Copenhagen’s Tivoli park offers parents a welcome alternative to today’s high-tech theme parks and is ideal for those with very young children.
Its only rollercoaster is a tame affair which dates back to 1914 – perfect for parents like me who don’t have nerves of steel.
Yet Tivoli has remained a success since it opened in 1843, when the park opened, Tivoli was an instant success and is said to have inspired Hans Christian Andersen’s fairytales.
The first thing you notice on entering the park is its wonderful garden setting, full of flowers and picturesque lakes.
Most attractions are traditional, and include an excellent children’s climbing frame area, the Tivoli Boys’ Guard parade through the gardens and rowing boats for hire on Tivoli Lake.
The only flashing neon light area is the park’s fun fair, with many rides suitable for children and numerous stalls where visitors can test their skills at ball-throwing games and hoopla.
Not to be missed are the park’s many live theatre shows. The Chinese Peacock Theatre presents a drama without words in a Punch and Judy-style show which my children found hilarious, while on the Lawn Stage, amateur dancers, singers, musicians and gymnasts show their skills.
For younger kids there’s a dedicated children’s theatre, Valmuen, where dolls and actors perform fairy tales.
Every evening thousands of lamps are lit and the park is transformed into a spectacle of light. Other highlights include the firework display, on Wednesdays and Saturdays.