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hi!
Visiting Billund at this time of the year? Don't forget rainproof clothes.
The weather can change fast in Jylland, it's a low and windy stretch of land
between two oceans, were on some westwind days the weather doesn't have time
to stay long but just hops across the country on it's way to the Baltics (of
course this applys far more for the north than for the south of Jylland).
So you will be coming from Arhus ("Den gamle By" and the museum at Moesgard
are really great) . . by car or by train? Oh I can't remember a working
train station at Billund, so probably it's by car. Doing that you'll be
coming down the motorway and at Vejle turning west towards Grindsted. Well
to the northwest of Vejle is Jelling, not to much of a detour and a place of
great signifance for Danmark. Just climb one of the mounds and imagine how a
thousand years ago king Harald Bluetooth build the first church here and how
his heathen son Sven Forkedbeard started plans on raiding England triggering
the first taxes in English history. The english Kings collected the money to
pay him to go away but Sven thought this such a profitable deal he came back
the next year and the next and the next . . . well they still raise taxes in
England so maybe someone should tell them Sven is dead by now. Anyway enjoy
the carved stone and think of it as the Memorialstone for the beginning of
Danmark. If I remember correctly the countryside northwest of Vejle is quit
beautifull and near were you join the main road to Billund again is the nice
palace and gardens of Engelsholm.
But it was Legoland you was going to visit, sorry for drifting of. Legoland
in Billund has expanded a lot in the last 20 years. For a long time it went
from the gates to the mountains of the western city, you will notice the
differance in park design when you visit the pirate and castle attractions
and the even newer adventure part.
When you enter at the main gate you will find a clothes shop at your left.
You should go in there if you need a lego tie or a sportsbag in the shape of
a lego or if you want to wear something with the lego logo on it. Maybe they
still have the sports video made with animated lego.
To the left of the gate is the lego toy shop. Don't be too dissapointed and
have a thorough look around sometimes they do have real exclusive stuff
although the shop has never really been cheap. Don't forget the postbox
near the shop entrance. It's a real official postbox and they will mark your
postcard with Legoland Billund if you throw it in here.
If you follow the buildings on the left side of the park you will come to
some historic show cases and in 2001 to a bionicle showroom, might be
different now. The next things were historic mechanicle and tin toys and the
quit spectacular "Titanias Palace". This might not be so important to the
lego purist but it shows that Legoland is important to other toy fans as
well and Titanias Palace for example has always been one of the main
attractions for my grandmother.
Somewere here there used to be a room that explains some of the technicals
of miniland. For example how the remote control vehicles work. Along some
corridor on this side there are showcases dealing with the history of LEGO.
Somewhat dissapointing if that is what one hoped to find more information on
but nevertheless very interesting. There are some wooden era toys, some
early bricks and set boxes and if my memory isn't playing tricks a
collection of firestations through lego time. Oh yes and there was a cutaway
LEGO making machine somewere on this side.
Next comes the entrance to the bridge to Legoland Hotel. Now if you're
looking for cheap sets this is the place to go. I remember two shops I
think that sold old or damaged sets somewere strait ahead and to the left of
the lobby (I dont,t remember how to get to them if you enter the hotel by
the bridge though.)
Behind the entrance to the bridge come some rooms on scala and further on
the technic and computer stuff if I remember correctly. This is the place I
tend to get lost I must admit so I won't describe it for fear of getting too
excited, grabing the next car and speeding to Billund.
At the far end on the lefthand side of the park is some sort of cinema.
There was a Bionicle film there the last time I visited Legoland but there
must also have been a film on "Life on Mars" at some time. Don't forget to
examine the water and musik thingies on the plaza in front of the cinema.
