Solvang town

The Danish town began in 1911 when two Danish ministers from the midwest decided to form a colony on the west coast with a Lutheran church and folk school. They liked the Santa Ynez valley and bought 9,000 acres of land. They convinced other Danes from the Midwest to buy land from them and join them. Slowly the town grew. Within just a few years, there was a folk high school in an impressive building, stores, post office, barbershop, lumberyard, and bank. It wasn't until the mid-40s, though, that windmills and many Danish-style buildings were erected. Half-timbered facades were added to old buildings and a town based on tourism was born.
In recent years, Solvang has become a little more trendy and upscale, with wineries and new American restaurants. There is a mix of disheveled, old-school gift shops, and modern, clean-lined gift shops with all the latest soaps, jellycat stuffies, and beautifully designed things. I really enjoyed a store called Mole Hole Cottage, and another, with whimsical fairy items called Fairy and Frog.
It's pleasant to spend an afternoon walking along the main strip, Mission Drive (Highway 246, which is noisy), and even better, along Copenhagen Drive, which is more charming and cozy. Check out also the little side streets, alleys and squares.
Duck into The Book Loft at 1680 Mission Dr. It's a quaint Danish building with tall pointed wooden ceilings. Upstairs is a small "museum" with old copies of Hans Christian Andersen books and information on his life. I bought "The Princess and The Pea" storybook which my daughter still loves. Other stories he wrote are "The Little Mermaid" and "The Ugly Duckling." For a quick bite, grab a ham and cheese pocket at the Book Loft's cafe.
A lovely toy store, Kids Club, is on Copenhagen Drive. It has toys, clothes, hair accessories, and baby keepsakes, all in a beautiful setting. Boys enjoy buying a plastic viking sword while in Solvang. There is also an impressive store with ornate daggers and real knives, called Nordic Knives, at 1634 Copenhagen Drive.
California Nature Art Museum is on the far west end of Mission Drive. Closed Tues and Wed. I will check it out next time.
The Solvang Restaurant, located on Copenhagen Rd, is where a scene from the movie "Sideways" was filmed. They have some decent Ebleskiver (small round pancake balls served with powdered sugar and raspberry jam). Paula's Pancakes has a nice sunny patio right on Highway 246 at Solvang's main strip. Kids behave here because they can move about on the patio. There are flower baskets galore and views of the half-timbered buildings. The waitresses are friendly, the food comes quickly, and the Danish sausages are delicious. Try the sandwich with Danish sausage and Havarti cheese. This restaurant fills up so come early. Brekkies by Chomp looks like a modern cafe with excellent outdoor seating, on Mission Drive. Good sandwiches and soup (this is surprisingly hard to find in Solvang, where most restaurants only sell sweets) can be had at Danish Mill Bakery on Copenhagen St. You can only sit inside, with the dreary dark carpet, but good dining options are limited in Solvang. Avoid Mortenson's Bakery- we weren't impressed with our dried out croissants. For a hip, youthful option, check out Cafe Dolce where you can buy juices, smoothies, or acai bowls at the counter and eat in the pretty courtyard outside.
If you want to escape the touristy scene, go to New Frontiers Natural Marketplace, where you can buy delicious deli food and eat it on their sunny patio surrounded by mountain views and flower pots. Their customizable (on a piece of paper with boxes you tick off) stir fry is excellent, with summer squash and fresh vegetables.
Solvang is particularly pretty in early Fall when the days are sunny and crisp and the flowerpots are overflowing. Summer afternoons can be stiflingly hot- though summer mornings are fantastic in Solvang, and afternoons do get a breeze some days. Weekends are terribly crowded with tourists- try to go during the week if you can.
Check out the Farmer's Market, on the corner of Copenhagen Drive and First Street, from 2:30-6:30pm in summer and 2:30-6pm in winter on Wednesdays.
At Solvang Park Gazebo, there are free music concerts called Music in the Park, Wednesdays 5-8pm, mid-June to end of August. Lost Chord Guitars has live music sometimes on the last Sunday of the month at 7pm.
