at the Pantomime Theatre and hear the park band play live
- stroll by the lake and have a Danish meal at a park restaurant
- in spring and summer, enjoy the flower beds in bloom.
Etiquette & taboos
Etiquette & taboos
Don’t DON'T
- Using flash during performances
- trampling the lakeside or flower beds
- littering
Locals appreciate DO
- Follow each ride's height and health requirements
- queue as the on-site signs direct
- keep quiet during performances
- put rubbish in the designated bins
Plan your visit
Practical info
Travel tips
- Tickets come in two kinds, entry-only and all-rides, with prices as officially published
- popular rides have long queues, so visit at off-peak times. The park is next to Copenhagen Central Station and walkable from it
- city buses, the metro and trains all serve the Central Station, and the train from the airport takes about a quarter of an hour.
- The park opens by season: spring, summer and autumn are the main seasons, with the most shows and events in summer. In winter there is a Christmas season with special lights, but some outdoor rides may close
- check opening days as officially announced.
Photos
Photos
Junielib · CC BY-SA 4.0
Derek Williams · CC BY-SA 4.0
