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August 21, 2025 – Solvang, CA – Solvang, California (http://www.SolvangUSA.com), referred to as “The Danish Capital of America,” has been voted as the fourth “Best Historical Small Town” in the 2025 Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards, the contest results for which were publicly announced on August 21. The unique Southern California wine country destination joins category winners in the top ten, history-filled locations: Marietta, Ohio, at number one; Vicksburg, Mississippi; Shepherdstown, West Virginia; Leadville, Colorado; Mackinac Island, Michigan; Castine, Maine; St. Augustine, Florida; Gettysburg, Pennsylvania; and Beaufort, South Carolina, at number ten. Solvang is the only California town to rank in the top ten for this contest category.
In 2025, Solvang was nominated by a panel of travel experts and the Newsweek editors for the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards in the category of “Best Historical Small Town.” The awards contest and online voting launched for the category on Thursday, July 17, 2025, at 12 Noon ET, and online, public voting ran through Thursday, August 14, 2025, at 11:59 AM ET.
The Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards present up to 20 nominees in a broad range of categories to be voted on by readers. All nominees are editorially driven with contributions from a panel of travel experts, or experts from various fields. Newsweek editors then determine the final lists of “the best of the best in the USA.” Every three weeks, Newsweek publishes an entrants list of up to 20 businesses, services or products by Awards category for public voting to pick the Newsweek Reader’s Choice Winner (each a “Category List”). Once a Category List is published, voting runs for 28 days for each Category List and at the end of the voting period, once voting is closed, Newsweek announces and publishes the businesses with the most votes as Reader’s Choice Winners in their respective categories. More information about the Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards may be found here.
“We’re beyond grateful to be included in the top ten for this particular winners’ list, especially as we near our big, annual celebration of Solvang’s Danish roots, heritage, and history, the Solvang Danish Days festival,” said Randy Murphy, Solvang City Manager.
One of California’s leading Danish heritage festivals, this year’s Solvang Danish Days event weekend will run Friday, September 19, through Sunday, 21, 2025.
Murphy continued, “And our City has so much more to celebrate. A handful of our Solvang businesses have recently been listed in other readers’ choice awards contests and categories, as well.”
One of Solvang’s more-than-20 wine tasting locations, horror film-themed Final Girl Wines just took fifth place in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards category of “Best Wine Tasting Room,” while luxury dude ranch resort, Alisal Ranch, landed at spot number ten in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best “Best Destination Resort” category. Alma Rosa Winery and Vineyards, which boasts a sleek Solvang tasting room where their award-winning wines are poured, was voted as the tenth “Best Winery Tour” in the 2025 USA TODAY 10Best awards, while Solvang’s peasants DELI & ARCADE was nominated as one of the “Best Arcade(s)” in the 2025 Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards.
The City of Solvang itself, the Danish-settled, California Central Coast getaway spot with a resident population hovering around 6,000, has been nominated for multiple “best of” awards in the past, with other recent awards nods such as being voted as the second “Best Christmas Town” in the 2024 Newsweek Readers’ Choice Awards.
Dog-friendly and ideal for kids, Solvang, known for its Danish-American ambiance, architecture and design details, pastries and bakeries, and array of wine tasting options, also boasts dozens of unique boutiques, restaurants and gourmet food purveyors. Carefully-curated indie booksellers and high-end home goods suppliers mingle with fairy tale-like children’s stores and museum gift shops. Solvang’s foodie destinations offer everything from elevated street cuisine – like locally-sourced fish tacos on hand-made tortillas, and comforting ramen noodles – to European-style pretzels and sausages, to Italian standbys or iconic Danish dishes, to elevated new-Californian fare in the form of MICHELIN-honored menus. Solvang visitors sip small-batch, locally-roasted coffee, shop for exotic, hand-bottled spice blends, or enjoy Tiki cocktails and craft beer, all part of an indulgent and one-of-a-kind, year ‘round shopping and playing escape.
Questions, media requests for interviews and/or photos related to this announcement may be directed to Anna Ferguson-Sparks, Stiletto Marketing, at 1-877-327-2656 or solvang@stilettomarketing.com.
About the City of Solvang: Referred to as “The Danish Capital of America,” the City of Solvang is located in the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara County, California. Founded by a group of Danish-Americans in 1911 and incorporated in 1985, Solvang offers a taste of Denmark in Southern California. Danish design and Old World charm fill Solvang’s numerous interior courtyards, cozy communal spaces, and open-air venues, where vacation itineraries for all unfold. The walkable village features plentiful free parking options for locals and visitors, and more than 20 lodging options for staycation-ers, weekenders and midweek travelers, from classic comfort to luxury-level. The Solvang Visitor Center, located at 1639 Copenhagen Drive, is open daily, 9:30 AM-5:30 PM (closed briefly for lunch). For more information, including travel itinerary ideas and inspiration for things to do, where to eat and drink, and places to stay, follow our adventures on Instagram (@SolvangUSA) and Facebook (facebook.com/VisitSolvangUSA).
