Bethania Lutheran Church, also known as the Danish Church, was the first truly Danish-style building Solvang designed in the style typical of rural churches in Denmark. The congregation was established in January 1912 and met in other places and construction on this structure began in 1927 and was completed in July 1928. I highly recommend going inside to see the model of Viking sailing ship hanging from the ceiling--a tradition that symbolizes the idea of the church as a ship taking people safely through the storms of life. On the hill to the right of Bethania Lutheran Church is the historic site of Atterdag College, now Atterdag Village of Solvang, a lovely retirement community. Much of the original plan for Solvang centered on a Danish-style folk school and classes began at a location on Alisal Road (see or listen to stop #2, “First Folk School”). In 1914, after fundraising appeals across the U.S. and Denmark, the folk school moved to a new three-story building constructed on this hill and took on the name Atterdag College--loosely translated, a new day or a new dawn. It was used not only as a folk school, but also as a boarding house, a community meeting hall, a gymnastics center, lecture hall, and a performing arts venue.
Atterdag College closed in 1952 and in the following years, parts of the building were used for the Solvang Lutheran Home, a retirement facility; now today’s Atterdag Village of Solvang. In Atterdag Village you’ll find the Atterdag Wind Harp, California’s oldest wind harp--a large instrument that spins and makes music from the breeze that passes through its many metal threads. Designed after the tidskugle, or “Time Ball,” that used to top Copenhagen’s St. Nikolai Church, this wind harp came from the Danish Pavilion at San Francisco’s 1915 Panama Pacific International Exposition, was salvaged and taken to Solvang. After an extensive restoration project in 2016, this musical instrument will stand for generations to come!
We’ll be continuing the tour back south along Atterdag Road towards the main part of town now, but if you’d like to walk further north along this road, you will find Hans Christian Andersen Park. In a beautiful canyon of oaks, there are group BBQ areas, tennis courts, a children’s playground, and a skateboard bowl. A quarter mile beyond is the tranquil Solvang Cemetery. Get ready to enjoy some more key points of Solvang!
