Dyrehavsbakken
Encyclopedia
Dyrehavsbakken commonly referred to as Bakken ("The Hill"), is the world's oldest operating amusement park
. It is located near Klampenborg (Gentofte municipality
) but belongs under Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune, Denmark
about 10 km north of Copenhagen
. With 2.5-2.7 million visitors per year, it is the second most popular attraction in Denmark, after the more widely known amusement park Tivoli Gardens.
The origins of Dyrehavsbakken can be traced back to 1583 when Kirsten Piil discovered a natural spring in what is now known as Jægersborg Dyrehave
or Dyrehaven, a large forest park north of Copenhagen
. Residents of Copenhagen were attracted to the spring due to the poor water quality in the area during the time period. Many believed the natural spring water to have curative properties, and therefore Piil's discovery drew large crowds, especially in the springtime. These large crowds attracted entertainers and hawkers, whose presence began the origins of amusement parks as are presently known.
For a period of time, the area that the spring was located was not open to the public due to it being on royal hunting grounds. In 1669, King Frederick III
decided to set up an animal park in the area and his son, Christian V, extended the size of the park by 3-4 times after he became king in 1670. The area was named Jægersborg Dyrehave
, its present name, in 1671. The park was off-limits to the general public under Christian V and this did not change until 1756, under Frederick V
.
Open to the general public once again, Dyrehavsbakken began to flourish. The entertainers, hawkers, and innkeepers returned to the area, and Bakken's growing reputation throughout Europe attracted other entertainers and artists, including Pjerrot
, the clown that is still a fixture at the park today. Bakken continued to grow even throughout the Napoleonic Wars
, aided by easier accessibility due to the development of railroads and steamships as well as good publicity from poets and authors.
As the popularity of Bakken grew, its conditions worsened. As a result, some of the business owners, or "tent owners" as they are still called today, created the Dyrehavsbakken Tent Owners’ Association of 1885. The association improved garbage collection, restroom facilities, water supply, publicity, and helped bring electricity to the park. The association is still around today, and all businesses operating in the park are required to join.
The entertainment options also improved over time. Cabarets such as Sansouci, which opened in 1866, and Bakkens Hvile, which opened in 1877, became increasingly popular. The 20th century brought other popular ventures, such as the Circus Revue and moving rides. Over time, more modern rides and entertainment options have been introduced.
Bakken may have started as a place to get clean spring water, but today it is a thriving amusement park filled with modern rides and amenities. Bakken is home to five roller coasters, the most famous of which is Rutschebanen (Danish for "The Roller Coaster"), a wooden roller coaster
open since 1932. Rutschebanen has been deemed an American Coaster Enthusiasts
Coaster Classic. The park is also home to dozens of other flat, or amusement, rides suited for all ages.
-style games, slot machines, and dancing. The park's mascot, Pjerrot the clown, performs everyday for young children. The park is also home to Bakkens Hvile music hall, where cabarets are common, as well as the Circus Revue, a live circus
-style performance. There are also live music performances in lounges and bars across the park on a regular basis.
The park is home to dozens of restaurants of all tastes and price ranges. The style of restaurants range from standard amusement park street food
vendors, to buffets, to fancier wine-and-dine restaurants. The type of food represented ranges from standard amusement park fare, such as hamburgers and cotton candy
, to tradition Danish cuisine, such as Pølser
(Danish hot dogs), Æbleskiver
(Danish pancakes), and Smørrebrød
(open-faced sandwiches), to many other types of international cuisine. Bakken also contains numerous bars and lounges, where popular Danish beer
such as Carlsberg and Tuborg are served.
Amusement park
thumb|Cinderella Castle in [[Magic Kingdom]], [[Disney World]]Amusement and theme parks are terms for a group of entertainment attractions and rides and other events in a location for the enjoyment of large numbers of people...
. It is located near Klampenborg (Gentofte municipality
Gentofte
Gentofte Kommune is a municipality in the Capital Region of Denmark on the east coast of the island of Zealand in eastern Denmark. The municipality covers an area of , and has a total population of 68,913...
) but belongs under Lyngby-Taarbæk Kommune, Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
about 10 km north of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. With 2.5-2.7 million visitors per year, it is the second most popular attraction in Denmark, after the more widely known amusement park Tivoli Gardens.
History
Jægersborg Dyrehave
Dyrehaven , officially Jægersborg Dyrehave, is a forest park north of Copenhagen. It covers around 11 square kilometres...
or Dyrehaven, a large forest park north of Copenhagen
Copenhagen
Copenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
. Residents of Copenhagen were attracted to the spring due to the poor water quality in the area during the time period. Many believed the natural spring water to have curative properties, and therefore Piil's discovery drew large crowds, especially in the springtime. These large crowds attracted entertainers and hawkers, whose presence began the origins of amusement parks as are presently known.
For a period of time, the area that the spring was located was not open to the public due to it being on royal hunting grounds. In 1669, King Frederick III
Frederick III of Denmark
Frederick III was king of Denmark and Norway from 1648 until his death. He instituted absolute monarchy in Denmark and Norway in 1660, confirmed by law in 1665 as the first in western historiography. He was born the second-eldest son of Christian IV of Denmark and Anne Catherine of Brandenburg...
decided to set up an animal park in the area and his son, Christian V, extended the size of the park by 3-4 times after he became king in 1670. The area was named Jægersborg Dyrehave
Jægersborg Dyrehave
Dyrehaven , officially Jægersborg Dyrehave, is a forest park north of Copenhagen. It covers around 11 square kilometres...
