If you’re not from the Golden State, you may be surprised to learn that central California is home to a Danish town, called Solvang. The town was established back in 1911 by a group of Danish-American educators, who were drawn to the land’s sunny skies and mild winters.
Over a century later, the town still leans into its Danish roots, from several bakeries that offer aebleskivers (which are fried pancake balls) to its annual Julefest festivities to celebrate Christmas. If you want to add this quirky town to your bucketlist, here are 12 fun things to do in Solvang, California, the self-proclaimed Danish Capital of the United States!
This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through them, we may receive a small commission, for which we are extremely grateful, at no extra cost to you.
History of Solvang, California
As mentioned above, the town was originally founded in 1911, when a group of three Danish-Americans purchased 9,000 acres of land around the Mission Santa Inés. They had dreams of escaping the cold winters of the Midwestern United States and of creating a community that preserved Danish culture. They named their new town “Solvang”, which means “Sunny Skies” in Danish.
The founders advertised their new commune in Danish-speaking publications, attracting more residents (almost all Danish!) from both Denmark and the United States.
One of the founders’ primary goals was the establishing a school that promoted Danish culture and heritage. Just ten months after Solvang’s founding, their vision became a reality, with the opening of a folk school, called Ungdomsskolen i Solvang.
For the next few decades, Solvang continued to grow and basically look like any other small and rural Californian town.
However, in the 1940s, the community noticed that tourists were interested in Solvang’s Danish roots and decided to embrace Danish architecture and artistry in new construction.
Since then, most of the buildings downtown have been reconstructed in an old provincial style, with Danish features, like windmills and rooftop storks (which are believed to ward off bad spirits), sprinkled throughout the town.
The town has maintained strong ties to Denmark since its founding and has even been visited by Danish royalty on three occasions, most recently to celebrate Solvang’s centennial!
Things to do in Solvang, California
Okay, enough with the history! What are some of the fun things you can do in Solvang?
1. Try Danish food
As you might imagine, one of the most popular things to do in Solvang is to indulge in Danish food!
Here are some spots I’d recommend adding to your list:
Paula’s Pancake House
This is THE most iconic breakfast spot in Solvang, due, in part, to their Danish pancakes, which are thin, crepe-like pancakes. When my husband, Justin, and I visited, we got the Danish pancakes with fruit, which were so light, airy, and delicious!
Given Paula’s popularity, I’d definitely recommend showing up early if you’re visiting on a weekend or during a busier timeframe, like Julefest, so you don’t have to wait in a super long queue.
Copenhagen Sausage Garden
Sausages are hugely popular in Denmark, especially in classic Danish hot dog, called a pølse. These hot dogs are typically made out of pork and served with a topping of remoulade, mustard, ketchup, pickles, and crispy fried onions.
The Copenhagen Sausage Garden is a very laidback fast casual restaurant, where you can try pølse, as well as a variety of other sausage varieties. It has an attached beer garden to enjoy Solvang’s namesake sunny skies and an INSANE amount of sauces that you can choose from (which I’m always a fan of!).
Justin and I are vegetarians, so I loved that they had some veggie options here!
Solvang Restaurant
This restaurant has been dishing out both Danish and American fare in downtown Solvang for over 50 years.
While you can get a variety of Danish entrees here, like sausage or meatballs, the biggest draw to the Solvang Restaurant is its aebleskivers, pancake-like balls that are dusted with powdered sugar and dipped into raspberry jam. I love that they have a little take-out window where you can order and pick up your aebleskivers, so you can enjoy them as you’re moseying around town!
Olsen’s Danish Village Bakery
There are five Danish bakeries, all located within a five block radius, in downtown Solvang (Olsen’s, Danish Mill, Birkholm’s, Solvang, and Mortensen’s), but our favorite was Olsen’s.
It was established in the early 1970s from a couple who moved to Solvang, directly from Denmark. They still use recipes from the original owner’s great-great grandfather, including their famous butter cookies and kringle.
Fun fact: All of the Danish bakeries in Solvang will have a crown above its door, which symbolizes that they’re a part of the Danish Bakers Guild (i.e., an authentic Danish bakery).
2. Feed the ostriches at Ostrichland
Oh, man, if I had time to do just one thing in Solvang, it would definitely be to go to Ostrichland.
Full disclosure—this spot has ABSOLUTELY nothing to do with Solvang’s Danish culture and history, but it’s still an absolute must-do!
This 32 acre ranch was originally purchased by a South African farmer, who had previously run an ostrich farm back in his homeland.