OK that was the stretch of buildings on the left now to Miniland. To enter
Miniland from the main gate you'll have to cross a railway track so maybe
this is a good place to suggest to turn right, board the train and get a
basic overview of the old part of the park. If you enter Miniland from the
main entrance there's the model of a airport to the left. More to the right
there's Holland, keeping more to right there was an oil rig? hm duno.. On
the airport side there comes a nice harbour basin and beyond that
Amalienburg? Er .. more to the left a large tan cathedral (Lund?) and beyond
that Norway and the Lofote Islands. Going up the stairs towards the monorail
there used to be little norwegian Stavchurch build by the famous model
designer of the first park Dagny Holm. (Of course she's done a lot of the
other old important models but many things from her team like the old
animals at the safari ride are long since gone.) Beyond the steps to the
left there's England and Japan. - I guess someone should really make plans
of the minilands please - In the bottom righthand corner there is the safari
land with nice sculptures of animals and below that (go as much right as you
can from the main entrance) the world boat tour. I guess you will have to
take several rides if you really want to study all models in detail as you
can not see everything from land. There are postcards of most motives though
(postcardshopnearthelegopostbox).
In between the monorail track just beyond Miniland is the driving school. I
guess the importance of this for Danes and a lot of northern Germans really
can not be over estimated. By now almost every one in Denmark and in the
regions bordering Denmark started his driving career here. It really is
amazing for how many of the people I know this was the first driving licenze
and I come from the region around Lübeck in Germany. If you have time watch
the kids for some time. Note the flags build of lego they get as keys and
that lets the teacher address everyone in their native language. For most
children this is the first car that uses breaks so sit back and watch them
bump into each other at the traffic lights, realizing they not only have to
take away gas as with bumper cars but to really use the breaks to make the
car stop. Seeing this one wonders wether the bumper car experience kids have
when they do their first real car driving might be responsible for some
wierd accidents where the police just don't find any signs of breaking.
Further on there is Duploland, (Fabuland for some time, if your into that
theme have a good look around, there still where telltale details in 2001).
This is great fun for small kids and the lifesize duplo buildings are quit
an interesting site. Go to one of the playbuildings and look at the letter
and number bricks for the vertical boards. Lego sold these exclusive in the
Dacta line the last years but in the seventies they had similar systems for
professional use in planing and scheduling for normal companies. To the
right near the passway to the western city there's a lion made of lego and
duplo where you can poke your into and take a foto of your head between his
teeth. Note how they made his mane.
The western city used to border the top right side of the park. As said by
someone else not really interesting for an afol. Do have a look at the shops
though, in one of them they sell replicas of some of the early wooden lego
toys, sadly I couldn't find the pull along duck allthough someone told me
they planned to do it. Like the driving school this theme part is not really
related to the plastik bricks. If I get it correctly it simply started as a
campfire place with some tents. Like "Titanias Palace" and the driving
school it started getting popular on its own and was extended and grew. Of
course for europeans a western town is always more exotic than for americans
I guess. You ought to take the Timber Ride and the Mine Train to make sure
You don't miss a sculpture.
To the left side of the Park and beyond the western city you enter Pirate
Land. Again this might not be so interesting for an afol but nevertheless
watch out for the nice though widely strewn sculptures. The approach TLC
started with this extension and also used for Castle and Adventure Land is
different yet. Similar to Duploland Piratland is based on the brick sets,
but in a way children like it, not grown ups, they blow the theme with
motives from the sets (sadly not really the sets) to lifesize and make you
part of the scenery. I mean who hasn't dreamt as a kid to wander in the lego
world in minifig size? This is were the lifesize foam weapons and costume
parts based on the minifig ones come in very handy to imagine and play you
are really part of the toy world. As afol I guess I wouldn't have minded
more stuff in the Miniland Tradition though rather on minifig scale but I
guess the park has found out by now what attracts people.
The next extension was Castle land with the Castle and the Dragonride. You
have to take the ride and I fear more than once if you really want to see
all sculptures. You can not see them from outside. If you're interested in
beer have a look at the restaurant. Don't miss the well with the sculptured
witch and watch her "look down the well" spell work on everyone passing her.
Have a look at the rubberfoam swords and shields you can buy here, imagine
them hanging on the wall, now thats something every minifigcastle fan should
have ;-).
