Europa-Park

Europa-Park is the largest theme park in Germany, and the second most popular theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Paris.[1] Europa-Park is located in Rust, south-western Germany, between Freiburg im Breisgau and Strasbourg (in neighbouring France).[2]

Europa-Park

LocationEuropa-Park-Straße 2
77977 Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
Coordinates48°16′06″N 7°43′15″E
StatusOperating
Opened12 July 1975 (12 July 1975)
OwnerMack Family
Operating seasonApril to early January
Attendance5.75 million (2019)
Area950,000 m2 (10,225,715 sq ft) (parks, hotels, parking lots, backstage)
Attractions
Total61
Roller coasters13
Water rides12
Websitewww.europapark.de
A Zeppelin NT (D-LZFN) of Friedrichshafen used for Advertisement

The park is home to 13 roller coasters, the oldest, which opened in 1984, is the Alpenexpress Enzian, which is a powered coaster that speeds through a diamond mine. Europa-Park has very high capacity roller coasters and attractions, meaning the park can accommodate approximately 60,000 guests per day.[3] The park counted 5.75 million visitors in 2019.[4]

The resort (park, parking lot, hotels and back stages) occupies roughly 95 hectares. It hosts six hotels, one campground, and one movie theater.

In November 2019, Europa-Park's "Rulantica" water park opened, along with the Museum-Themed Hotel, "Krønasår".

History

Background and founding
See also: Mack Rides
The entrance to Europa-Park

Europa-Park is run by the Mack family, which has produced vehicles since 1780, circus wagons since 1880, and roller coasters since 1921. Franz Mack (1921–2010) in 1958 took over the family firm, Mack GmbH & Co. KG (now Mack Rides), together with his brothers. Along with his son Roland (b. 1949), he visited the US in 1972 and was inspired to open a theme park in Germany as an exhibition site for his company's products.[5]

At first, the park was planned to be located in Breisach. It was named "Europa-Park" after Breisach's nearby Europaweiher, a small artificial lake which commemorates a historical pilot poll held in Breisach in 1950, in which 95.6% of voters were in favour of European unification. The Breisach site was deemed unsuitable because of flooding hazard, and the project moved some 30 kilometres (19 mi) further north, where the Macks bought the park of the historical Balthasar castle in Rust.[6] An adjacent fairy-tale park was acquired as an additional site.

The park opened on July 12, 1975, with an area of 16 hectares (40 acres). After the founding of Europa-Park and the entry into the theme park business in 1975, the park was managed by Franz Mack and his sons Roland, later also Jürgen. Despite initial skepticism from members of the press, it counted 250,000 visitors in the first year; 700,000 in the second; and passed the million mark in 1978.[7]

Themed areas and growth (1980s–2012)
Overview of the park, showing themed areas such as Griechenland.

The first country-themed section was "Italy", which opened in 1982. Like most of the original themed areas at Europa-Park, it was designed by Ulrich Damrau. The Alpenexpress "Enzian" and Schweizer Bobbahn rides opened in 1984 and 1985, respectively. The "Europe" theme was pursued further with the opening of "Holland" (1984), "England" (1988), "France" (1990), "Scandinavia" (1992), and "Spain" (1994) sections.[8]

The visitor count passed the 2 million mark in 1991. The development of hotel resorts began in 1995 with El Andaluz, followed by Castillo Alcazar in 1999.[9]

By the year 2001, the number of visitors had risen to 3.1 million,[10] and the hotels had been booked to nearly 98% of their capacity. The park opened during the winter season for the first time in 2001/2002. The current logo was registered in 2003.[11]

In 2011, there were 4.5 million visitors,[12] and by 2012 the park encompassed an area of 90 hectares, featuring eleven roller-coasters, five themed hotels with a turnover of close to EUR 300 million and more than 3,000 employees.[13] In 2012, Roland Mack announced investments in excess of EUR 60 million, the largest yearly investment in the park's history.[14] The total sum invested in the park until 2011 is estimated to be close to EUR 700 million.[15]

2013–present
Ed Euromaus, the park mascot developed by MackMedia, had 4D films based on his character in 2011 and 2015.

