Where to go
Low cost airlines have made it so much easier to reach Denmark, with UK flights to all the main hitters, including Billund, affectionately known as LEGO® Town, and once in the country, the excellent transport and road systems, mean easy access to the best places to go. The airport, first opened by LEGO® as a private strip, is relatively small, but has great car rental options, the award winning King Amlet lounge and impressive artwork including pieces by local school children.
Where to stay
LEGO® fans can literally walk from the airport to two themed hotels, Hotel LEGOLAND® and LEGOLAND® Castle Hotel. Both are heaven for all fans of the mini bricks and have specially themed bedrooms so you can wake up pretending to be a wizard or a knight, enjoy buffet style breakfasts and dinners and of course lots of creating with LEGO® available throughout the hotels. The hotels are simply magic for children of all ages and the great plus for the adults is the special packages available to lower the costs. Special occasions such as Halloween and Christmas are indulged with lots of fantastic creations made and displayed by the in-house brick team.
Just across the road, the holiday resort of Lalandia is another family favourite. The Centre Parcs style complex has lots of food and leisure options, plus a fabulous swimming area with saunas, a wave pool, tube rides and lots of squirty toys!
What to do
It was in 1930, that Danish carpenter Ole Kirk Kristiansen first invented LEGO® after falling on hard times. Starting life as a wooden building block, it soon expanded and today the Kirk Kristiansen family still own the factory in the heart of Billund and there are nods to the famous son throughout, with play a big part of its ethos. Pavements are decked out as play areas to encourage young and old to have fun and be active.
At the heart of the town there is the LEGO® House, which is incredible fun for all ages. There are experience zones which will blow your mind, from brick inspired fish tanks to displays of the most incredible projects which have been painstakingly made by enthusiasts from around the world. It’s all interactive and one special feature turns a photograph of a person into a portrait.
The Mini Chef restaurant is a real experience too, with the menu designed to allow the diner to create their own LEGO® box of food, served by robots.
A short walk from the hotels and there is the LEGOLAND® theme park, with its mini LEGO® town and fairground rides for all ages. It’s a real fun day out in a well landscaped area. (https://www.legoland.dk/)
If furry friends are more appealing, a visit to the town’s Teddy Bear Art Museum is fun. With 1,200 teddies housed in the Kirk Kristiansen’s family home, it’s a lovely place to spend some time.
The Jutland peninsula around Billund has some beautiful scenery to explore, with lots of lovely small towns and villages.
A 45 minute car journey takes a step back in time to the historic Koldinghus, Jutland’s last royal castle, which suffered a catastrophic fire in 1808 and has been lovingly restored.
It’s town of Kolding has a really nice vibe about it and at the heart of it, by the river is the country’s number one water park at SlotssøBadet. For a relaxing time away from the children, Queen Dorothea’s spa is a fabulous underground vault of luxury, with plunge pools, mineral and steam baths and an outdoor jacuzzi and for some serious pampering, there are also lots of treatments available to soothe away the stresses.
Close by is the Trapholt Art museum, full of modern, quirky pieces which really encourage thinking out of the box.
Day at the Zoo?
Manageable day trips include the excellent Givskud Zoo, which has been really well thought out, allowing visitors to either see the animals via car safari or on foot. With plenty of land to house everything from giraffes to penguins, there is also a great dinosaur exhibition too.
And if a little culture is on the cards, then the fabulous Kongernes Jelling museum, is a good choice. It’s well set out and interactive and gives a insight into the history of Denmark, including the incredible Harald Bluetooth and the ancient alphabet of runes, an inspiration for today’s Bluetooth technology.
Tourist Information:
The Visit Denmark website is full of great ideas for planning the trip, accommodation, car hire and attractions.
