Finding Thomas Dambo’s Secret Tree Giants in Copenhagen

Did you ever know that Denmark is the land of the giants? Don’t believe me? I’ll prove it to you with 3 amazing tree giants from Copenhagen!!

Learning about the Forgotten Tree Giants of Copenhagen, Denmark

One day when I was checking my Facebook, I noticed that someone shared an article about Thomas Dambo’s 6 Forgotten Tree Giants of Copenhagen. It almost sounded as if it were a made-up story, because I didn’t know if I wanted to believe that there were wooden giants living in the outskirts of Copenhagen, the capital and largest city in Denmark, but I thought to keep the idea in the back of my mind for another day.

Fast forward to “another day”. Luckily for me, my husband had family in Copenhagen, so I thought that we might just have to check on the validity of these forgotten tree giants once and for all. 

Thomas Dambo’s Website

First and foremost, you have to go to Thomas Dambo’s Website to get all the information. This site is also in English, which is helpful to those foreigners on vacation who want to find something off-the-beaten-path during their trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. I think it is also more interesting to do something out of the ordinary if you have the time.

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Here, you can read about the story, see pictures and find maps that will lead you to the forgotten tree giants. Though I did those very same things before we started our quest, I was still in doubt that they actually existed. The maps were handmade, which gave it all a treasure hunt type of feel, but they also made things a bit confusing since we weren’t very familiar with the area.

I just thought our chances of finding even one of Thomas Dambo’s tree giants were pretty slim, let alone 6 of them, but we were still up for the challenge. I guess if the maps were super easy to read and the giants easy to find, it wouldn’t have felt much like a hunt. We were super excited to see what (who?) we could find.

Sleeping Louis

The first of Thomas Dambo’s tree giants that we found was called “Sleeping Louis”, and he was number 1 on the map. It was so weird that this was near a walking path, because you would never have known it was there if you weren’t looking for it. We actually walked past the tree giant at first and found it on the way back.

At first site, Sleeping Louis was quite impressive. He was laying on his side in his peaceful slumber, and though you could tell that he was completely made of wood, it still felt a bit like you were actually sneaking up on real, sleeping, tree giant.

We approached slowly at first, but once my boys got closer, they became braver and more interested. They started to peek in Louis’ mouth and then ended up going inside. Yep! They were able to go inside the sleeping giant. Wild!! Both boys also really liked playing on Louis, as well. After all, he was very much like a jungle gym/playground.

Hill Top Trine

Just as Louis was perfect for climbing, so was Trine. The boys just needed to find a good spot to get a foot hold, which wasn’t as easy as it looked from the top of the hill. Little man needed a bit of a boost from daddy, but with a bit of grunting and pulling, big brother managed to climb up onto a shoulder.

My kids knew no shame. It didn’t take long before one was picking the giant’s nose and the other was sitting in the palm of her hand. Okay, so maybe sitting in her hand wasn’t a rascal-type of thing to do, but the smile on his face made me think that he was thinking something naughty! 🙂 Trust me on this one! I invented that smile, so I know.

For being so stiff, these giants looked so comfortable. How do they do that? Thomas Dambo and his team were real craftsmen. It was amazing what they could create out of wood, and then to make something as hard and stiff as wood look comfortable is truly something special. I love trees and nature and wood. Natural stuff is the best, in my opinion. Forgotten tree giants was one type of art that I could appreciate!! 🙂

Oscar Under the Bridge

Unfortunately, our time to explore the outskirts of Copenhagen was limited because of family plans, so we were only able to find three of the six giants on this trip. This is why we considered “Oscar Under the Bridge” the last of Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants for our adventure that day.

You can read about the Rest of the Secret Tree Giants of Copenhagen here!

Oscar was a bit harder to find than the other two. We knew which area to explore, but the issue was that it was in an area where we weren’t sure where to park the car. In my opinion, you need a car to find Thomas Dambo’s forgotten tree giants. It wasn’t the type of adventure you could do without having your own means of transportation.

Finding Trolls isn’t for the weak…or unprepared

The map led us to a small island of sorts. Since the X was a bit bigger than the area on the map, we weren’t really sure where to go. The parking lot where we put the car was close to the Arken Museum of Modern Art. This parking lot had a really great playground.

We bribed the boys with a snack and some time on the playground if they made the trek with us one last time to find forgotten tree giant number 3. They weren’t very thrilled with all the walking, even though they loved playing on the giants. I guess it was a “kid” thing!

Again, the path seemed to go nowhere. We even walked along what didn’t seem like a path for part of the journey, even though we were trying to follow the map. All we knew was that we needed to keep the bridge in sight, because the next giant was hiding underneath. We just had to get to the bridge, and all would be revealed.

When it the perfect weather for a troll hunt?

Little brother needed to be carried a bit of the trip, and though it was the beginning of July, it wasn’t a very warm day. That’s the thing about Denmark. You can never tell what the weather will be like in the summer. The day was sunny and pleasant for the most part, but we were wearing light jackets and jeans. A warmer day would have been better spent on the beach for people such as ourselves who lived landlocked in the middle of Jutland (Jylland), but it was perfect weather for hunting giants!