On 3 June 2017, Europa-Park opened the 'Voletarium' attraction. The attraction is the biggest flight motion simulator theater in Europe.[16] It features a queue line with multiple pre-show elements culminating in the main ride section: a film showcasing European landmarks which lasts for 4 minutes and 30 seconds. The ride is the most expensive single ride investment to date at the park and also features catering outlets, a shop, and toilet facilities in the accompanying plaza.

2018 fire incident

On 26 May 2018, a fire broke out in a building complex, near to the park's "Holland" and "Scandinavia" areas. The guests and staff inside this building were immediately ushered outside, and the remainder of the park's (roughly) 25,000 guests were instructed to make their way to the main exits, as the fire was quickly growing in intensity. The core section of this building complex is home to the boat-ride/dark ride attraction The Pirates of Batavia as well as a theatre, a restaurant, and an employee costume shop.[17][18] Despite the efforts of the fire department, the building was destroyed, along with parts of the neighboring Scandinavia section. Due to its location within the Scandinavian area (and overall proximity to the fire), the fjørd-rafting attraction was affected by debris from fallen, burning building façades. According to the operators, the incident resulted in tens of millions of Euros in property damage. No visitors or employees were injured, but seven firefighters suffered minor injuries during firefighting operations.[17] With the exception of a few hot spots, the fire was mostly extinguished and the park reopened regularly the very next morning.[17] Only the destroyed Pirates of Batavia ride, restaurant, theatre, a few shops, the fjørd ride, as well as the neighboring attraction Koffiekopjes, remained closed for refurbishment.[17]

Initially Vindjammer, a giant swinging ship ride, was also closed; one of its two entry queues ran across the fire-destroyed Scandinavian area. Nevertheless, after briefly closing this queue to make adjustments to the second entrance, the ride was swiftly in operation again. The attraction Koffiekopjes reopened four days later. On 9 June 2018, after the collection of evidence to determine the cause of the fire (and the clearing of rubble from the canal), the fjørd water ride would also be reopened. Initially, it was suspected that a warehouse near the Pirates attraction was the location where the fire broke out.

After eleven days, on 6 June 2018, the Offenburg police stated that they believed the fire actually broke out due to a technical failure in the fjørd water ride. However, the investigation was still incomplete. The Scandinavian village area and Pirates were both rebuilt based on their original designs, with some updates. Both reopened in July 2020.

2019: Rulantica

In November 2019, Europa-Park's "Rulantica" water park opened, in addition to a new themed hotel "Krønasår" in May 2019. Rulantica has 13 themed areas, and includes 30 water slides. Other attractions include a wave pool, a surf simulator, and a wild river. There is an indoor part of 32,600 m2 (351,000 sq ft) and an outdoor part of 9,000 m2 (97,000 sq ft).[19]

2022 renovations of racist and colonial stereotypes

In 2017, Europa-Park acknowledged allegations of racial/cultural insensitivities; some attractions featured potentially offensive portrayals of African people as "tribal" (with white characters featured as colonial rulers and safari hunters) in the Adventureland themed area. However, the park never followed their word to change the attraction up until 2021; until then, only small adjustments were made in response, such as renaming "Colonial Food Station" to "Adventure Food Station".[20] In January 2022, it was announced that the Jungle Rafts ride would be closed until the start of the 2023 season, to be completely renovated and rethemed as a new part of the Austria area.[21] No further detail was given on the other rides and attractions of Adventureland that may have come under scrutiny.[22]

In March 2022, the Jungle Rafts ride reopened under the new name Josefina's Magical Imperial Journey (now themed to the adjacent Austrian-themed area), with all references to colonial Africa removed.

Operator

Europa-Park is operated by Europa-Park GmbH & Co Mack KG. The Mack family has been producing roller coasters and attractions for eight generations. Managing directors of the park are Roland Mack, his brother Jürgen Mack and Roland Mack's sons Thomas Mack and Michael Mack.[23] As of 2016, the operating company employed an annual average of around 3,600 people [2], and generated sales of 300 million euros.[24]

Logo and soundtrack

The park's logo features the words "Europa Park" decorated with three flying stars whose tips mimic wing movements. It is trademarked.[25]

In July 2011, Europa-Park unveiled an orchestral soundtrack CD to give the park a musical identity. The work was specially composed by Freiburg composer Hendrik Schwarzer and recorded by the Belarus Philharmonic Orchestra under the direction of conductor Bernard Fablujan. The most prominent motif of the composition is called "Flying Stars Fanfare" with reference to the flying stars of the park logo- The other pieces of the soundtrack are mostly variations of this motif. They play in various areas of the park since July 2011 and are used in promotional and informational films. The track "The Old Man and His Dream" is a tribute to the park's founder Franz Mack, who died in 2010.

