The Bastion

The Tivoli Lake came into being when Vestervold was demolished (1887), and the area with the Hanging Gardens (1955, Eywin Langkilde) and the playground were added to Tivoli. The hawthornes at the Dragon Boats are said to be from the time of the City Moat.

Along the Lake's edges of the lake, arches with the characteristic Tivoli light bulbs can be seen. The lakeside blooms with the flowers of the season. The Orient area was originally an island in the City Moat.

Worth knowing

  1. THE HANGING GARDENS

    Garden architect Eywin Langkilde (1919 – 97) created the Hanging Gardens in 1955. On the grass slope between H.C. Andersen's Boulevard and the Tivoli Lake, hanging vessels are planted with the flowers of the season. Each vessel is illuminated by a hanging lamp, which creates a poetic twilight in the landscaped garden during the evening.

    Eywin Langkilde also contributed to the construction of the Artists' Playground in 1957.

  2. THE PLAYGROUND

    The playground in Tivoli is situated at street-level and thus raised above the Tivoli Lake and the Tivoli Castle square. Gyldenløve's Bastion, which disappeared in 1887, was situated here. In 1943, Tivoli designed the celebration area, Old Tivoli, in this area as part of the celebration of its 100th anniversary. Old copies of Tivoli rides were placed here, including the Ferris Wheel, which is still in operation in Tivoli to this day. 

    The Artists' Playground was designed in 1957. Leading Danish artists, such as Mogens Zieler, William Fridericia, Gunnar Westmann and Henry Heerup designed the playground equipment, which was thought to have a liberating effect on the children. However, some of the equipment was so dangerous that it had to be adjusted shortly before the opening. This included the Firework Tree, which was a metal climbing frame with very sharp ends. The Artists' Playground was closed in 1997. Today, Henry Heerup's small stone sculptures can be seen at the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, while the large name rock with the word 'Tivolaj' still stands at the Playground. 

    Rasmus Klumps Verden was designed in 2010 as a sanctuary with around 40 activities for smaller children.

  3. THE TIVOLI DOME

    Everywhere in Tivoli one can see small glass light bulbs with an oriental appearance and a heart-shaped spout at the top. The light bulbs can be seen in a variety of colours, adorning arcs and facades, but only in Tivoli.

    Before there was electricity, during the days of gas lights, the bulbs had a broad opening at the top, where the flame needed oxygen, and a narrow opening at the bottom, where the gas pipe was inserted. In other words, they resembled today's glass bulbs turned upside down.

    The design is inspired by the illumination glass that was used when Tivoli was brand new. They were small oil basins with round bodies and narrow necks (like a classic hyacinth glass), containing small floating wicks, so-called Vauxhalls, which were lit during festive evenings in Tivoli.

  4. THE TIVOLI LAKE

    In a circle around the inner area of Copenhagen, one can find a green belt of parks: The Citadel, Østre Anlæg, The Botanical Garden, Ørstedsparken and Tivoli Gardens. The parks emerged where Copenhagen's ramparts were demolished in the last part of the 1800s – with the exception of Tivoli, which was established as early as 1843. But Tivoli's appearance changed significantly when the ramparts were demolished. Instead of resting at the City Moat with the rampart towering above like a green backdrop, the area was now expanded with the filled-in City Moat. The Tivoli Lake still remains as a reminder of the old days. The surface area of the Lake is approx. 6000m2 and it is 6 metres deep at the deepest spot. 

    Already from the beginning, the City Moat was used as an integrated part of Tivoli. There were gondolas here, performers walked the tightrope over the water, and ships could enter Tivoli from Kalvebod Beach. Small boats still sail on the Tivoli Lake, but the larger ships have to be anchored, including Fregatten Sct. Georg III, which was built in 1993 as Tivoli's third frigate on the Lake.

    THE TIVOLI ISLAND


    Gyldenløves Ravelin in the City Moat was included in Tivoli from 1844 and called The Island. Originally, visitors had to pay an entry fee to access The Island, but this was abandoned in the spirit of good morale, when it was discovered that it was almost only couples in love who were prepared to pay for the access. 

    A cabaret with serving was then built on The Island, and in 1887 it was connected by land to Tivoli. The area was called The Bastion for many years. This was where the Arena Theatre was situated when it, too, became a casualty of the Schalburgtage (German counter-sabotage) in 1944. From 1948-1967, the dance house, Dansetten, stood here, but today the area is called The Orient and is one of Tivoli's entertainment areas.

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