Rutschebanen at Tivoli Gardens is not only the oldest attraction at this Danish theme park,
but it’s also one of the oldest roller coasters in the world.
Despite being almost 110 years old, this wood coaster manages to offer a better experience
than most modern coasters. Find out why this is such an underrated attraction in this review.
Rutschebanen opened back in 1914 and it’s the second oldest scenic railway coaster
still remaining. This coaster was built before the invention of upstop wheels,
meaning the train could fly off the track if it went too fast. Rather than having a tame
layout devoid of forces, Rutschebanen instead operates with a brakeman or brakewoman on-board
to keep the experience in check. Some parks have modernized their
scenic railways and toned them down. Just look at Bakken’s Rutschebanen just a short drive away.
That one received new trains from Kumbak that don’t require a brakeman.
But that’s part a major component of what makes Tivoli’s Rutschebanen so special.
The brakemen give this ride so much character. They seem to love their job and pose on the ride’s
most visible drops. This does result in some variability, as some operators operate the train
faster than others, but that just encourages you to keep reriding until you get the optimal ride.
This ride is ripe with history. The most interesting tidbit is that the ride was
targeted by Nazis back during World War II. First bombs were planted on the ride. Then they cut
the electricity to disable the cable lift. So when the coaster reopened, riders would board
the train atop the lift hill after staff members manually cranked the train atop the lift hill.
This ride also has one of the most iconic looks of any coaster. The ride takes place
in and around a snow-capped mountain facade. It’s very reminiscent of Disneyland’s Matterhorn…and I
wouldn’t be surprised if that ride took inspiration from Tivoli’s crown jewel.
And then the station has that classic train station vibe with the old-fashioned architecture.
This is Tivoli’s most popular attraction, but it thankfully has one of the park’s highest
throughputs. The ride regularly runs 3 trains with no stacking. Each train is comprised of
three cars. The front and back cars have 4 rows while the middle car has just two ridable rows
since half the car is taken up by the brakeman. The ride is best with one person per row so
you can slide side-to-side since there’s no seat divider, but you can fit up to 3 people per row.
Even if the switchbacks up to the station are full, the line usually is just 15 or so minutes.
The loading procedure for this ride is definitely unique. After presenting your
tickets or all-day wristband, you’re admitted onto the station platform.
Here, there are no air gates or row markers. The train then slowly rolls from the unload to the
load platform and it’s a free-for-all for the available seats. You’re allowed to wait on the
platform for the next train for the row you want, but you need to be semi-aggressive. People will
hop into the train before it stops moving, which can make it a little tricky to get the front.
Thankfully, I think the best row is the very back. And on this ride,
there is a very noticeable difference between the very back row and the other seats in that
car. Wait the extra train or two if necessary. Now let’s talk about the restraints. You have a
thin metal lap bar for each row. The operators do not lower it. They just visually confirm it’s down
and they don’t really care how far you lower it. You can have it rest snugly against your lap or
you can have it as high as a buzz bar. I recommend the latter if you want the most thrills.
One downside with the trains is that the seats are hard wooden benches. So it can be a little
uncomfortable after a strong airtime moment…and trust me there are several of those…when you slam
back down onto the unpadded seat. Some padding is the one thing I would change with this coaster.
Once the track ahead is clear, the brakeman gets the green light and a bell chimes,
signaling your dispatch. You then round a slow turn and approach the cable lift.
This lift is just 39 feet or 12 meters tall, but it’s deceptively long because of how shallow it
is. Fortunately, the cable lift is super quick and pulls you to the top in no time.
I can’t believe a ride this old has a lift system this efficient.
At the top, you slowly round a turn around the ride’s tallest mountain peek and some
greenery they planted on an artificial mountain. Tivoli really does care about appearances! The
first drop cuts through the mountain. This tunnel is pretty scary since it has extremely
tight clearances and if you’re in the back, you’ll also get a great pop of ejector airtime.
Next is an outdoor camelback. The front flies over this hill, giving them a strong burst of
ejector airtime. Meanwhile those in back get some decent airtime on the descent.
You then charge into a turnaround giving those up front some floater airtime.
You have more speed than you may expect through the turn, so you get some good laterals.
This turn also goes through the mountain, so you pass some illuminated rocks.
After going outside for a brief moment, the third drop dives through a tunnel. This one
rides similarly to the first drop from the ejector pop for those in back to the cramped tunnel.
You then rise into another turnaround. The ascent is outdoors and gives some ok floater
airtime for those up front, but you then head back into a cave. You have some solid speed
and it turns the opposite way of the prior one, so the resultant turn throws you across the train.
You then zip down another nice drop, yet again launching those in back out of their seat.
Like clockwork, you then jump up into another enclosed turnaround.
Again those in front get some airtime. Then everyone gets the ride’s best laterals. You
start by turning left, but you suddenly turn 180 degrees right which slams you across the train.
It’s a wild moment that catches most people off-guard.
When you emerge, you head down the drop behind the station. You have some speed into the drop
and if you’re in back, you get the ride’s most consistently strong surge of ejector airtime.
Next is a little bunny hill that you charge over. The front gets a solid pop of ejector airtime
while those in back get some semi-sustained airtime toeing the edge between floater and
ejector depending how fast the ride is running. You then rise into another tunnel, oddly getting
no airtime. You then slowly navigate a few final turns in complete darkness.
You don’t get any laterals, but expect to hear screaming from the lack of light.
You then reach the unload platform, ending the 2362 foot or 312 meter long coaster. The
restraints oddly unlock before the train comes to a complete stop and people immediately disembark.
You wouldn’t see something like that in America! The final thing I want to touch on is this ride’s
smoothness. You’d expect a ride this old to be rough, but it’s amazingly smooth.
The only possible discomfort is getting too much airtime and landing hard on the seat. But
I think most enthusiasts will bear that cross. So what would I rate Rutschebanen? I would give
this old-fashioned coaster a 9 out of 10. This ride is just pure fun. I love how much
airtime this attraction offers between the zippy drops and the minimalistic restraints.
Anytime you let me lift a good foot out of my seat, I’m bound to fall in love. The ride
also mixes in some cool visuals through the mountain and good laterals on the turns.
There are two downsides with this attraction. One, it’s very seat dependent. The ride is much
milder in the middle rows. Two, the ride can have some variability depending upon the brakeman.
Most tend to run this at a good clip, but you can get a slower driver every once and a while.
This is easily the best scenic railway coaster I’ve ridden.
The others I’ve done are much more conservative and basically come to a stop on the turns.
Because of how this ride is operated, it’s a borderline top 15 wood coaster for me.
So those are my thoughts on Rutschebanen at Tivoli Gardens. What are your thoughts on this
glorious wooden roller coaster. Do you think the experience rivals modern wood coasters like me?
Let me know down in the comments. If you enjoyed this review, I’d appreciate it if
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roller coaster and amusement park videos here at Canobie Coaster. Thanks for watching!