Entrance
Main entrance

In the entrance area to Europa-Park stands the large statue of the park mascot, Ed Euromaus.[26] The statue is followed by the Brunnen der Begegnung (English "Fountain of Encounter"), immediately after which are several ticket booths, and behind them are the ticket offices for group and bus registrations, as well as the actual entrance building. On its upper floor is the Alexanderplatz station, which serves as a station for the EP Express monorail.

Accommodation and transportation

Hotels
  • Hotel Colosseo (four star superior), themed around the Roman Colosseum and features a fountain show created by French company Aquatique Show International [27]
  • Hotel Santa Isabel (four star superior), themed around a Portuguese Monastery
  • Hotel El Andaluz (four stars), themed as a Spanish Villa [28]
  • Hotel Castillo Alcazar (four stars), themed as a Spanish Finca [29]
  • Hotel Bell Rock (four star superior), themed around New England and features a lighthouse [30]
  • Hotel KRØNASÅR (four star superior), themed as a natural history museum that shows unique and historical objects collected by the "Adventure Club of Europe" [31]
  • El Andaluz
  • Alcazar
  • Colosseo

On-site transportation
The monorail

There are three different railway systems that also double as rides: The E.P. Express, the Monorail train, and the Panoramabahn. Additionally, a moving walkway called Express Lane was installed in 2015 in the parking lot.

Among other features, in 1995 the park installed a monorail system, the EP-Express, with three monorail trains reassigned after the 1988 World Expo in Brisbane.[32][33] It was partially extended in 2016 in order to provide additional space for development in 2017.

Among the systems of transportation are the Monorail, another monorail system built in 1990, and the Panoramabahn, a miniature train ride.

Panoramabahn

The Panoramabahn has been installed since the opening of the park in 1975.[34] At first, it served as a sightseeing train which departed and arrived near the entrance of the park in Germany. Today the train also stops at train stations in England, Spain, and Russia. The Europa-Park owns five type C. P. Huntington trains manufactured by the US-American company Chance Morgan.[35] From the 2019/2020 winter season onwards, the locomotives have been converted to run on electricity using a system designed by SEW-EURODRIVE.[36]

Monorail

The monorail was put into operation in 1990 and was originally intended for sightseeing only, with its starting and finishing point inside the Historama in Luxembourg. In 2009, the monorail was extended by an additional stop in Iceland allowing passengers to use it as a means of transportation.[37]

E.P. Express

The E.P. Express was built by AEG and Roll and has always been intended for transportation purposes besides its function as a panorama railway. It is a monorail modelled after a type of Alweg-monorail with closed, air-conditioned carriages, and it reaches a maximum speed of 20  km/h on a 2,5  km circuit at an average height of 6 meters. Inaugurated together with the Hotel 'El Andaluz' in 1995, one of the purposes of the E.P. Express of the Europa-Park was to connect the hotel to the main entrance. Over the course of time, the stops 'Greece' and 'Europa-Park Hotel Resort' were added to the existing 'Alexanderplatz' (main entrance) and 'Spain' stations.[38]

Shows, parades and the 4D cinema

Europa-Park offers about a dozen different shows, including figure skating, variety shows, and Flamenco, as well as a puppet theatre and junior club studios, the last being an interactive show in which children can experience the world of filmmaking.[39] One of the shows is the rotary theater-multimediashow "Zeitreise". In the center is a circular theater, divided into six sectors, that the seats circle around, each audience member being shown one sector after another. For the 35th anniversary of the Europa-Park, on the 12th of July 2010, the theater was remodeled and got a new show name, "Europa-Park Historama - die Show". It showed the 35-year-old history of the Europa-Park with spectacular 4D-effects and a 180 degree-view. Since the summer season of 2018, the rotary theater has been used as a "preview center" for the waterpark Rulantica. In the baroque theater Europa-Park Teatro, which is located in the Italian-themed-area, the musical "Spook Me!" was performed many times a day during the Halloween season of 2014 to 2017.[40] In the summer seasons of 2018 and 2019, "Rulantica-The Musical" was performed there. Both musicals were composed by Hendrik Schwarzer;[41] the ensemble included Ornella De Santis, who played the female lead in each case.[42] In the summer season the park shows the magic show "It´s Magic!", in which the magician Peter Valance appears, among others.[43] The annual thematically changing dinner show "Cirque d'Europe" takes place here in winter as well.

