I'm always a bit conflicted about animal parks and zoos. On one hand, if they're done well, ethically sound, and are involved in the protection of wildlife, they can do a lot of good. I believe that you protect what you love, and if those parks and zoos can give people a love of wild animals, it is all the more likely that they will involve themselves in their protection. On the other hand, another part of me can't help but think that wild animals belong in the wild. Skandinavisk Dyrepark does seem to be quite ethically run, with a reasonable amount of space for each animal, and they are involved in the protection of, among other species, polar bears in the wild. So far, so good. I do like that this park is themed, rather than just "let's get a bunch of cool animals together and watch the crowds roll in". Instead, all animals here live in the wild somewhere in Scandinavia, from the ferrets to the bears. That lends a unique opportunity to learn about the animals that you can find in particular part of the world, and to realise just how diverse Scandinavian nature really is. The area is well laid out, with the original landscape preserved, rather than turning it into a theme park, making you feel more like you're walking in a wooded area, rather than an animal park. The whole thing is quite low-key, with the ticket office and gift shop located in a small log cabin, and with limited "stuff" around the park. A very distinct lack of Disney feel to this, bonus points for that. There's a really excellent playground, where you can let the kiddies run free and burn off what energy they have left after the park visit. Bonus for that, too. What's less great is the amenities of the park. These are kept very low-key, too, with only two cafés in the park, and neither of these offering much more than the selection of your average hot dog stand: hot dogs, ice cream, popcorn and chips. So not much chance of having an actual meal, unless you brought your own. Second, the park isn't very big, and we (4 adults, one child) managed to cover the entire park in less that two hours, including seeing all the animals, having lunch, and a few assorted breaks along the way. Considering the predator feedings that are the park's main attraction are spaced more than four hours apart, you'll probably find yourself needing to kill a lot of time if you want to catch them all. Add to this that the cover charge is quite steep (180 DKK per adult), and the whole value-for-money thing just doesn't really add up. Which is a shame, because as animal parks go, this is one of the better ones. read more