Alpacapark: Slowing down the alpaca way

By Signe Hansen | Photos: Alpaca park

Warm, curious and softly woolly – somewhere between a spirit animal and an oversized teddy bear – alpacas have an instant, almost comic charm that makes shoulders drop and smiles appear. For Katja Piil, founder and owner of Alpacapark, their gentle, uplifting effect lies at the heart of her work. She has devoted herself to sharing the calming presence of her alpacas through carefully shaped experiences.

Tucked away in the Danish countryside, about an hour from Copenhagen, Alpacapark feels like an unlikely find, offering guided alpaca walks, immersive alpaca hygge experiences, and overnight stays where guests quite literally live among the animals. For Katja, the project started as a hobby, driven by a desire to better understand alpacas. “I was completely fascinated by them,” she explains. “I took courses, learned how to train them, and began helping new owners. Over time, I noticed what being with the alpacas did to my own nervous system.”

That insight shaped the direction of Alpacapark. Although Katja later trained as a mindfulness instructor, she is clear that what she offers is not therapy. “It’s about creating experiences focused on calm and presence,” she says. “The alpacas do most of the work themselves.”

The most popular experience is the alpaca walk, where guests are carefully matched with an animal and led through the landscape by an experienced guide. Group sizes are kept small to ensure a good experience for both animals and visitors. A different rhythm unfolds during alpaca hygge, where guests spend time quietly among the herd. Clear boundaries allow the alpacas to retreat when they wish – something that Katja believes is key. Highly sensitive to human body language and energy levels, the animals respond immediately to stress. “If you arrive with high energy, they move away. If you want to be close to them, you have to slow down. Their way of being changes our way of being,” she says.

Alpacapark: Slowing down the alpaca way

Over time, Alpacapark has grown into a family-run lifestyle project. Katja, her husband Rasmus and their two grown children are all involved, and today the park is home to 38 alpacas and five llamas, all with distinct personalities and names. Overnight guests can stay in shelters or tiny houses set within the enclosures, waking to curious noses at the window. “They are very curious and observe everything,” Katja says. “You become part of the herd.”

For those who wish to take home more than just the memory, a small farm shop sells a selection of quality products, including blankets and keepsakes such as locally produced yarn spun from the park’s own alpacas, each named after the individual alpaca.

Alpacapark: Slowing down the alpaca way