Good Old Fashioned Fun!
Bakken entry by Erkan/Wiki Commons
🔎 Holding the coveted title of world’s oldest operating amusement park, Dyrehavsbakken was founded in 1583 and has been pleasing visitors for centuries. The name means The Deer Pasture's Hill, but it is often shortened to Bakken, or The Hill. It sits a mere 10 km north of Copenhagen.
It seems unlikely that a natural spring of water would inspire an amusement park, but that is the history that sets Bakken apart from the other amusement parks of the world. In 1583, the poor water quality in Copenhagen prompted residents to travel to the natural spring just north of town for clean drinking water. Due to the large numbers of people that congregated around the spring, entertainers began performing, and tents were erected to sell wares. One of these entertainers was Pierrot, a clown that is still a mascot for the park today.
As the area developed, new forms of entertainment arrived, including popular cabarets and circus shows that drew in large crowds. In the twentieth century, automated rides and roller coasters were constructed. Today, the land acts more like a fair than an amusement park, in that entrance to the park is free but the rides cost varying amounts of money. Cabaret shows, circus performances, and tents with goods and games are still a staple throughout the grounds. 🔍
It seems unlikely that a natural spring of water would inspire an amusement park, but that is the history that sets Bakken apart from the other amusement parks of the world. In 1583, the poor water quality in Copenhagen prompted residents to travel to the natural spring just north of town for clean drinking water. Due to the large numbers of people that congregated around the spring, entertainers began performing, and tents were erected to sell wares. One of these entertainers was Pierrot, a clown that is still a mascot for the park today.
As the area developed, new forms of entertainment arrived, including popular cabarets and circus shows that drew in large crowds. In the twentieth century, automated rides and roller coasters were constructed. Today, the land acts more like a fair than an amusement park, in that entrance to the park is free but the rides cost varying amounts of money. Cabaret shows, circus performances, and tents with goods and games are still a staple throughout the grounds. 🔍