Thirty years later, Ostrichland has changed hands a few times and is now home to more than 80 ostriches and 70 emus, that’s more akin to a petting zoo as compared to a typical farm.
Essentially, you pay $10 to enter the property and then can buy an unlimited amount of feed bowls for $1 a piece. You then stand outside of their enclosures to feed the birds (which can grow up to nine feet tall!), as they tower above you and chaotically peck and try to rip the bowl out of your hands.
Feeding the ostriches is both terrifying and absolutely hysterical–it’s probably the hardest I’ve laughed in a REALLY long time. A male ostrich even performed a pretty intricate mating dance for me!
Ostrichland is definitely a unique experience and well worth a spot on your Solvang itinerary!
3. Enjoy a winery
Like other towns in the Santa Ynez Valley, Solvang is renowned for its boutique, family-run wineries, known for their Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Syrah. In fact, the first time I’d ever heard of Solvang was in the Oscar-winning movie Sideways, about a wine snob exploring the Santa Ynez Valley with his scallywag best friend (“I’M NOT DRINKING ANY F***ING MERLOT!”).
There are a whopping 25 tasting rooms in Solvang to choose from, most of which are conveniently located in the extremely walkable downtown area. Some of our favorites are Final Girl Wines, Brave and Maiden Estate, and McClain Cellars.
Alternatively, if you’d rather venture outside of town and explore the stunning vineyards of the Santa Ynez Valley, you can join an all-inclusive wine tour that stops at three wineries, like this option or this option (which includes tastings and lunch!). We’re ALL about having a built-in designated driver!
4. Wander through Mission Santa Inés
Solvang is home to one of California’s historic missions, established by the Spanish in the 18th and 19th century. Mission Santa Inés was actually one of the last ones established by the Spanish crown in California (19th out of 21!), shortly before Mexico gained its independence from Spain and closed these missions.
Mission Santa Inés still has an operating church, as well as a small museum that houses artwork and relics from the 17th century and some exhibits about its history. If you’re visiting Solvang during a particularly busy time, the garden here is ABSOLUTELY beautiful and perfect for strolling around and escaping the crowds for a bit!
Tours here are generally self-guided ($8 per person), but, if you contact the mission with at least two weeks’ notice, you can actually get a docent-led tour ($12 per person) to learn more about its history and its unique collections.
5. Visit a museum
For having just 6,000 residents, Solvang has an impressive amount of museums on a variety of different topics.
We tried to hit as many of them as we could during our last visit to Solvang. Here are some of our favorites:
Elverhoj Museum of History and Art
When we stopped in the visitor’s center of Solvang, the very friendly attendant that worked there told us that, if we only had time to go to one museum in town, that it should be the Elverhoj. And I can totally see why!
The museum is housed in a residence built in the 1940s, that was specifically modeled after historic farmhouses in northern Denmark. Unlike some of the more touristy buildings in downtown Solvang, like Bit o” Denmark, the Elverhoj is one of the most authentic examples of Danish architecture in Solvang. For example, the house was constructed with virtually no nails, instead relying on wooden pegs and traditional mortise-and-tenon joints.
Elverhoj highlights the history of Solvang, as well as Danish culture and art. For example, you’ll find traditional Danish clothing pieces and historic furnishings brought over from Denmark, by some of Solvang’s first residents.
California Nature Art Museum
This small, but mighty museum celebrates the intersection of art and nature (which feels like a Scandinavian ideal, if you ask me!).
Its main claim to fame is Lulu Hyggelig, a massive wooden troll created by the beloved Danish artist, Thomas Danbo. Beyond Lulu, there’s also a handful of exhibits that highlight California’s nature, like colorful tile mosaics of local wildlife or oil paintings of the beautiful landscapes of the Santa Ynez Valley.
Hans Christian Andersen Museum
I love a good, independent bookstore and this teeny tiny (free!) museum is tucked away in the upstairs of the fabulous Book Loft. I’d absolutely recommend browsing its crammed shelves of both new and used books, with an impressive collection of Nordic-focused selections (think Viking history or Danish recipe books).
However, be sure to head upstairs to the Hans Christian Andersen Museum, which highlights the life of Denmark’s most famous storyteller. The museum will only take you a few minutes to get through (it’s housed in one room!), but it’s definitely neat to see artifacts from Andersen’s life.
6. Hit all the windmills
When you’re in Solvang, you obviously have to get allll the photos of the cute Danish features, like the town’s four windmills that are housed within a four block span. Most of these were built in the 1950s and 60s and are based on traditional Danish windmills.