, its present name, in 1671. The park was off-limits to the general public under Christian V and this did not change until 1756, under Frederick V
Frederick V of Denmark
Frederick V was king of Denmark and Norway from 1746, son of Christian VI of Denmark and Sophia Magdalen of Brandenburg-Kulmbach.-Early life:...
.
Open to the general public once again, Dyrehavsbakken began to flourish. The entertainers, hawkers, and innkeepers returned to the area, and Bakken's growing reputation throughout Europe attracted other entertainers and artists, including Pjerrot
Pierrot
Pierrot is a stock character of pantomime and Commedia dell'Arte whose origins are in the late 17th-century Italian troupe of players performing in Paris and known as the Comédie-Italienne; the name is a hypocorism of Pierre , via the suffix -ot. His character in postmodern popular culture—in...
, the clown that is still a fixture at the park today. Bakken continued to grow even throughout the Napoleonic Wars
Napoleonic Wars
The Napoleonic Wars were a series of wars declared against Napoleon's French Empire by opposing coalitions that ran from 1803 to 1815. As a continuation of the wars sparked by the French Revolution of 1789, they revolutionised European armies and played out on an unprecedented scale, mainly due to...
, aided by easier accessibility due to the development of railroads and steamships as well as good publicity from poets and authors.
As the popularity of Bakken grew, its conditions worsened. As a result, some of the business owners, or "tent owners" as they are still called today, created the Dyrehavsbakken Tent Owners’ Association of 1885. The association improved garbage collection, restroom facilities, water supply, publicity, and helped bring electricity to the park. The association is still around today, and all businesses operating in the park are required to join.
The entertainment options also improved over time. Cabarets such as Sansouci, which opened in 1866, and Bakkens Hvile, which opened in 1877, became increasingly popular. The 20th century brought other popular ventures, such as the Circus Revue and moving rides. Over time, more modern rides and entertainment options have been introduced.
Rides
Wooden roller coaster
A wooden roller coaster is most often classified as a roller coaster with laminated steel running rails overlaid upon a wooden track. Occasionally, the structure may be made out of a steel lattice or truss, but the ride remains classified as a wooden roller coaster due to the track design...
open since 1932. Rutschebanen has been deemed an American Coaster Enthusiasts
American Coaster Enthusiasts
The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks...
Coaster Classic. The park is also home to dozens of other flat, or amusement, rides suited for all ages.
Current Roller Coasters
The following table gives information on the roller coasters currently at Bakken.| Ride | Year Opened | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Mariehønen | 2001 or earlier | Family style roller coaster with oval layout. |
| Mine Train Ulven | 1997 | Mine train style roller coaster. Name is Danish for "Wolf's Mine Train." Tunnel added to drop in 2004. |
| Racing | 1980s | Wild mouse style roller coaster. Traveled with Showman Rudolf Robrahn from 1971 to 1974, built in 1971. |
| Rutschebanen | 1932 | Wooden side friction style roller coaster. Name is Danish for "Roller Coaster." ACE American Coaster Enthusiasts The American Coaster Enthusiasts is an organization dedicated to the enjoyment and preservation of roller coasters. Membership is open to anyone with payment of yearly dues, and membership benefits may include discounted admission to certain amusement parks... Coaster Classic. |
| Tornado | 2009 | Wild mouse style roller coaster with enclosed, spinning cars. Contains extensive theming and effects. |
Other Attractions
Bakken contains many other entertainment options in addition to rides. This includes carnivalCarnival
Carnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
-style games, slot machines, and dancing. The park's mascot, Pjerrot the clown, performs everyday for young children. The park is also home to Bakkens Hvile music hall, where cabarets are common, as well as the Circus Revue, a live circus
Circus
A circus is commonly a travelling company of performers that may include clowns, acrobats, trained animals, trapeze acts, musicians, hoopers, tightrope walkers, jugglers, unicyclists and other stunt-oriented artists...
-style performance. There are also live music performances in lounges and bars across the park on a regular basis.
The park is home to dozens of restaurants of all tastes and price ranges. The style of restaurants range from standard amusement park street food
Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
vendors, to buffets, to fancier wine-and-dine restaurants. The type of food represented ranges from standard amusement park fare, such as hamburgers and cotton candy
Cotton candy
Cotton candy , candy floss or candyfloss or candy buttox , or fairy floss is a form of spun sugar. Since cotton candy is mostly air, a small initial quantity of sugar generates a tremendously greater final volume, causing servings to be physically large and voluminous...
, to tradition Danish cuisine, such as Pølser
Pølser
Rød Pølse is a type of boiled sausage very common in Denmark and Norway. Since hot dog stands are ubiquitous in Denmark some people regard røde pølser as one of the national dishes. Their most noticeable aspect is that the skin often contains a traditional red dye making it bright red...
(Danish hot dogs), Æbleskiver
Æbleskiver
Æbleskiver are traditional Danish pancakes in a distinctive shape of a sphere. Somewhat similar in texture to American pancakes crossed with a popover, æbleskiver are solid like a pancake but light and fluffy like a popover...
(Danish pancakes), and Smørrebrød
Smørrebrød
Smørrebrød usually consists of a piece of buttered rye bread , a dense, dark brown bread. Pålæg , the topping, then among others can refer to commercial or homemade cold cuts, pieces of meat or fish, cheese or spreads...
(open-faced sandwiches), to many other types of international cuisine. Bakken also contains numerous bars and lounges, where popular Danish beer
Beer
Beer is the world's most widely consumed andprobably oldest alcoholic beverage; it is the third most popular drink overall, after water and tea. It is produced by the brewing and fermentation of sugars, mainly derived from malted cereal grains, most commonly malted barley and malted wheat...
such as Carlsberg and Tuborg are served.