I cannot even begin to describe how magical Tivoli is. Yes it is an amusement park in the traditional sense; you will find rides and balloons and fast food. But Tivoli is so much more than an amusement park, infinitely more. It is a space that really has something for everyone, regardless of your age, your interests, your mood, really anything. Tivoli is home to several hotels, as well as award winning restaurants with gorgeous terraces. There are gardens and grassy spaces to set up and watch concerts and outdoor movies. There are theatre and, concert halls where you can watch ballets or a Broadway musical. There is an aquarium with florescent coloured fish in a very relaxed and meditative setting. A tiny train carrying little people and their parents regularly loops around the whole park giving a good overview of everything you can experience. Or you can just follow the peacocks around the park and see where they point you to. During the day the kids take over while sunset and the evening sees couples and groups of friends come for drinks and a romantic stroll.
Tivoli garden opened in 1843 and is the second oldest amusement park in the world. The oldest is right next door in nearby Kampenborg. It is also the second most popular theme park in the world. It has one of the world’s oldest wooden roller coasters, the world’s second tallest carousel which offers panoramic views of the city. It is the kind of place I imagine everyone in Copenhagen has a yearly pass to. If I lived here I would, and would come by during my lunch hour to relax, after work for a drink, a place to de-stress, to enter another world full of colour and lights.
There are numerous options for hot chocolates at Tivoli and it really depends on your mood. There are some more upscale options, fancy tea houses witn a view over the gorgeous rose garden. There are options for the young at heart, hot chocolates pilled up high with mini marshmellows. We choose something in the middle, a traditional looking café that serves all the classics, all available with or without added alcohol. At 11pm it was assumed at the cash that we too would want a slightly harder hot chocolate than usual but we opted for having it the old fashion way, with a dollop of whip cream on the top and served with a pretty decadent serving of sacher torte. It was a pretty sweet hot chocolate, as one would expect at an amusement park, but it fit in perfectly. We enjoyed it while listening to kids sceaming on a neiby train roller coaster and watchimng the park magically transform from day to night.
Verdict: A must visit. I’d recommend going when the crowds aren’t so big, in the evening for example. A truly magical spot right in the center of an incredible city. Tivoli Gardens, Vesterbrogade 3, Copenhagen, Denmark
