If Reykjavik is forged from ice and fire and Stavanger made from oil and gas, then Billund is a town built from bricks. Of the 6,600-odd residents here, two-thirds work for toy manufacturer Lego and the town is as indebted to the dinky plastic blocks as Orlando is to Mickey Mouse.
This is a place where smiley yellow faces greet you in hotels, restaurants and museums, and life-size Lego characters appear at the baggage carousel before you’ve even left the airport. The pint-sized Danish town isn’t a one-size-fits-all sort of place: step through the wardrobe and this self-proclaimed Capital of Children is a family friendly holiday Valhalla, with theme and water parks, treetop adventure playgrounds and Viking lore galore.
But unless you have toddlers or teens in tow, or a little crazy obsession with pirates, ninjas, dragons or dinosaurs as a Lego superfan, then the town is a better basecamp for exploring the wider region of Jutland.
What to do
Build big at Lego House
Almost the nucleus of the old town, the visually arresting Lego House is at once history museum, interactive playground, contemporary art gallery, mind-blowing toy shop and next-gen restaurant. The attraction offers the most sublime viewpoint in Billund, with colour block steps climbing past cartoon playground terraces to look over the old town, the centrepiece of which reveals a ginormous Lego campus with terrific cafes, restaurants and new developments germinating in the spaces between. Hidden inside, as well as a dumbfounding oak tree made with 6.5 million bricks, is Mini Chef, a restaurant where diners are served by plastic robots and can choose and build meals from colour- and shape-coded packs of blocks. Frankly, the whole experience is a complete delight (four courses, £22.50).
Hit the rides (and slides)
What really brings in the crowds to Billund is Legoland (day ticket, £37; April-October) and, no matter your age or where you come from, it’s a hoot. Opened in 1968, the world’s first Legoland is a magic kingdom of coasters, splash rides, 4D cinemas and virtual reality sofa spins — all of which throw your brood into a world where everything is (almost) awesome. Besides all the branding, it’s easy to miss the original Danish concept of it all – “leg godt”, or “play well”. And unlike the UK and US satellites, a midweek visit can see you walk onto most rides queue-free.
Across the road is Lalandia, Scandinavia’s biggest water park, and an easy indoor win on a wet day (adult ticket, £34). As well as the Aquadome – a hit of make-believe Dubai transplanted north with high-speed slides and fake blue skies to match – there are all sorts of shopping centre-style activities, like bowling, mini-golf and ice-skating.
Feel nostalgic about your childhood
If you go down in central Billund today, you’re sure of a big surprise. It’s home to the Teddy Bear Art Museum, a Tate or Louvre for stuffed cuddly toys, with more than 1,200 different bears in its collection. The oldest is from 1906 – made by Germany’s Steiff, the Ferrari of the teddy bear world – and the museum chronicles the rise of the toy from 1902 as must-have bedroom accessory through pop art to punk to postmodernism. And in case you were wondering why there was no mention of Lego, then think again: the museum is in the former home of Godtfred Kirk Christiansen, son of company founder Ole Kirk Christiansen.
Get outdoors
Even if you never saw the point of studying history at school, Denmark’s story of the Vikings is terrific. At the Jelling Monuments, ground zero for the country’s seafaring pirate kings, the Kongernes Jelling centre puts the dog-eared school books away for an in-your-face, digital walk-through of the Old Norse experience. You’ll need wheels to get here, but the trip also helps suggests other detours. For instance, WOW Park (day ticket, £22.50): a treetop amusement park for Peter Pans and high-fliers, with zip-lines, assault courses and a giant ball pit elevated high into the trees. Back in town, Sculpturepark Billund is filled with absurd busts and models and is a sensual delight in hard plastic and iron.
Where to stay
In Billund, the idea is that visitors can easily walk or cycle between their accommodation, the theme and water park and the old town. Legoland Castle Hotel, a turreted bastion that every child has tried to build on their own terms, is best suited for those who want all-inclusive medieval buffets, playgrounds on tap and plastic brick fireplaces that flicker red. For stressed-out mums and dads, the Knight’s Tavern Restaurant is terrific, ideally configured with a games room and a selection of worth-their-weight-in-gold beers and wines included (buffet, £42.50). Doubles from £370.
Should its OTT design be too much, the more sedate Legoland Hotel, directly overlooking the signature theme park, is your other on-brand choice. Doubles from £201, B&B.
Few other guides would include an airport hotel as a destination of choice on a city break itinerary. But Billund Airport is boxed in by the city centre, and the Zleep Hotel Billund Airport triples as executive crash-pad, budget hotel and smart choice for families looking for breathing space away from the ride-hopping crowds. In fact, it’s almost a Lego-free zone, and inherent to the appeal is a choice of doubles, twins and family rooms, plus late-night bar on the ground floor. Doubles from £87.
For self-catering options, with onsite supermarkets to combat the pricey Danish restaurants, Lalandia has chalets and holiday home rentals. Doubles from £91.50.
Where to eat and drink
With a ringside seat on the town’s day-to-day, Billund Bageri has been serving sourdough breads and cakes since 1929 and has the air of a hipster coffee shop, with the right balance of Danish design and homely comforts. Take a home-ground coffee for a walk around the neighbouring streets to see how the city has changed.
Old hat in New York or London but new for Billund is the town’s first gastropub called, unimaginatively, Gastropub. It’s a waterside terrace bar dripping with craft beer and reassessed pub classics like fish and chips, steaks and burgers – all done the Danish way, meaning foolishly expensive, but helped by an enlightened approach to using local and regional ingredients. Location-wise, it’s adjacent to Lego House and, as less than a year old, should soon become synonymous with nights out for the town’s fit-looking e-bikers.
Architectural highlight
Remember Billund is the Capital of Children? Well, to make things safer for children – and certainly more fun – there are slides instead of stairwells and, at times, trampolines for pavements. Explore the old town and you’ll also find the Billund Library, designed, naturally, with play zones and shelves that kids can scramble over.
Nuts and bolts
What currency do I need?
Danish Krone (DKK).
What language do they speak?
Danish.
Should I tip?
Ten to 15 per cent will do.
What’s the time difference?
GMT +1.
How should I get around?
On foot or by bike. Billund is compact and easily navigable.
What’s the best view?
From the top of Lego House.
Insider tip?
Go from April to May or September to October. In these months, you’ll have the best of the city and its attractions almost to yourself. In summertime, when the Danish schools are out, visitor numbers rocket.
For more information, visit visitdenmark.com