The latest park extension is Adventureland that takes up quit a lot of the
old parking lot and makes you wish for a train conection as the walk to the
main gate gets longer and longer. There are parking possabilities just
opposite the gate but the only time I found a space there was at four
o'clock in the morning when I took a nap until the gates opened after a long
drive. Adventureland has still to fill with attractions so except for the
Watersplash wich just opened the last time I was there, there is nothing of
importance I remember in this part except for the nice Adventurers cap you
can buy. Between Adventure and Castleland there is a nice climbing adventure
mistery thing on an island wich is great fun with children (If you play
catch me with children note that being smaller is an advantage here).
Well that is the Legoland park but of course there is a little more to
Billund. If you came frome Vejle on the 28 you will have noticed the airport
to your right just opposite Legoland. This was actually build basically by
TLC and gave the village great importance for the overregional traffic in
Denmark. A lot of northern germans or southern scandinavians for example
used to take flights from Billund because it was cheaper than Hamburg or
nearer than Stockholm. And Billund was or still is the second largest
airport of Denmark. So not only did TLC supply the town with work in the
factory and later in the park but also with the, at the first glance not
related, international airport. There was an aeronautic museum somewere near
the airport I think.
If you leave the park at the main gate and go past the road to the airport
(Lufthavnsvej) the next road on the left is Ellehamers Alle wich leads to a
roundabout in front of the campingsite. If you pass the Campingsite entrance
and take the last exit (noth in direction of the airport) following
Ellehammers Alle you come to the Center Mobilium with big glas windows. This
is sometimes the place for Fabriksudsalg - Factory sale - I really don't
know wether this is permanent now or not.
But being in Billund without at least taking a glance at the factory should
be impossible to any afol. When coming from Vejle you turned right at the
first roundabout to get to Legoland. If instead you turn left towards
Kolding (so strait ahead if you come from the main gate) you will notice a
sculpure of large LEGO bricks on your left handside. Well Legoland was
founded because it became difficult to maintain work with all the visitors
on tour through the factory so don't expect to many signs that show the way.
They still have tours of the actuall factory as far as I know so ask at the
tourist information in the park (right to the left of the main gate at the
park) or in the town center or drive right up to the factory. Hmm maybe the
first thing to do when entering the park should be to ask when the next
guided tour of the factory is. I don't know wether they are part of the tour
but watch out for the "room of the LEGO idea" and the "Wall of the clones"
(the official names may be differnt). There was a museum with stuff begining
from the wooden era of LEGO but I cant remember wether this was a town or a
factory museum.
Done all that maybe there still is one more thing one can do. Drive a little
out of town, maybe to the northeast like Rugbjerg or the higher Mollebjerg,
or better still south of the road to Kolding to Randbol Hede (=Heath) and
breath in the countryside. Note that you are west of or on the western
border of the eastern Hillcountry that border the Baltic Sea. You,re on the
"Geest" a sort of higher bleach wind blown plateau with poor soil between
the rich hillcountry in the east and the rich marshes in the west. (well not
so much left of that in the west of Billund by now) Imagine the few little
low modest houses that made up Billund some eighty years ago huddling from
the wind (have you noticed how the further you drive west in Jylland the
more the trees lean to the east - this is westwind country). Somewhere in
one of those houses the carpenter Ole Kirk Christiansen started making
wooden toys in the 1930's from the scrap wood left over from building
furniture and windows.
Seeing how much Legoland has changed in the last twenty years I hope most of
the information is still valid so have fun and leg godt.
tschuess/bye
thomas
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Message is in Reply To:
 | | Visiting LEGOLAND Billund
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| Hey everyone - I'll be in Billund in a few weeks, and visiting the LEGOLAND park on the 24th. I'd like to spend enough time there to take it all in, but having been to the California park I realize there are a lot of attractions geared towards kids (...) (22 years ago, 5-Oct-02, to lugnet.legoland.billund, lugnet.loc.dk)
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