Looking at Tivoli

 

The statue of Hans Christian Andersen is looking at Tivoli. The statue is one of the most popular in Copenhagen as tourists flock to pose next to it, or on it.

 

The man with the golden nose

The Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe is the main inspiration for the new area in Tivoli. And of course there is a monument to his honour there, complete with big moustache and golden nose. He lost his nose in a duel and replaced it with a gold and a silver one for the rest of his life.

Flying with the eagles

 

A new ride in Tivoli in Copenhagen is the Aquila, Latin for Eagle, and that's a very apt name. The ride will turn the world upside down in a fairly high speed, so don't try it on a weak or too full stomach.

 

A new view

These daffodils in Tivoli has a new view. Behind the Pantomime Theatre the building housing Danish Industry is almost ready after a couple of years of renovation. With a couple of extra floors and a glass façade it looks very different from the old one. It's no beauty but it is an improvement over the old one, even with the extra floors.

New ride

 

One of three new rides in Tivoli this year is this one, a mini version of the golden tower, which will please the younger kids and give them a thrill.

 

Looping

 

There's lots of photo-ops in Tivoli in Copenhagen, so it's a favourite haunt for me whenever I "need" to head out with the camera. I've captured the loop on this roller-coaster numerous times before but I like this backlit version taken with my iPhone last weekend.

 

Cheating

 

Tivoli opened a almost two weeks ago. They have a reputation as not only an amusement park but also as garden with flowers no matter when you're there. This season opened before the spring really kicked in so they apparently had to cheat a bit to have the flowers that the guests expect. Hopefully the flowers will be the real deal for the rest of the season.

 

Time to pack away

 

The Christmas balls in Tivoli will soon be packed away until next year.

 

Hanging on

 

In Denmark it's the last of the Christmas Days today but the Christmas decorations are still hanging on here in Tivoli.

 

Merry Christmas again

Merry Christmas to all of you that celebrate it today:-)

Merry Christmas

Today is Christmas Eve which in Denmark is the day where we traditionally have our Christmas dinner with family and friends. The menu for tonight in my family is roasted duck with caramelized potatoes, red cabbage, something sweet, something sour and brown sauce. The desert will be rice pudding, called risalamande with hot cherry sauce. And afterwards it's time for coffee and the exchange of presents.

A very merry Christmas to all readers:-)

Taking a ride

The kids are having fun in Tivoli during their Christmas opening. In the background is an friend of yesteryear; the copy of the Russian Vasilij Basilica.

Cause for debate

Last year the Russian Christmas in Tivoli was debated hotly among the regular crowd of the amusement park. It was not Danish enough to many and people threatened never to set a foot there again. This year Tivoli has compromised by keeping the Russian area but also by having a Nordic area. I quite like the Russian area myself, but I guess it's a matter of taste.

Getting Warm

If you need some warmth in Copenhagen these days, one place to go is in Tivoli, where the coal braziers are glowing next in the Christmas market.

Are we a bit consevative?

We Danes really don't like change, which shows whenever a new building is being built. This one, which replaces the old House of Industry, has been met with more than a bit of criticism even before the old one was closed. Apparently it's too high, there's too much glass, too many crossbeams, it blocks the view from inside Tivoli Gardens and it just doesn't fit the area. Well, to me it's a huge improvement over the advertisement covered Lego-brick that was here before. It's really a total renovation of the old building as the framework was kept and the façade and interior was replaced. It should be finished by summer next year.

Halloween in Tivoli

 

For the next two weeks you can really get into the Halloween spirit if you visit Tivoli. This has become a tradition in last decade or so, but even if it looks a bit like every year there is something new, like the scary area that opens at night (you have to be at least 12yo to get in) and the fact that it's open for two weeks and not only in the school autumn holiday. So get your fill of pumpkins and cheesy Halloween stuff and just enjoy the atmosphere in the Tivoli Gardens.

Last chance

Today is the last day of the Tivoli summer season in Copenhagen, but don't worry, Tivoli will open in a few weeks again for the Halloween in the school autumn holiday. And then you can have a go at this rooler-coaster, if you like that sort of thing.

Happy Birthday to Carstensen

 
This weekend Tivoli in Copenhagen celebrates the 200th birthday of founder George Carstensen. He was the one that convinced king Christian VIII that it was a brilliant idea to open the amusement park on the fortified glacis just outside the west gate of Copenhagen in 1843. With almost 4 million visitors every year it is by far the most popular attraction in Denmark.
 

Goslings like Tivoli too

 

Yesterday I showed you a duckling close-up. Today it's a gosling from the Tivoli Gardens. With Tivoli being the most visited tourist attraction in Denmark, this little fella better be used to being in the public eye pretty quickly. He already seemed to enjoy the attention.

Tivoli revisited

Long-time readers of this blog knows that a favorite spot of mine to hangout and relax is the Tivoli Gardens, part amusement park and part garden. The amusement park part is great for the children and the young-at-hearts but I must confess that my favorite is the garden part, especially in the daytime before the rush of people. This is from one of the first opening days in the 2012 season, showing the blossoming of the trees at the lake.