Someday round six months into the quarantine life, I made a decision I want one thing that regarded slightly totally different. I zoned in on Solvang, a Danish-American metropolis in Santa Barbara County. I had no actual concept what to do in Solvang or whether or not there have been really individuals of Danish descent who lived there, nevertheless it intrigued me.
And so Solvang and the balmy climate led us to southern California, and we lastly received to go to in mid-January.
Solvang is certainly lovable and totally different, darling in its personal means, and there are a variety of incredible issues to do in Solvang. It’s an ideal day journey vacation spot.
When to go to Solvang
For optimum Danish-ness and pleasure, go to Solvang on one of many metropolis’s many pageant days. This contains the Danish Heritage Pageant on Solvang Danish Days, the autumn harvest Solvang Grape Stomp, and Solvang Julefest through the vacation season.
In any other case, Solvang is located in Santa Barbara County the place it’s just about good climate all 12 months spherical for my part. Extra probability of rain and nighttime lows round 40 within the winter; extra probability of sweating and daytime highs round 90 in the summertime.
The place to remain in Solvang
Solvang shouldn’t be a big metropolis, measuring solely 2.43 sq. miles. However since it’s a tourism metropolis, it’s received a variety of lodge choices to select from. Most are fairly well-rated as effectively!
In case you are staying elsewhere (we made it a day journey from SLO), no worries! Maybe my favourite logistical facet of Solvang is all of its free public parking heaps. Every with restrooms, too. Nice for the day tripper!
1. Eat in any respect the Danish bakeries
Significantly, don’t eat breakfast earlier than you head to Solvang.
One of many highlights there may be going from one Solvang bakery to the following and attempting out all the totally different Danish pastries.
My absolute favourite was the Danish cinnamon snail from Olsen’s Bakery and Coffeeshop. Their kanelsnegle was the flaky sort, a puff pastry cinnamon roll with raisins that jogged my memory extra of a kouign-amann than a Cinnabon-type cinnamon roll.
Different scrumptious conventional Danish goodies to attempt embrace the kringle (that are additionally bought in items when you don’t need a whole kringle), aebleskivers (aka Danish pancake balls), and Danish waffles (suppose: puff pastry cigars with jam).
So which one is one of the best bakery in Solvang? I really can’t say. There are 5 of them inside a 5-block space, so I’d extremely counsel you simply eat your means via all of them as an alternative
2. Take a look at the Danish structure
Then stroll off a few of these energy (okay advantageous, it’ll be like 1% of what you consumed) by trying out all of the Danish structure round city.
With their thatched roofs, conventional windmills, and half-timber facades, the buildings of Solvang are the defining attribute of the town, often called the Danish Capital of America.
Whereas some have been mandated on this type beginning within the late Forties when the thought of selling Solvang as a “Danish village” attraction got here to be, there are nonetheless some pre-tourism buildings. The outdated folks college, for instance, was inbuilt 1911 and now homes the Bit O’ Denmark restaurant.
3. Spot the sporks
As you’re trying out the structure, make a recreation out of recognizing all of the storks round city!
For the Danish, storks are a logo of fine luck. So in Solvang, they nest above many buildings. See if you will discover all of them!
(Sadly, the European White Stork is now formally extinct within the wild in Denmark.)
4. Go to the windmills
It’ll even be arduous to overlook the windmills.
I’d at all times related windmills with the Dutch, nevertheless it seems there are many windmills in Denmark’s historical past as effectively. Right this moment, Solvang has 4 picket Dutch windmills situated in its busiest areas.
Enjoyable truth: Denmark is without doubt one of the world’s largest harvesters of wind energy. You’ll see extra wind generators than picket windmills within the nation today.
5. See the sights of Copenhagen
It’s not simply the meals and structure that’s impressed by Denmark, both. Solvang additionally has replicas of a few of Copenhagen’s most well-known landmarks.
First up, the Little Mermaid.
No, not Ariel. The well-known statue by Edvark Eriksen that’s certainly one of Copenhagen’s most well-known points of interest. (It was impressed by the Hans Christian Andersen fairy story although!)
Solvang as a certified copy of it close to the nook of Mission Dr. and Alisal Highway. I didn’t notice it was a half-size duplicate earlier than we received there and nearly missed it as a result of I used to be in search of a a lot bigger sculpture.
One other duplicate from Copenhagen is the Spherical Tower, aka Rundetaarn. The unique one is a Seventeenth-century astronomical observatory. The Solvang one was inbuilt 1911 at one-third the scale, and homes a pizzeria.