The arena in the Spanish-themed area, which holds up to 2,000 spectators, hosts medieval knight games.

Until the 2007 season, the ice stadium was part of the Swiss themed area. Today, it has a Greek façade and is led by Ian Jenkins. In the 2018 summer season, the park presented the show Paddington on Ice there.[44] In the 2022 summer season, the park presented the show ACE – The Adventure Begins.[45]

Opened in 2000, the Globe Theater in Europa-Park's English themed area is a largely faithful replica of the famous London Globe Theatre from William Shakespeare's time. Differences to the original are the smaller scale (595 seats instead of approx. 3000 seats and standing room in the original), the dodecagonal basic shape and the complete roofing. Shows of about 30 minutes are held here several times a day with seasonally changing themes, such as dance and music shows or performances from the fields of acrobatics, magic and comedy.

There is a big, daily parade with colorful carts and actors in costumes.

Several times a day, the park's 4D cinema called Magic Cinema screens a 15-minute short film. In the 2018/19 winter season, the 4D short film called Ed & Edda: Nachts im Park was shown and in the 2020 summer season,[46] the 11-minute 2D film called "Aufbruch nach Batavia" was screened three times a day.[47] In the 2022 summer season, a new 4D film was shown in the Magic Cinema called Happy Family Next Level 4D.[48] The Magic Cinema holds 448 spectators and its screen is 19 by 9 meters large. In the evening, after the park closes, you can watch the latest films there, often with additional 4D effects.

Overall, the Europa-Park offers a show programme of over six hours.

TV production

The Europa-Park has gained more and more importance as a media centre. Channels, such as BR, Sat.1, SWR, ZDF, Nickelodeon and Prosieben, all produce shows in the park. Each year since the summer of 1995, SWR has been airing its show called Immer wieder sonntags, which is moderated by Stefan Mross, live from the IWS-Arena in the Europa-Park. Among other tickets, there are also combination tickets, which allow you to visit the park and see the show in one day.

Events
Euro Dance Festival in 2007

Euro Dance Festival, located annually at Europa-Park since 2007, is best known for its wide range of music and dancing styles. These are Ballroom Dance, Argentine Tango, Swing Dance, Hip hop and Breakdance. A combination of dancing classes and shows and a trade fair caters for the needs of both beginners and professionals, including dance instructors and choreographers. Since its founding, it has taken place for four days every year in early spring.[49]

Europa-Park hosts dozens of events throughout the summer season. The biggest of these include the Midsummer Party when the theme park hosts a fireworks display and is open until midnight. Horror Nights take place through October evenings and feature a range of Halloween horror mazes, rides and shows. For the last week of the main season, the park hosts a daily firework show and music production.[50]

Euro Dance Festival

Every February, when the amusement park is closed during the winter break, the Euro Dance Festival takes place. Dance enthusiasts from all over the world gather at the park to learn new steps and techniques in over 200 workshops taught by some of the best and most well-known international dancers.[51] Amongst others, star guests like Detlef D! Soost, William Pino, Alessandra Bucharelli, Isabel Edvardsson, Franco Formica, Oliver Wessel-Therhorn, Kristina & Peter Stokkebroe, Luis Vasquez & Melissa Fernandez have taught there previously.

Ladies Only Festival

The Ladies Only Festival takes place on one weekend between the months of January and March, when the park is closed for a winter break. On this occasion, the festival connects elements of fitness, dance, health, beauty and wellness. More than 200 workshops and seminars held by roughly 80 coaches are spread out over four days.

Miss Germany Pageant

Since 2002, the official election of Miss Germany has taken place every February in the Europa-Park Dome, arranged by the Miss Germany Corporation from Oldenburg. The collaboration was so successful that in 2010 it was extended for another decade.

