The DUPLO series for under-fives is launched internationally. 843 employees in Billund. The first LEGOLAND film. LEGO car tyres are now made of PVC. Selected Product News 1969 The 12-volt motor joins the Train series The DUPLO® Brick (after being test-marketed in Sweden in 1968) LEGOLAND® Billund opens its gates on 7th June and attracts 625,000 visitors in its first season, 3000 on the opening day. The first computer in LEGO Group - an NCR 390 for salary administration. The machine costs DKK 85,000. First sales to Latin America: Peru and Curacao. Selected Product News 1968 Jeep (designed by Kjeld Kirk Kristiansen) The LEGOLAND Band is established. There are now 218 different LEGO elements (not counting colour variations) and between 18 and 19 million LEGO sets are sold during the year. The small wheel for small cars is invented – launches in 1970. Selected Product News 1967 The product range comprises 57 sets and 25 vehicles.
A total of 706 million LEGO elements are produced during the year. LEGO is now sold in 42 countries. Selected Product News 1966 The battery-driven LEGO Train Light Brick with wire and light First sales in Spain. More than 600 employees in Billund. Selected product News 1965 Model sets, complete with building instructions, are launched as a natural addition to existing Basic and Supplementary sets. First sales to the Middle East (Lebanon). LEGO bricks are exhibited at the Danish pavilion at the New York World Fair. Production plant LEGO Werkzeugbau GmbH in Hohenwehenstedt, Germany opens. Selected Product News 1964 Jumbo bricks (produced by Samsonite in the USA) Godfred Kirk Christiansen presents the company to the ten product characteristics: LEGO Elements are now moulded in ABS, a plastic which improves the clutch power. LEGO Austria is established. INTERLEGO AG is established in Switzerland. The first international company film, "Mr. Johnson from Australia", is produced.
Selected Product News 1963 Large & Small Wheels & Turn-table The LEGO Wheel is launched after being worked on since 1958. Sales start in Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia, Morocco and Japan. LEGO Australia is established. The first personnel manager hired. Selected Product News 1962 The Measurement line (Launched in Denmark in 1963) The range comprises 50 sets, 15 vehicles and various loose elements. Sales start in the US and Canada via a license agreement with Samsonite Corp. First ever strike at LEGO. LEGO Italy is established. Godfred Kirk Christiansen buys a small Piper Apache plane (room for two pilots and three passengers) in association with Sonderjyllands Flyselskab (later to become Cimber Air). A landing field is established just outside Billund. Selected Product News 1961 Terapi I, II and III (pre-school products) The wooden toy warehouse is destroyed by fire. Production of wooden toys is discontinued entirely.
Approximately 450 employees in Billund. LEGO Finland and LEGO Nederland are established. Selected Product News 1960> > > > > Billund Billund is a city in Jutland, western Denmark. It has some 8700 inhabitants and is known as the home of LEGO. There is no railway line to Billund, so all transportation is by road or air. Billund airport (IATA: BLL) is one of Denmark's busiest airports. The airport is served by many budget- and charter airlines, there are also flights by some national carriers like Finnair , SAS Scandinavian Airlines and KLM , Ryanair also offers flights to Billund. Billund is situated in the middle of Jutland, this means that there are roads in every direction. Usually tourists coming from other countries will drive along the E45 motorway. If you are coming from south, drive to Kolding and continue towards Billund. If you are coming from north or east turn to Billund at Vejle. The airport runs two express shuttle buses to Vejle (30 minutes, 80 DKK) and Aarhus (1½ hours, 180 DKK via Horsens & Skanderborg) several times per day.
There are also direct public buses from Billund to Vejle and Grindsted (lines 244 & 907X), Kolding (406, 1 hour) and Horsens (117, 2 hours). All of these buses stop at the airport. As the train station closed in the 1950s, currently your only option is the train to Vejle and the bus from there (see above). The entrance to Legoland Billund Not many restaurants are located in Billund. So go have your dinner in Vejle 30 km away where a lot of fine restaurants are located although they are a little expensive they are well worth the trip compared to the local offerings, which are mostly quick eats inside the theme park or at the hotels. If you're staying at the local hotels, a budget alternative to their restaurants is to get some food from the supermarket The biggest provider is Lalandia (see 'Do') which has hundreds of vacation rentals available, centered around families. This city travel guide to Billund is a usable article. It has information on how to get there and on restaurants and hotels.
An adventurous person could use this article, but please feel free to improve it by editing the page.Fact: If all the Lego minifigures in the world got together there’d be over 4 billion of them and they’d make up the world’s largest population. Invented in the small Danish town of Billund in 1932, the plastic yellow people have come a long way from the humble workshop of a local carpenter. To this day, Billund is still the global headquarters of the toy company, the Lego factory as well as Legoland, where kids of all ages can get to grips with 9 themed Lego ‘lands’, 4 roller-coasters, 2 water rides and over 40 other attractions built from some 60 million bricks. Set in a country that consistently tops lists of ‘world’s happiest nations’, it’s fair to say Legoland in Billund is up there as one of the best places on earth to take kids. Check out our tips and feedback from a family who recently visited: The Severens family recently travelled to Billund with their two children aged four and seven.
We caught up with them to find out more about their trip, here’s their verdict: “Legoland Billund is the perfect choice for families like us who are not big fans of crowds or commercialism. The Duplo imaginative playground was one amazing discovery after another for our 4-year old who had fun playing shopkeeper one minute and a fire-fighter the next. But what I loved most about Legoland is that there was so much to do for younger children. The Imagination Zone, Miniland and Duplo Land are perfect for babies and children up to four years of age. While kids between 4 and 8 will enjoy the attractions of the Legoredo town, Pirate Land and Knight’s Kingdom, Polar Land is suited to slightly older children. As soon as you enter the park, you’ll notice Miniland all around your feet with its miniature buildings, trains and boats, all made of Lego. Duplo Land, the next zone, is just perfect for toddlers, with its cute Duplo playground and tiny tricycles. These zones will keep young kids busy all morning.
Our 4-year old and 7-year old rode the Duplo merry go round again and again. And after that, they made a beeline for the Duplo train. A bit further into the park, the zones appeal mostly to children 4 years and up. We just loved the Pirate Splash Battle, pirate boats and Lego canoe. Knight’s Kingdom has more kid-friendly roller-coasters and there’s the wonderful Viking River splash. The ride our kids enjoyed most was The Temple Treasure Hunt. We also took part in the Falck Fire Brigade challenge and competed against other families to be the fastest and best fire brigade. We skipped Polar Land, since its activities were only accessible for taller children. We stayed 2 nights at a hotel in nearby Grindsted, but if you have younger children who are in the habit of taking day-time naps, there is plenty of other accommodation on site: Lalandia offers holiday homes, there’s a Legoland hotel too. We loved Legoland and Denmark and will definitely come back for a longer stay.”