Bakken, from Kirsten Piil’s spring to the oldest operating amusement park

A beginning around a spring

Bakken’s story begins far from the image of a modern park. Tradition places its origin in 1583, when Kirsten Piil discovered a spring in what would become Dyrehaven, north of Copenhagen. The water drew people from the capital, then curious visitors, vendors and entertainers. Little by little, the walk to the spring became a popular gathering.

From royal woodland to day-out destination

The story was not linear. In 1669, the area became part of royal hunting grounds and public access disappeared for many years. The 1756 reopening brought the movement back: visitors, innkeepers, merchants and artists returned. Bakken kept from this period a very distinctive identity, somewhere between woodland walk, Sunday outing, family business and travelling entertainment.

Access changes the scale of the park

In the nineteenth century, Bakken became easier to reach. Steamships, then the railway, brought Dyrehaven closer to Copenhagen. The park was no longer only a curiosity linked to a spring: it became a day-out destination that visitors could reach more easily, with a wider audience and a more organised fairground life.

An organised fairground tradition

The creation of the tent owners’ association in 1885 marked an important step. It helped improve visitor conditions and the practical organisation of the site. It also explains one of Bakken’s distinctive traits: behind the park’s spontaneous, colourful look stands a fabric of small operators, independent addresses and traditions passed on over time.

Shows, restaurants and roller coasters

Bakken has never been only about rides. Bakkens Hvile, revue, stages, restaurants and stands give the place an almost urban density. The arrival of Rutschebanen in 1932 added a lasting icon: a wooden roller coaster that became one of the park’s strongest landmarks. A few years later, Cirkusrevyen tied Bakken to a national stage tradition.

Why Bakken remains different

The Guinness World Records title gives Bakken a spectacular status, but its appeal is not only about age. The park remains singular because it has kept its connection with the woods, the walk and small independent addresses. That combination of heritage, popular fairground spirit, stages, restaurants and rides is what allows Bakken to stay alive without looking like a standardised amusement park.