Dinner Theater

The Europa-Park offers a variety of dinner events on several nights of the year after the amusement park closes. There are several different events you can choose from. For example, the Dinner Show,[52] the Baden Medieval Banquet as well as the Dinner & Movie.[51]

Science Days

For several days every May and October, the park offers Science Days for younger and older schoolchildren, respectively. The Science Days are the oldest science festival in Germany, featuring science talks and shows, as well as exhibitors from the industrial sector, schools, hospitals, and universities.

CloudFest

Formerly known as WebHostingDays, CloudFest is an annual conference in March about cloud computing aimed at commercial organizations. CloudFest 2022 had 150 exhibitors, 250 speakers, and was attended by 7,200 visitors.[53]

Halloween

Europa-Park has been celebrating Halloween since 1998. Every year from the end of September until the beginning of November, visitors find themselves in a creepy environment, surrounded by hay bales, corn stalks, skeletons, and countless pumpkins of all colours. Numerous attractions, shows, and food and beverage facilities adopt a Halloween theme every year, as does the daily parade.[54] In the 2014 season, Europa-Park premiered their independently produced Halloween musical, "Spook Me!"

Horror Nights

Between 2007 – 2011, the park's Terenzi Horror Nights were organised in the month of October in cooperation with Marc Terenzi. Visitors were able to go on night-time walks through the Italian and French themed areas in 2007–2008 and through the Greek and Swiss themed areas in 2009, where they would be chased and spooked by actors dressed as various horror-themed monsters such as zombies. The event was again included in Europa-Park's yearly program between 2010 and 2016, billed as Horror Nights starring Marc Terenzi. Between 2013 and 2015 it was simply called Horror Nights, as it took place without Marc Terenzi during that period.

Traumatica

In 2017, the Horror Nights were replaced by the Traumatica event. It takes place in the evenings, partly in the Greek-themed area and partly outside of the theme park's territory. Visitors are taken into a post-apocalyptic world in which five different groups fight for dominance. The group members are played by live actors and are set up in haunted houses with special effects as their main quarters, which can be attended by visitors.[55]

Halloween Festival Mysteria

Every other year from 2011 through 2016, the park's festival grounds were home to the Halloween show Mysteria, offering live music, artistic performances, pyrotechnics, and lighting effects. During off years, 30-minute concerts by the Swiss DJ BoBo took the place of the show. Starting in 2011, the show was set in a ghostly castle, with the title Mysteria: Castillo Mystico. In 2013, the park introduced an entirely new story revolving around two enemy gangs in a shantytown on the outskirts of the city.

Hellfire Fountains

In 2017, the show was replaced by the fountain and fire show Hellfire Fountains, offered multiple times every evening in the last week of the season.[56]

Seasonal operations

In 2001, Europa-Park opened for its first winter season. That year, approximately 180,000 visitors attended during the winter; as of 2012, that number had grown to 500,000.[57] In the winter, the park opens an ice rink, a skibob track, the Big Wheel Bellevue[58] and adds festive decor.[59] The park is also home to an annual Christmas market.[60] Since 2002, the park has been hosting an annual Weihnachtsmann-Treffen (English: Santa Claus Convention). Visitors who enter the park wearing a Santa Claus costume can purchase their tickets at a discount.[61] During winter, most outdoor and/or water rides are closed: the African Queen, Atlantica SuperSplash, Fjord-Rafting, Poseidon, and the cable ferry.[59]

Attractions

The theme park offers a mixture of rides, themed areas and parks. One of the main attractions is the roller coaster 'Silver Star' which was planned by the Swiss engineering office Bolliger & Mabillard Ingénieurs Conseils SA and constructed in cooperation with Mercedes-Benz. 'Silver Star' was the fastest roller coaster until the beginning of 2006 and, until 2012, it was also the highest one in Europe. The waiting area guides the visitors through a museum, which was equipped by Mercedes-Benz, showing touring cars and Formula One racing cars. Another ride is called 'Poseidon', the first water roller coaster in Europe.

