Velling Koller’s Fairy Tale Garden
Velling Koller’s Fairy Tale Garden
Do you know where Velling Koller is located. You know right east of Vrads. Most of them have probably gotten off here. But in 1962, an adventure garden was opened here, which was so groundbreaking and fantastic that only Tivoli in Copenhagen could surpass it. Read here the fantastic story of Velling Koller and visit the remnants of the fairy tale garden yourself.
The story of Velling Koller
The story of Velling Koller dates back to 1903. She opened a restaurant and a pavilion at the site. It became such a popular excursion destination that in 1908 a hotel and a lookout tower were also opened. The area became accessible to most when the railway with a station in Bryrup, just under 2 km away, opened in 1900. It provided access to a somewhat unknown natural gem in Denmark, the area around Vrads Bakker and the forest near Bryrup.
An adventure park opened at the site in 1962. The land had been purchased by Holger Rhode in 1956. He came up with the idea and carried out his mission of creating a fairy tale garden, inspired by H. C. Andersen and the Brothers Grimm's fairy tales. In 1962, the park had 200,000 visitors. This visitor number was only surpassed that year by Tivoli in Copenhagen.
And the park was truly magical. A swan lake. A castle. Living chimpanzees. Mechanical dolls. Rocket engines. Münchhausen's crossing over the cannonball over the garden. The place was ahead of its time and thus became world-famous. The entertainment concept with dolls and mechanical figures that tell a fairy tale was created here. The city was an El Dorado of fun things and stuff.
The place became so famous that a copy of the fairy tale garden was later opened in Sorø on Zealand.
Unfortunately, Velling Koller Adventure Park was not maintained. The magic disappeared from the place as the mechanical figures rusted and the paint peeled off. In 1976, it was clear that if the place was to survive, a large-scale restoration was needed. In 1986, D-A-D used the location for a music video titled "It's After Dark". Watch this music video D-A-D – It’s After Dark (Official Video) (youtube.com).
At the end of the 1980s, the property was sold to a local bricklayer, who carried out a thorough restoration and established supplementary buildings. Unfortunately, almost the entire park burned down three days before the opening, and only a few buildings remained after the fire. The property was sold as a fire site.
In 1990, the park was opened with new owners in a slightly different form. In 2006, the site was expanded with a camping ground.
Velling Koller today
Only the remnants of the amusement park remain today. It is possible to walk around the old adventure park and otherwise enjoy the beautiful nature in the area. It is definitely recommended to combine a visit with a hike. There is a campsite, cabins, and a hotel on the site, which is located at the southernmost hill in Søhøjlandet.
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Velling Koller Vej 4, 8654 Bryrup, Denmark