My Time in Solvang
By Alyssa Torres
Solvang, California is a small town located about an hour away from Santa Barbara. They are famous for their Danish-American heritage, architectures, and culture. Looking different than any other place in California as it resembles a Danish village. Everything is within walking distance, making it a great place to stroll around and even bring your pet as it is very dog friendly.
While majority of places in California are recognizable by either the surrounding beaches, mountains or city life, Solvang stands apart. The Danish-American culture and architecture makes it unique setting it apart from other places in California. Every building is designed to create the atmosphere of an authentic Danish village.
After doing some research on Solvang I found out about its origination. Starting with the meaning behind the small Danish like town. I found that “Solvang” means “sunny fields” and was named by its Danish founders. They intended to build a Danish community, and now a little over 100 years later it has continued to preserve and celebrate its Danish heritage.
Though Solvang only spans just a few streets, it offers plenty of small businesses, bakeries and restaurant to explore. Visitors can even stay in a hotel downtown with easy access to everything. The town features all types of shops including dessert places, spice shops and more. They have many restaurants that primarily serve American food but are still very delicious. You also have the option of getting a coffee or tea and a pastry from a small cafe. There are also many wineries for those interested in wine tasting.
They even offer activities like biking riding, with rental shops where you can rent different types of bikes such as a two person bike or even a four person bike to ride around. I witnessed many couples and families riding around downtown having an exciting time.
Solvang becomes especially festive during the holiday season. The town decorates for fall, Christmas and other celebrations. On my recent trip there were lots of fall colors and pumpkins to celebrate the autumn season. They even host small community events downtown to celebrate all sorts of holidays and host plenty events that anyone can go to.
A very well known breakfast place in Solvang is Paula’s Pancake House, they are renowned for their pancakes. Unfortunately due to the hour and a half wait I instead tried the restaurant next door, The Solvang Brewing Company. The food was delicious and and there were options of either sitting inside or outside. One thing that suprised me that it does not operate like a traditional restaurant as the first thing you do is order food then find a place to sit down and wait for your food to come out. There are no waiters taking your order and assigning you a table which I personally preferred.
After breakfast I explored Solvang by walking around and browsing at some of the small shops while admiring the atmosphere. It was noticeably a unique place as it looks very different than most places in the state.
An unexpected discovery that stuck out to me was that right outside of downtown was an ostrich and emu farm where visitors can pay to view them and feed them. Sadly I did not get to experience it as I only noticed it as I was leaving, it is something I will be doing next time I visit Solvang.
Solvang is a great place to visit for everyone, it could be a great trip to take with friends, families or partners. It is just a few hour long drive, making it an easy trip to take. Overall it is a perfect destination to take a break from life and enjoy a quiet slow paced vacation, while also experiencing a unique atmosphere.
