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; Apr-Oct) 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…
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