6. Loosen up in Hans Christian Andersen park
Talking of Hans Christian Andersen, you’ll discover nods to the legendary fabulist in all places on the town. My favourite is the park named after him.
It’s an unassuming park with a fort facade for an entry. But it surely’s an amazing spot for some shade and nature when the sunny, crowdedness of downtown Solvang will get to you.
In the event you like wheels, there’s unexpectedly a skate park inside Hans Christian Andersen park as effectively!
7. Go to the museums
The entire museums have been closed after we visited resulting from COVID restrictions, however Solvang is house to museums of all flavors.
There are the Danish-associated ones you’d count on, such because the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, in addition to surprising choices such because the Solvang Classic Bike Museum.
8. Eat Danish meals
Sure, I do know I began with Danish bakeries, however there’s greater than Danish baked items on the town. Make certain to cease by one of many Danish eating places to benefit from the conventional delicacies.
Full disclosure, I don’t suppose I’ve ever had Danish meals prior to now, so I can’t decide how genuine it was.
We visited Solvang Restaurant and received this mixture plate. It included a Danish-style meatball and a Danish-style sausage, together with Danish-style crimson cabbage, potatoes, veggies, and a pea soup. It jogged my memory plenty of the meals in Germany and the Czech Republic. In different phrases: good and healthful, particularly on a colder day, however not one thing that I can see myself craving on a regular basis.
9. Buy groceries
A lot as you’d count on of a metropolis that is determined by tourism, Solvang has shops promoting all types of products. There’s every part from unusual clothes boutiques to specialty Danish shops to artwork galleries.
Of word are Elna’s Gown store, which sells custom-made conventional Danish outfits; Fairy & Frog, a floral and fairy store that jogged my memory of Spellbound Herbs in Cambria; and Hanson’s Clock Store, that are filled with clocks and different items from the Outdated World.
10. Snap a photograph with the clog!
Particular callout: Don’t overlook to go to the clog outdoors the Solvang Shoe Retailer.
It didn’t are available Kokomo’s measurement.
11. Have fun Christmas 12 months spherical
Yet another callout among the many outlets: Jule Hus.
In the event you love Christmas, Jule Hus has Christmas all 12 months spherical. Significantly! It seems like a Hallmark (or Netflix) Christmas particular it doesn’t matter what time of 12 months you go to.
12. Discover on wheels
If strolling total cities isn’t your factor like it’s mine, you may also lease a Moke. We noticed people driving these electrical Jeep-like golf carts throughout city. They will go as much as 30 miles per hour, are available colourful colours, and regarded like a enjoyable approach to discover Solvang in case you are brief on time or have touring companions who’re much less inclined to stroll in all places.
Need one thing midway between these choices? Solvang additionally has surrey cycles for lease. Yep, these multi-person cycles that you simply peddle.
13. Discover Mission Santa Inés
Consider it or not, there’s extra than simply Danish stuff in Solvang!
At the same time as all of the meals and structure speaks to Denmark, seeing Mission Santa Inés unmistakably reminds you that we’re proper again in California.
It is without doubt one of the unique Spanish missions in California, and as we speak, it sits on an enormous plot of land overlooking the valley simply outdoors of downtown Solvang.
Be aware: Like most missions, it has an advanced and darkish historical past of pressured labor and management of indigenous peoples and unfavorable affect on the land. I grew up in California studying about and visiting the missions in class, but little was taught about these points of the Spanish missions and missionaries after which a lot of our state was named. I usually keep away from writing about them due to this, however since this mission reveals a special aspect of Solvang earlier than the Danish arrived, I needed to incorporate it.
14. Ostrichland
Even when a Spanish mission was surprising however not shocking, Ostrichland will in all probability shock most guests to Solvang.
Yep, simply outdoors city, there’s a 33-acre ostrich and emu farm with greater than 100 of those large birds simply roaming round.
Ostrichland USA was closed resulting from COVID after we visited, so we have been solely in a position to see the ostriches from the street. Have a look at how big these animals are, even from distant!
15. Benefit from the wines of the area
And naturally, that is California, house of a number of award-winning wine areas.
Solvang could also be finest identified for its Danish attraction, however it’s also a part of the broader Santa Ynez Valley, which is house to greater than 100 vineyards. Most are situated in Santa Ynez, Los Olivos, or Buellton, with a dozen or so tasting rooms inside Solvang. Nice for a mid-afternoon break throughout a day journey or a nightcap earlier than strolling again to your Solvang lodge.
