8 kmThe Vikings of Jelling
The UNESCO area works well as a trip from the zoo; rune stones and mounds can be visited directly in the landscape.
At Givskud Zoo, the family outing changes shape along the way: first you can drive through the safari areas in your own car or take the safari bus, and afterwards the visit continues on foot among the enclosures. The safari route by car passes, among other things, South American animals, the North American prairie, African savannas and the lion enclosure.
The lion enclosure is still the park's classic core. Here, the experience takes place from the car, with closed windows and the park's safety rules as part of the seriousness behind it all.
When the car is parked, there are other animals to meet on the paths. On foot, visitors can among others see gorillas, giant otters, spectacled bears and Humboldt penguins. The penguins can be experienced both underwater and from platforms with views over the enclosure, which is described as Europe's largest penguin enclosure.
The park is also a dinosaur park with more than 50 life-size dinosaurs, including a roughly 40-meter-long Argentinosaurus and Tyrannosaurus rex. Between the animals there are playgrounds, a café/kiosk and the option of bringing your own food, so the day does not depend only on when the children can be bothered to look at yet another animal. Givskud Zoo is located on Løveparkvej in Givskud northwest of Vejle.
The Dinosaur Park at Givskud Zoo is an outdoor forest area with more than 50 life-size dinosaurs, from adult giants to newly hatched young.
Tyrannosaurus rex is one of the main figures: about 12-14 metres long, weighing 5-7 tons, and presented as one of Earth’s largest carnivores with a large head and serrated teeth. The park places it in the Late Cretaceous, long before humans – and back when Denmark was covered by water.
Givskud Zoo opened as Lion Park in 1969, where guests could drive their own cars through a fenced area with free-roaming lions. That idea is still part of the safari experience: only when the car windows are closed are you guided through double gates into the lion pride.
The rules are not for decoration. Doors, windows and the sunroof must be kept closed, and no one may leave the car. The lions may look calm, but the park’s own guide emphasizes that they are just as dangerous as they are in the wild.