The roller coaster 'Euro-Mir' has rotatable gondolas, so the ride is temporarily backwards. The ride in 'Eurosat' takes place in a big sphere which is designed with special effects that create a space-like atmosphere. In 2006, the sphere was laminated with hand-painted foils which made it look like a football following the Football World Cup. During Halloween, the roller coaster is disguised as the biggest pumpkin in the world. From the end of the 2017 summer season until the middle of the 2018 summer season, 'Eurosat' was closed for reconstructions. The now called 'Eurosat CanCan Coaster' was inspired by the style of the famous Moulin Rouge. Euro-Mir and Eurosat are among the few roller coasters in the world that have a drum lift to move the coaster cars upwards. The ascent in a drum lift runs on spirally laid rails, in the middle of which there is a rotating body. At the bottom of the ride, the rotating body connects itself with a gripper arm to the coaster car, transports it upwards, and disconnects again.

The 'Blue Fire Megacoaster' is located in the Icelandic themed area. It is the first high-speed roller coaster in the Europa-Park, including a linear motor start and rollover elements, namely one looping, two corkscrews and one heartline roll. This roller coaster accelerates from 0 to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 2.5 seconds, reaches a maximum velocity of 110 km/h (68 mph), is 38 m high and 1,056 m long. The Europaparks' first wooden rollercoaster, the Wodan - Timburcoaster, opened its doors to the public in 2012 and is a part of the Icelandic themed area. A special feature of this roller coaster is that it crosses paths with the Blue Fire Megacoaster and the Atlantic Supersplash coaster. Wodan is 1,050 m long and can be up to 100 km/h (62 mph) fast.

Roller coasters
Name Image Year Opened Manufacturer Location Description/Type Height Length max. Speed max. G-Force Capacity (in pers/h) Ride Duration (in min.) min. Age min. Size
Alpenexpress Enzian 1984 Mack Rides Austria Mine train, powered coaster 6 m 264 m 45 km/h (28 mph) 2 1100 1:40 4 100 cm
Swiss Bob Run 1985 Mack Rides Switzerland Bobsled coaster 19 m 487 m 50 km/h (31 mph) 3 1100 1:45 6 120 cm
Eurosat - CanCan Coaster 1989 / 2018 Mack Rides France Indoor coaster 25,5 m 922 m 60 km/h (37 mph) 4 1600 3:18 6 120 cm
Euro-Mir 1997 Mack Rides Russia Spinning coaster 28 m 980 m 80 km/h (50 mph) 4 1600 4:33 8 130 cm
Matterhorn Blitz 1999 Mack Rides Switzerland Wild mouse 16 m 383 m 56 km/h (35 mph) 2 960 3:05 6 120 cm
Water roller coaster Poseidon 2000 Mack Rides Greece Water coaster 23 m 836 m 70 km/h (43 mph) 3 1690 4:00 6 120 cm
Silver Star 2002 Bolliger & Mabillard France Hypercoaster 73 m 1620 m 127 km/h (79 mph) 4 1750 4:00 11 140 cm
Atlantica SuperSplash 2005 Mack Rides Portugal Water coaster 30 m 390 m 80 km/h (50 mph) 4 1400 3:35 4 100 cm
Pegasus - The YoungStar Coaster 2006 Mack Rides Greece Family coaster 13 m 400 m 65 km/h (40 mph) 3 1000 2:11 4 100 cm
Blue Fire Megacoaster 2009 Mack Rides Iceland Launched coaster 38 m 1056 m 100 km/h (62 mph) 3,8 1720 2:30 7 130 cm
Wodan Timbur Coaster 2012 Great Coasters International Iceland Wooden coaster 40 m 1050 m 100 km/h (62 mph) 3,5 1250 3:25 6 120 cm
ARTHUR 2014 Mack Rides ARTHUR - In the Minimoys Kingdom Inverted, spinning, powered coaster 13,5 m 505 m 31 km/h (19 mph) 1,5 1400 4:30 4 100 cm
Ba-a-a Express 2016 ART Engineering Ireland – Children's World Kiddie coaster 3 m 67 m 20 km/h (12 mph) 1,5 400 1:30 3 95 cm
  • In some parts of Atlantica Supersplash and Poseidon, the watercoasters' hybrid vehicles drive in canals and not on rails.
  • All rollercoasters were built by Mack Rides, except the Silver Star (Bolliger & Mabillard), the wooden rollercoaster Wodan - Timburcoaster (Great Coasters International) and the Ba-a-a Express (ART Engineering).
  • As of 2018, Europa-Park has a total of 13 roller coasters and offered the largest number of roller coasters in a European theme park until 2018, before this record was surpassed by Energylandia in Poland with 15 roller coasters (as of 2019).
  • The rollercoaster Alpenexpress "Enzian" as well as the Eurosat, after it was renovated in 2018, offer an optional Virtual Reality experience called "Coastiality" for an additional charge. The Pegasus - YoungStar rollercoaster had the same offer from 2015 to 2017. For their rides, visitors get VR-glasses to watch a film which is synchronized to each rollercoaster.

