I heard or read somewhere that one of Walt Disney's inspirations for Disneyland was Tivoli Gardens in Denmark. Why not? Tivoli is a charming place. Sounds good to me. When I was in a foriegn exchange student at Copenhagen University, Tivoli was one of my most favorite places to go. I think I went three times in two months.

This is a place with a history of people watching, flower gardens and attractions. Opened in 1843, it still holds a certain simple charm. I remember that the fireworks there were among the best I've ever seen. I had a terrible camera so most of my shots are dark and smoky and mostly of people's heads.

Now, here's an interesting statement that sounds a bit Walt Disneyish. When the park was first proposed to King Christian III, one reason for the okay was that if people are amused they don't think about politics so much. I wonder if this history fact is true. When Walt Disney designed Disneyland, one idea was to create Utopia where at least in one part of the world, people could leave their troubles at the gate.

Here's a You Tube video that captures the flavor of what Tivoli is like. It captures some of the rides, gardens and the entertainment. Let your worries float away.

Filed under: Arts and Culture, History, Europe, Denmark, Video