The Dreamy Town Solvang

Everyone has a place where they can retreat to in their dreams. It may be somewhere close or in a foreign land far away. The Danish town Solvang in California is one such place of dreams. However, this place is real. The romantic town of Solvang provides people with fairytale love affairs and an atmosphere made for dreams.

Setting out on the 130-mile trek from Los Angeles to Solvang via Route 101, you first pass over drizzly Highway 1, where you can glimpse amazing views of the choppy Pacific Ocean. Afterward, you will cruise through foggy Santa Ynez Valley. After crossing its hills and passing by its lakes, you will arrive in the seemingly isolated wonderland of Solvang.

Solvang means land of the sun in Danish, which is fitting seeing as how this distinctive town is located in Southern California. However, even being in California, the buildings here are completely decorated in typical Danish style. Visitors all marvel at the striking and diverse culture of Solvang, a scenic town where you are unlikely to find any Starbucks or McDonalds. Solvang has been preserving Danish traditions for over 100 years, rejecting all American culture and not deliberately propagandizing itself. It merely relies on tourists to seek out the town for themselves.

Although this Nordic town is home to only a few thousand people and a handful of streets, millions of travelers come here each year attracted by its reputation alone. During the yearly Danish Festival, the streets are especially jammed with enthusiastic tourists. What a fun scene!

People who have an interest in history will find that this town contains a historical Danish art museum, a museum for Hans Christian Anderson, and even a museum of vintage motorcycles. Visitors can also stop to see a bronze statue of Christian Anderson and a “little mermaid” pool from his work Daughter of the Sea.

What makes women most obsessed with Solvang are the street shops full of Danish style. There are all kinds of unexpected souvenirs and accessories for you to choose from, for example, curved slates with which to decorate your garden, euphoniously sounding glass wind chimes, or fashionable Nordic-style clothing. Such a delightful atmosphere definitely makes people indulge in pleasures as to forget to leave. Nevertheless, time always flies without noticing.

If you are ardently fond of photography, Solvang will surely surprise you. Visitors can find tremendous locations for street photography everywhere around the town: inside the showcase of a bakery, at a phone booth with a red-on-blue spire on the side of the road, by a girl carved into stone next to a pool that lies beside an ancient, turmeric-colored wall covered in ivy. Just off the sides of the streets are countless colorful Danish constructions, in lively greens, soft blues, warm reds, and calm yellows — colors that each pair naturally with the tender blue sky. In the center of the town, there is a replica of Copenhagen’s Rundetaarn, meaning round tower. The tower is one-third as big as the original work, catching the attention of every tourist.

If you are a food connoisseur, I promise you will find love in Solvang. A lot of Danish bakeries skirt the roadside, offering fresh Danish cookies and all kinds of delicious baked goods. Gazing into these charming shops from outside is enough to give you an appetite. In addition to the bakeries, there are some Nordic specialty restaurants tucked away among the charming buildings in town. Cafés are plentiful here as well. Whether thanks to the eye appeal of the dishes or simply their taste, the restaurants in Solvang will make people find love at first sight.

Solvang is also home to various wine chateaux featuring selections from nearby grape manors. People who enjoy visiting wineries should come check them out. They completely transform your stay into a visual and gustatory feast. There are many pastures, farms, aviaries, and racecourses around the town, too. You can experience an unforgettably gorgeous adventure with your children, enriching their world views and broadening their horizons.

Farewells are always distressing. This fairytale town with its splendid, colorful architecture and rustic designs makes tourists feel reluctant to leave. Looking back again, visiting Solvang might have just been a dream after all….