Get a taste of Europe in the United States! Located about 2 hours northwest of Los Angeles, Solvang, California was originally established as a settlement for Danish immigrants. With its unique history, charming Danish architecture, and prime location, the town has become a destination for eating, wine tasting, and shopping. Spend some time exploring the streets, looking at the Danish-style buildings and trying to find all 5 local wooden windmills.
Dining
There are great Danish bakeries scattered all throughout town. Enjoy Danish pastries and coffee at the adorable Solvang Bakery.
Solvang Restaurant offers traditional Danish dishes like sausages and meatballs, but they are most famous for their aebleskivers. Try these traditional Danish round pancakes with ice cream and raspberry sauce.
The Succulent Café has spacious patio seating and is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. The menu features local, seasonal ingredients. Stop by for a glass of wine and a delicious charcuterie plate.
Mad & Vin has a popular happy hour with small plates and wines from across the Santa Ynez Valley.
Chomp is known for its fantastic burgers, fries, and shakes. The building looks Danish on the outside, but like an all-American diner on the inside.
Wine Tasting
There are 20 downtown wine tasting rooms from the over 125 Santa Ynez-area wineries. Some of the most popular are Casa Cassara and Carivintas wineries.
You can also hop in your car to explore the surrounding wine country or join an organized outing with Solvang Wine Tours.
Shopping
The streets of Solvang are lined with unique shops and boutiques offering Danish-inspired finds and contemporary gifts. Here are some of our favorites:
Copenhagen House sells some of the best contemporary Danish design products, including kitchenware, jewelry, and classic Danish clogs.
European Fashion and Gifts offers a wide variety of European gifts including European clothing, dirndls, beer steins, Black Forest cuckoo clocks, and authentic jewelry.
Ingeborg’s Chocolates sells gourmet handmade chocolates, freshly packed each day right in the Solvang shop.
Things to See
Old Mission Santa Ines is the 19th of 21 California missions established by the Franciscan Fathers. It was built in 1804 and tours are available 7 days a week.
The Elverhoj Museum of History & Art is a community museum dedicated to the history of Solvang, the Danish-American pioneer spirit, and the colorful heritage of Denmark.
Events
Held every September, the Danish Heritage Festival celebrates Solvang’s roots with authentic food, music, dancing, parades, and family activities.
Julefest is held in December for a month-long celebration full of lights and holiday cheer. See why Solvang was voted one of the most “Christmassy” towns in the country!
Stay
The Landsby is a luxury boutique hotel with a clean, contemporary Scandinavian aesthetic. The refined accommodations are located in the heart of Solvang.
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We are a Stamford, Connecticut-based travel advisory service focused on assisting individuals and business professionals with travel ideas and curated itineraries for US Travel. Our database is organized exactly the same as our online travel guide and consists of over 100,000 items to consider on your next trip. We can also share with you over 5,000 major annual events that take place in over 2,500 cities and small towns across the United States. Our goal is to match your travel style, interests, and budget to an amazing US travel experience.
