Museo de Juguets de Dénia

When the disastrous filoxia epidemic in 1904 destroyed millions of vines throughout Europe, Dénia was on the edge of bankruptcy, as its main export was raisins. Two enterprising German brothers called Ferchen, exporters of dried fruits, began to bring lithographed sheets of tin-plate from Germany to be made into tin toys in the town. They were the saviours of the town and Dénia became one of the most important toy producers in Spain. Ten years later a large a factory specialising in wooden toys opened, and on display are examples of toys produced from 1904 until 1960; sailing ships, horse-drawn carriages, trucks, wood stoves, games, cowboys and Indians, dolls houses and football games, things to push and things to pull, with plenty of the ‘I had one of those when I was little,’ to bring a smile to the lips of those of a certain age.