The garden of variety
When Tivoli's gates open for the 167th time at 11 am on 8 April, it will be for a season which once again emphasises that Tivoli really is for everyone: families, friends, Season Pass holders, gourmets, tourists, culture vultures and those who like a little of everything.
Everyone finds their own way to enjoy Tivoli, their own favourites and memories. And there are almost as many ways to enjoy Tivoli as there are guests, which is the way it was always intended, when Georg Carstensen founded Tivoli - and the way it always will be. And if you happen to have forgotten how fantastic - and fantastically different - Tivoli is, you can take one of the 8 different Tivoli-tours, each of them written by a Tivoli employee.
The cultural Tivoli-tour
Culture vultures know what they want, and will have bought tickets for the Concert Hall several weeks in advance. Even though they have a Season Pass, they will use their concert tickets as access to the Gardens on the evening in question. From the entrance across from the train station, they will stroll towards the Concert Hall, past flowers and fountains which they will admire in passing. They have plenty of time, and look around for friends and acquaintances to discuss the latest reviews and cultural experiences with. They will order a drink for the intermission, which they will sip whilst enjoying a breath of fresh air and the view over the Gardens, whilst discussing the artistes of the evening and other concerts they plan to enjoy at Tivoli during the summer. After the concert, they will drop by the Harmony Pavilion, where they will enjoy Tivoli's Big Band for a while, and then find somewhere for a bite to eat and a drink before catching the train home.
The friends' Tivoli-tour
The friends have decided to buy a Silver Card - so that they can always invite a colleague or friend for a free visit to Tivoli. After work, they meet for a beer in the Søcaféen. It's Friday, one beer leads to the next, the atmosphere is good and there are lots of stories to be told. They decide to eat dinner in Tivoli, and one of them nips over to Ketchup to reserve a table. Before they eat, the conversation turns to Tivoli's new ride, the Flight, and one of them has planned sufficiently ahead to have booked a go on the new ride via Tivoli's website. They drink up and set off to prove their manhood on the Flight. After a wild trip, it's time for dinner, and from Ketchup's terrace they have great seats for the Friday Rock concert on the Open Air Stage. After dinner, they try their luck on the horses at 'Galoppen' with the loser buying a round in the Biergarten, before they head homeward.
The family's Tivoli-tour
It's not every day that the family is off to Tivoli, which means they're all in good spirits. They've planned in advance, as there are so many things to have a go on - 11 year-old Peter has his sights set firmly on the Galley Ships, Bumper Cars and the Mine, whilst 7 year-old Fie has chosen the Dragon Boats, Nautilus and intends to have a go at hook-a-duck. Mum isn't much for rides, so she looks after Clara in her buggy, but still takes a trip on the Flying Trunk, where she is delighted to find that the older children still remember all the fairy tales. Dad's up for everything, and has a Multi-ride ticket. He's also promised Peter a ride on the Roller-Coaster although the Flight and the other extreme rides will have to wait a while yet. They enjoy a packed lunch on the benches overlooking the lake and while the kids go off to try out the playground, the adults drink “coffee to go”, and enjoy the view over Fregatten Skt. Georg III. Before they know it, it's ice cream time and the day is rushing by all too quickly. They take in a show at the Pantomime Theatre where ‘The Swineherd’ is showing, making an excellent finale to a wonderful day.
The Season Pass-holder's Tivoli-tour
Ruth is the proud owner of her very own Tivoli Season Pass and arrives early, to enjoy a quiet walk around the flower beds, chatting to the pleasant gardener in the Parterre Garden. In the afternoon, she buys a coffee and cake in Viften at a special offer price of DKK 35, and sits down to enjoy the view of the new rides Vertigo and the Demon. She shudders at the thought of trying them. After her coffee, she walks on to the Japanese Garden, where the moscus ducks are and later takes a seat on a bench overlooking the Tivoli Lake, before heading for home. But before she leaves, she simply has to listen to the Promenade Orchestra's afternoon concert, where many of the Season Pass holders tend to gather and sedately tap their feet to the wonderful music.
The dreamer's Tivoli-tour
The dreamer also has a Season Pass but arrives at dusk, enjoying the thrill of entering Tivoli under the arch of the Main Entrance. Peter Brande's flower pots are some of the dreamer's favourite sculptures at Tivoli, along with the classic Pierrot bust and the elegant Aladdin's Well. The Promenade Orchestra play the Champagne Gallop just as he passes the small pavilion, the almost 4,000 bulbs on Nimb's facade have just been switched on and the Bubble Fountain looks inviting in the fading light. The dreamer takes a turn through the Merry Corner but quickly arrives - via the Japanese Gardens - in the Parterre Gardens, where the town hall clock marks the evening's progress as his thoughts race and the lights come on around the Lake. Perhaps he can just fit in a pantomime, or maybe a Tivoli cake at the Vaffelbageriet?
The tourist's Tivoli-tour
The tourist's visit to Tivoli has been long planned, and tickets bought well in advance on the internet (shoppen.tivoli.dk).The day's programme has been carefully planned, and a table reserved for a meal in the evening. The afternoon is going to be spent on the rides and attractions, including a photo of them zooming past the camera on the Roller-Coaster, the inevitable candy floss and rounding off by watching the Tivoli Boys Guard on parade. After dinner, the parents settle down with a beer in the Biergarten, whilst the kids try out their favourite rides one more time. Naturally, they have to try their luck in the Muldvarpen (mole) and a visit to Build-A-Bear is not to be missed! As darkness falls, and the 120,000 lights come on, there's time for a stroll around the Lake, including a look at the sharks in Tivoli's Aquarium before rounding off the evening with the Tivoli Illuminations.
The teenager's Tivoli-tour
There are still two hours to go before the concert on the Open Air Stage, so he buys a Multi-Ride ticket for himself and his girlfriend, and they head for the Roller-Coaster. During the breakneck ride, he times his kiss to perfection as they fly past the camera. He's read about Vertigo in the paper, and this is finally his chance to try it out with his girlfriend hesitantly in tow. She needs a bit of persuasion, but he finally gets her to accompany him, clinging to him when the Flight starts up - which was of course the idea anyway. On the way over to the Open Air Stage and the concert, he sees Tivoli's new fire engine which he thinks fits in well with the Gardens, and looks as if it has always belonged there. The summer evening goes by all too quickly, and before they know it, it's time to leave through the Main Entrance and back into reality.
The gourmet's Tivoli-tour
The gourmet starts off with a glass of champagne on the terrace of Ketchup, where they sell Cristal by the glass. Because the weather is good, lunch on The Paul's terrace is perfect; an informal, high-gastronomic lunch with the international touch. He considers swapping it with gastronomy on another level - enjoying a freshly-made stone oven-baked pizza at Italia, but since he has plenty of time today, opts for a visit to Paul Cunningham. The gourmet makes lunch stretch for hours, and then embarks on a walk around the Lake and three goes in a row on the Demon, before he's ready to eat again. Dinner is taken with business contacts at Tivoli's other Michelin star rated-restaurant, Nimb Herman, where Thomas Herman offers modern, gourmet versions of Danish classics. The evening is rounded off with "vintage port of the day" sold by the glass at the traditional Tivoli Bodega Vinstue. Whilst the gourmet enjoys the quiet of a summer evening, he decides that although he'd better go home, there may still be time to get a gourmet hotdog from Nimb to eat on the way.