Here are the windmills you can find around town:
- Blue Windmill, located in Hamlet Square, which offers a collection of shops and stores (the churro ice cream at the Solvang Trolley Ice Cream parlor is so good here!)
- Alisal Windmill, located on the main drag, Copenhagen Drive. There’s currently a mortgage company that operates out of the windmill—it’s hysterical to me that something so *whimsical* is occupied by a company that’s so pedestrian.
- Solvang Brewing Company Windmill, which has cozy firepits, fairy lights, and a brewery serving up lots of traditional brews.
- Kronborg Inn Windmill, which is the smallest windmill in town and is located at a cute boutique hotel with a heated pool and hot tub
7. Visit the Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch
This is just a quick roadside stop, but if you’re traveling with kids or just love adorable things, I’d definitely recommend popping by the Quicksilver Miniature Horse Ranch, which is exactly what it sounds like!
Before the pandemic, the ranch offered free self-guided tours to get up close and personal with the horses, but, since then, it’s unfortunately been closed to the public. However, you’re still welcome to pull over by the ranch and view them from the fence line.
If you happen to be visiting when the foals have just been born, be prepared for maximum cuteness!
8. Check out a brewery
While Solvang is definitely more of a wine town, the beer scene in the area is nothing to sneeze at.
Solvang itself is home to the aforementioned Solvang Brewing Company, which produces primarily traditional style beer, as well as a taproom for Draughtsmen Aleworks, which brews some funkier beer, wine, cider, and hop tea (a unique blend of herbal tea and hop flowers).
There are also some REALLY great breweries in the neighboring town of Buellton, including one of our all-time favorite breweries, Firestone Walker (I loooove their hazy IPA!), with this location specializing in barrel-aged beers. There’s also a handful of other breweries in town, like Naughty Oak Brewing Company and Figueroa Mountain Brewing Company.
9. Listen to the Solvang Wind Harp
One of the quirkier things to do in Solvang is to stop at the Solvang Wind Harp, which is, weirdly enough, located in the parking lot of a nursing home. This unique structure makes a variety of musical tones when wind passes through its metal threads.
The wind harp was originally displayed on one of the towers of the Danish Pavilion at San Francisco’s Panama Pacific International Exposition in 1915, and was designed after the tidskugle (time ball), which once sat on top of St. Nikolai Church in Copenhagen.
After the Panama Pacific International Exposition, it was salvaged and moved to its new home in Solvang, where it’s sat for over a hundred years!
10. Visit for a festival
Solvang has a lively vibe, regardless of when you visit, but if you really want to soak in the small town Hallmark-esque vibes as much as possible, I’d suggest visiting during one of the Solvang’s annual celebrations, like:
Julefest
Julesfest is Solvang’s biggest festival, lasting from late November through early January, to celebrate Christmas. There are tons of different activities, like candlelit walking tours, Christmas parades, photos of your dog with Santa (yessss!), lots of gløgg (Scandinavian mulled wine), and scavenger hunts for the Nisser (gnome), which is based on a Danish Christmas tradition.
Solvang is absolutely PACKED during this timeframe, so come expecting lots of new friends and a bustling atmosphere!
Pssst... if you REALLY want to get in the spirit before your visit here, there's actually a Lifetime romance movie called "A Very Charming Christmas Town", about a blogger that visits Solvang during Christmastime and, of course, falls in love with a local chocolatier. I told you that Solvang has some serious Hallmark vibes!
Solvang Stomp
While Julefest may be the town’s most popular festival, Stomp is, in my opinion, one of the most fun things to do in Solvang!
The festival occurs around the grape harvest (typically late September to mid-October, each year) and gives you the opportunity to quite literally stomp on the recently harvested grapes in giant vats, along with other events, like an “I Love Lucy” look-a-like contest and wine tastings.
Solvang Danish Days
In mid- to late-September of every year, Solvang celebrates the town’s founding and its Danish heritage with a weekend festival, complete with Danish beer and food offerings; live music; an “Old World” crafts fair; and an axe-throwing arena for guests to unleash their inner Vikings.
Harvest, Haunts & Happenings
Throughout the month of October, there’s all kinds of spooky goings-on in Solvang to celebrate Halloween. Events change from year to year, but you can expect outdoor themed movie nights, pet costume contests, haunted houses, and a scarecrow decorating contest.
Pssst… if you’re a lover of all things spooky, there are a few year-round tours that highlight some of Solvang’s darker past and paranormal activities, like this ghost tour, which includes taking readings with actual EMF meters, or this fun true crime meets wine tour.
