[Review #173]
During our family trip, my husband took us to his favorite park, Ängelholms Hembygdsparken. This historical park is an oasis for the whole family, houses a animal farm/zoo with deer, goats, pigs, birds, rabbits, horses, alpacas; inn & stage for summer performances; 5 museums; & a children's playground that includes 2 mini zip lines.
Hembygdsparker ("homebuilding parks") are fairly common in Scandinavia, usually showcasing the characteristics of the local village, such as buildings, statues, or other exhibitions, & often with a stage & a museum adjacent to the park.
Located just outside the entrance is a train that travels between Hembygdsparken & downtown Ängelholms for a small fee. A huge pond filled with several species of ducks welcome you upon entering. As you travel further, there's an few aviaries & a pen with goats. I watched a kid sneak between the rails & started heading towards the parking lot. Several concerned parents tried to corral the goat back into his pen until a park attendant shushed him back in. She said he's a naughty l'il rascal that enjoys attention; he stays relatively in the area so we don't have to worry about his escape antics. LOL ;-)
The playground has the standard swings, slides, & jungle gym, Hembygdsparken's apparatuses are unique in design to me but may be consider typical to the locals. The merry-go-round uses ropes as seats, with its heavy construction, it's difficult to go fast. There are 2 mini zip lines with tires as seats; both kids loved it that they made numerous trips down. I took a couple turns as well... the line is long enough that it's fun but not too difficult to pull back onto the starting block, it's high enough off the ground to gather some speed but not so much that it's scary for the l'il ones. In a small world, H met a couple of girls visiting from Connecticut. It was a comfort for her to find kids that she can speak English to, even as she's learning Swedish from grandma. PARENT WARNING: I saw 3 young adults in their early 20s loitering around; they did not have children with them & would hang around near children without their parents nearby & move on whenever the parents check in. I watched them like a hawk for 30+ minutes as they wandered the park. Suspicious? Yes, but I rather feel safe than sorry.
On our way to Pytteskogen, the children's small forest, we encountered horses & alpacas in a pen. I could see H's interest to get closer & pet them, so I watched as she gingerly approach them & showed her hand to engage them. They bowed their heads so she could stroke them... it was an endearing moment. =) Continuing the path, we saw ginormous pigs laying out/relaxing in mud, then came across several deers. I know you're not suppose to feed the animals but the deers kept following my kids, so I gathered the fallen leaves (the same leaves they were munching on inside their pen) to feed them.
Finally, we arrived at Pytteskogen. There are natural decorations, utilizing what's available in nature, throughout this area. M liked the "tree fairies" & his sister liked the "rock" band. They played pretend on a boat, acted as soldiers in the fort, & peekaboo in the forest.
There's plenty of free parking adjacent to the park. If you're hungry, there's a restaurant near the entrance that serves a buffet brunch & à la carte pizza; or if you're looking for something sweet, there's also an ice shop next door. If you're in the area, I highly recommend an outing at Hembygdsparken. read more
