Tivoli, Copenhagen

This is Tivoli, a Copenhagen pleasure garden built around amusement rides. It opened on 15 August 1843, and it remains the world’s second-oldest operating amusement park. The park’s best-known ride is Rutschebanen, a wooden roller coaster built in 1914.

During its descents, an operator brakes the train to control its speed, giving this historic ride an unusually hands-on character. Look for the park’s mix of theatrical buildings, restaurants, cafés, flower gardens and mechanical attractions: that varied combination was part of Tivoli from its beginning. After dark, colored lamps lit the gardens, while fireworks could appear reflected in the lake, which occupies part of the former fortification moat.

Music has always been central here. Hans Christian Lumbye directed Tivoli’s music from 1843 to 1872, composing pieces inspired by the gardens; the Tivoli Symphony Orchestra still performs some of his work. The park’s founder, Georg Carstensen, won royal permission by arguing that an entertained public would spend less time thinking about politics. His idea has lasted remarkably well: Tivoli is still a pleasure garden where spectacle, music and motion share the same setting.