11. Try to find Danish nods throughout the town
Solvang is DEFINITELY a bit on the touristy side, but there are some authentic nods to its Danish roots that are sprinkled throughout the town. Justin and I had a fun time, creating a kind of scavenger hunt to try and find all of the Danish features throughout the town, like:
The Round Tower
This is a ⅓ scale replica of the iconic tower in Copenhagen, which once served as a 17th century astronomical observatory. Solvang’s version, located here, is home to gelato and pizza shops.
The Dragon Spire
This spire, located at the top of this building, is a replica of a spire that sat atop the Old Stock Exchange in Copenhagen. The spire depicts four dragon tails intertwined, which represents the interdependence of the four Scandinavian countries.
Solvang’s Dragon Spire is also important as it’s the last work by Ferdinand Sorenson, who was the father of Danish architecture in the town.
The Little Mermaid
This fountain, located here, is a ½ scale replica of Copenhagen’s most famous landmark and is one of the only replicas that were actually authorized by the heirs of Edvard Eriksen, the original sculptor
As mentioned above, there are other Danish features incorporated throughout the town, like storks on top of buildings and elf houses. We really enjoyed wandering around Solvang and soaking in all of the Danish architectural details!
12. See a show at the Solvang Festival Theater
Solvang is home to the 700-seat outdoor Solvang Festival Theater, which hosts plays, performances, and other events year round.
The theater has a pretty cool history. In the early 1970s, local business people dreamed of building an outdoor theater to enrich the lives of locals and bolster tourism in Solvang. The community immediately rallied behind this idea and a team of volunteers and local crafts people built the theater in just 58 days!
Half a century later, the Solvang Festival Theater is still the only open air performing arts venue in central California and attracts more than 40,000 visitors each year.
There are several annual events that take place here, like the Pacific Conservatory Theater summer season, which hosts professional theater and musical performances every night in the summer, and the summer Music in the Garden Series, with musical performances every Sunday afternoon in the summer.
There are also themed performances around the holidays, like an Elf production around Julefest.
Where to stay in Solvang
In our opinion, it’s worth spending a few days in Solvang to enjoy both the town itself and the surrounding area.
Like any good touristy town, there are plenty of great hotels in Solvang, like:
Corque Hotel
This boutique hotel has just the right amount of bougie-ness, with a refrigerator and coffee maker in every room and hot tub, pool, and locally-focused onsite restaurant. The hotel is impeccably clean and, every time we’ve visited, the staff have been incredibly friendly and helpful.
New Haven Inn
This local inn offers 20 unique rooms, each which come with different offerings, from your own patio and fire pit to two bedroom suites.
One of my favorite aspects of this hotel is that they offer complimentary bike rentals—perfect for exploring Solvang!
Royal Copenhagen Inn
If you want to really lean into the Danish vibes of Solvang, the Royal Copenhagen Inn would be my top choice, with nods to Denmark sprinkled throughout the property. There’s also complimentary continental breakfast each morning (which includes a Danish, naturally!) and you seriously can’t beat the location, right in the heart of downtown Solvang.
How to get to Solvang
Solvang is located in central California, about 40 minutes north of the affluent coastal town of Santa Barbara. You have a few different options for getting to Solvang.
Driving
Most people drive to Solvang from elsewhere in California. For example, we drove to Solvang as part of our Highway One road trip!
Here’s how far Solvang is from some of the major cities in California:
- Los Angeles is two hours and 45 minutes south of Solvang, along US-101
- San Francisco is four and a half hours north of Solvang, along US-101
- Santa Barbara is about 45 minutes south of Solvang, along CA-154
There’s plenty of free parking throughout the town, even for my RV brethren!
Flying
If you’re flying here, Los Angeles International Airport, which is a two hour and 40 minutes drive south of Solvang, will likely have the cheapest flights. Alternatively, you can fly into Santa Barbara Airport, which is just 30 miles from Solvang, but you’ll likely be paying a premium for flying into a smaller municipal airport.
I’d generally recommend renting a car wherever you fly into so that you can more easily explore Solvang and the surrounding area.
Public transportation
If you don’t have or want to rent a car, you can actually reach Solvang via public transit.
The Amtrak Pacific Surfliner Train runs between San Diego and San Luis Obispo, with several stops along the coastline, including Santa Barbara. Amtrak Thruway offers about three buses per day between the Santa Barbara train station and downtown Solvang.
We’d love to take the Pacific Surfliner someday!
I hope you enjoy Solvang—we LOVED exploring the Danish Capital of the U.S.! Do you have any questions about planning your trip to Solvang? Let us know in the comments below!
