Solvang Visitor's Guide 2009 - (Page 6) Solvang Velkommen til Solvang! "Solvang . . . a spotless Danish village that blooms like a rose in California’s charming Santa Ynez Valley. Old country charm and customs have been successfully fused with the American way of life. Nowadays . . . the quaint village is busy living up to its affectionate name, ‘Little Denmark’." — 1947 Saturday Evening Post (so accurate it could have been written today) olvang feels like northern Europe, yet in the center of California. Discover why Solvang was named by Orbitz Worldwide Travel as one of the “Top 5 US Domestic Destinations with International Flair.” Just as it does in Copenhagen, Denmark’s national symbol the “Little Mermaid” bronze sculpture welcomes visitors to Solvang at the intersection of Mission Drive (Hwy. 246) and Alisal Road. Solvang’s rich heritage dates back to 1911 when adventurous Danish-Americans from the Midwest traversed the plains to establish a settlement in the golden state of California. They purchased 9,000 sundrenched acres of the former Rancho San Carlos de Jonata and situated their new community adjacent to the historic 1804 Old Mission Santa Inés. To preserve and promote Danish culture, the founders constructed a Danish folk school and church (the building now houses Bit O’Denmark Restaurant, 473 Alisal Rd.); then built Atterdag College, which opened in 1914 and educated through 1970 (now the site of Solvang Lutheran Home, 636 Atterdag Rd.). » S
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