Finally finding Oscar

As we approached the bridge from the other side, we could see that a giant was, in fact, under the bridge, holding on. It was a bit difficult to see more until we were actually about halfway on the bridge. There were already a group of people there to see “Oscar Under The Bridge”.

With one arm raised and crossed over himself, Oscar didn’t seem too comfortable. This was the first of the three forgotten tree giants from our adventure who seemed to have slid down the hill towards the water and was trying to grab a hold of the bridge to break his fall. His facial expression even showed a bit of discomfort. Poor Oscar!

More trolls can be found when traveling to Denmark’s peninsula. Click HERE to read about them.

Mixed Emotions at Seeing Oscar

Though he was easily one of Thomas Dambo’s giants that a person could feel sorry for, I somewhat liked the change of scenery. Yes, all of the giants were in nature, which was a nice change after spending some time in Copenhagen, but the fact that this one was near water gave Oscar somewhat of an added appeal. I particularly liked that one of his hands and one foot were actually touching the water.

I didn’t know if I felt happy or sad for him because of this. Could it be that this was his bright side or the thorn in his side? I decided it was his bright side, because there was something calming and beautiful about the movement of natural waterways. Though he looked uncomfortable, I wanted to believe that this water was what made it all bearable for Oscar to sit day after day, clinging to the bridge.

Things to Consider When Troll Hunting

A Very Popular Thing to See

Playing on the Playground near Arken

One thing I have to say is that the Danes really know what they are doing when it comes to playgrounds. Even though the materials used might not have been that advanced and though the ground below is almost always sand, the look and function of these playgrounds is really quite refreshing.

It allows more room for exploration and experimentation. Instead of having two swings and a slide, there are many different options for climbing and imaginative play. My boys had to try everything out.

Getting a Second Wind on our Troll Hunt

It was amazing how much energy the boys seemed to have when they saw this playground. I could lie to myself and say that they were recharged by the healthy foods their mother had given them, but I just wasn’t convinced that the granola bars (non-organic) and juice boxes(probably filled with tons of sugar) were really the causes for the sudden energy boost.

The most important thing was that they were able to play for a bit. There is no faster way to turn a family fun day into a nightmare, if a child isn’t able to play.

Not our first Trip with tired Kids

If I were to explain this to my husband, I only need to say one word: “Gettysburg”. That was a trip we really looked forward to, but our kids really sucked out all the joy on that specific day, because it wasn’t any fun being stuck in a car. I get it, and now we have definitely learned our lesson. Vacations should always factor in one important thing: children should always have the opportunity to play.

When my kids grow up one day, they may only remember the playgrounds from the many different towns and countries we visited. Perhaps, they won’t even remember the touristy places that most towns and countries are known for. If this is the case, I think I will feel happy knowing that they had a childhood that was filled with fun. However, a good balance is what really helps keep everyone from killing each other. 

A great Place to Rest when Visiting Oscar Under the Bridge

We really liked this playground because it had lots of different activities to keep the children interested. There were also picnic tables for families who wanted a spot for a snack or lunch. Very convenient!! Just be sure to bring your food with you. These giants were mostly found in nature, so you weren’t nearby any food source or store to tame a wild beast…or child.

Overall Thoughts on the First 3 Secret Tree Giants of Copenhagen

We had such a fun time looking for Thomas Dambo’s secret tree giants in Copenhagen. The giants were so creative and fascinating, and the hunt gave our little family a bit of excitement for the day! Though the boys may have been a bit wore out by the end, I was very glad to have had a day spent as a family on an adventure out in nature. 

This was one thing we were starting to realize about Denmark; family adventures in nature was what Denmark did best, and this trip just helped to fuel our fires into wanting to explore more of what other hidden gems awaited us in Denmark!

Planning our next Troll Hunt

Though we weren’t going to continue our search for the rest of the secret tree giants, we knew we would eventually. In fact, there would be more days when we would be back in Copenhagen for another opportunity. We would have to make one of those days our next hunt for the remaining 3 secret tree giants in Copenhagen, and we were beyond excited to get the planning started!

We weren’t leaving feeling defeated for having only made it half way, because it was a nice feeling to have something to look forward to doing in the future. Giants four, five and six: Tilde, Thomas and Teddy were waiting for us, and we couldn’t wait to meet them!

How to have a better Experience

If I had the day to do over, I would still choose to hunt for Thomas Dambo’s secret tree giants of Copenhagen with my family. I might have thought ahead to pack more food to keep the little ones energized and content, but I would not have changed anything about the giants or our adventure looking for them!

We felt awe-inspired, delighted and excited for the chase and for the forgotten tree giants that we found. We wanted to have a unique, family experience, and we did!!

Thanks to Thomas Dambo for making such beautiful and thoughtful creatures! We are big fans, who will be on the look out for more of these gentle giants on our future travels! 

Some trolls have been seen outside of Denmark. Read about the tree trolls that we found in Chicago HERE!

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