Tivoli Gardens, Copenhagen, Denmark. Architect: Various, 2014. Rutschebanen wooden rollercoaster from 1914.
Alastair Philip Wiper-VIEW / Alamy Stock Photo
Image ID: DWJ61H
Tivoli is a magical place. I know that’s what every theme park in the world wants you to think about their theme park, but in the case of Tivoli, I think there is some truth to it. Situated slap bang in the middle of Copenhagen, Tivoli is part of the city. The screams of teenage girls on fast rides can be heard for miles around, along with the rattles of the rollercoasters and the smell of the hot-dogs and pop-corn. And Christmas is the time that Tivoli is in its element, when the fantasy comes alive. Opened in 1843, Tivoli is the second oldest operating amusement park in the world – the oldest, established in 1583, is Dyrehavsbakken, about 10km north of Tivoli. And you wonder why Danes are consistently found to have the happiest, best quality of life in the world? Amusement parks! Seriously, build a couple of amusement parks in Afghanistan, wait 2-300 years, bingo, problem solved. Back in the 1830′s, Tivolis founder, Georg Carstensen, obtained a five-year charter to cr