From June to October, you can watch a theatre production or music concert outdoors at Solvang's Festival Theatre (see contact info below). Music in the Garden is on Sunday afternoons at 3pm, and cost $41. Shakespeare productions are at 8pm and cost $25-$60.
Two things you will need a car for: For an amazing medieval playground in Solvang that will keep your kids happy for hours, check out Sunny Fields Park. For an absolutely gorgeous walk, drive over to Nojoqui Park. There's a playground, grassy fields, and a short hike through dreamy forest to a tall, thin waterfall.
The Elverhoj Museum (walking distance from town), built in 1949 in the style of an 18th century farmhouse from Northern Denmark, is pretty with its handcrafted redwood front door and its fancy Danish decorations inside. There isn't too much to see, but my son liked the replica viking swords. I thought the best part was the cottage out back which houses a diaroma of Solvang during its early years.
Check out Bethania Lutheran Church, a quiet four minute walk from Good Seed Coffee. It was built by Danish immigrants in 1911, from a photograph of a church in Denmark. There is a model ship that hangs from the ceiling, a custom of the seafaring Scandinavians. Often a sailor who survived a near-fatal storm would commission a model of the ship he was in and dedicate it to the local church near where he was rescued. The pipe organ is impressive as well.
The Santa Ines Mission is in Solvang, a short walk from Birkholm's Bakery. It has a pretty bell tower, beautiful twelve stations of the cross, a rose garden, a Spanish fountain with hedges, and wonderful views over the valley.
At Christmastime, Solvang comes alive with lights and festivities, from November 28-January 4.
On your way to Solvang from Highway 101, check out the rows of hundreds of cedars that line Mission Drive/Highway 246, between Solvang and Buellton. Also, in Buellton, spot "The Hitching Post," where much of the movie "Sideways" was filmed. It's super fun to feed the ostriches and emus at Ostrichland in Buellton.
Along Highway 101 on the way from Santa Barbara to Solvang, stop in early summer to pick your own blueberries at Restoration Oaks Ranch. It takes about an hour and kids love it!
For a tiny, hip town nearby check out Los Olivos, where San Franciscans come down to hop from wine room to cafe to wine room. Also nice is Santa Ynez town with its Wild West buildings and dining on the beautiful balcony at Vineyard House Restaurant.
Less than an hour away is Lompoc. The town itself is dowdy but the commercial flower fields have rows of sweet peas and marigolds in early June and the drive on open road to Surf Beach is a joy. The best thing about Lompoc is salmon-pink La Purisima Mission, which is great for kids because of large modern visitor center and the furnished rooms showing what life was like at the missions.
Similar to Solvang is a town in Washington State called Leavenworth, modeled after a German Bavarian Village. Madonna Inn in San Luis Obispo, one hour drive north of Solvang, is similarly magical, built in Swiss Alps style- you can visit it for a meal or drink, and a stroll, or to swing dance on their gorgeous dance floor on Monday nights.
If you like Solvang, you will like these towns with a similar quaint feel but architecture genuinely hundreds of years old. Colonial Williamsburg, in Virginia has adorable Colonial houses, tourist shops, and Christmas decorations. Saint Augustine, Florida, with Spanish terra cotta architecture, is another touristy yet storybook spot with decorations galore. Lower Town Quebec will give you that feel too, with absolutely stunning 17th century architecture. Savannah, Georgia, is supposed to give you that fairytale feel too, but for some reason I didn't feel it there no matter how many visits I tried! It is definitely touristy though, with all the bells and whistles like horse-drawn carriage rides.
In Europe, Voorburg, Netherlands, is a sweet little town with picture-perfect buildings. In France, Rennes in Brittany and Salzburg in the Alsace-Lorraine region have that cozy, historic charm, with half-timbered buildings.

The nicest part of Copenhagen Drive is where it meets Alisal Rd.

Solvang town

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