Other attractions

The range of rides is supplemente by several water rides, numerous carousels and themed rides. The latter are rides with a boat in a water channel or a wagon on a track, which transport the visitors into strange worlds and sceneries with the help of computer-controlled animated puppets (so-called "animatronics"). Examples include Pirates in Batavia (destroyed by a major fire in 2018, since rebuilt), or Madame Freudenreich Curiosités with dinosaurs.

In detail, the park offers:

NameTypeMax. HeightManufacturerLocationYear Opened 
Atlantis Adventureinteractive dark ride–Mack RidesGreece2007
Danube Steamerboat tour–Mack RidesAustria1975 (reconstruction in 2022, before: "African Queen")
Arena of Footballdodgems ride–Mack Rides (flooring),
Bertazzon (vehicles)		England2006
Crazy Taxidemolition derby carousel ride–ZamperlaEngland2008
Casa da Aventura indoor-playground – – Portugal 2003
Dancing Dingiespinning boat–ZiererIreland – Children's World2016
Josefina's Magical Imperial Ridetow boat/dark ride–Mack RidesAustria1978 (reconstruction in 2022, before: "Jungle Rafts")
Elf Rideboat ride–Mack RidesGermany1979
EP-Expressmonorail6 mAEG/Von RollGermany, Greece, Spain1995
Euro-Towerobservation tower75 mIntaminFrance1983 (reconstruction in 2015)
Feria SwingMusic Express3 mMack RidesSpain1994
Fjord-RaftingRiver rapids ride8 mIntaminScandinavia1991
Flying Dutchmancarousel ride0,5 mMack RidesNetherlands1982
Cassandra's CurseMadhouse4 mMack RidesGreece2000
Ghost CastleDark Ride6 mMack RidesItaly1982
Jim Knopftracked ride–Mack RidesGermany1977 (reconstruction in 2018, before: "Old 99")
Jungfrau Glacier Flightplane ride14 mMack RidesSwiss1989
Koffiekopjesspinning coffee cup ride–Mack RidesNetherlands1985
KolumbusjolleMusic Express3 mMack RidesSpain1994 (reconstruction in 2015)
Lada Autodromcar ride–Mack RidesRussia1987
Limerick Castle indoor-playground – – Ireland – Children's World 2016
Lítill Island – Hansgrohe Water Playgroundwater playground––Iceland2010
London BusFlying Bus7 mZamperlaEngland2008
Madame Freudenreich CuriositésDark Ride5 mMack RidesFrance1994 (reconstruction in 2018, before: "Universe of Energy")
Puppet Boat Rideboat ride–Mack RidesGermany1992
Mini Scooterskiddie bumper car ride–Mack Rides (flooring),
Ihle (vehicles)		Netherlands1977
Monorailmonorail6 mMack RidesIceland, Luxembourg1990 (extended in 2009)
Mul-Muls Carousel jump around – Zamperla Minimoys Kingdom 2014
Old Mac Donald's Tractor Fun tractor ride – Metallbau Emmeln Ireland – Children's World 2016
Vintage Carscar ride–Mack Rides (track),
Ihle (vehicles)		Germany1976
Panorama TrainRidable miniature railway–Chance-MorganGermany, England, Spain, Russia1975
Paul's Playboat playground – – Ireland – Children's World 2016
Piccolo MondoDark Ride–Mack RidesItaly1982 (reconstruction in 2011, before: "Ciao Bambini")
Pirates of BataviaWater Dark Ride6 mMack RidesNetherlands1987 (reconstruction due to fire in 2018)
Poppy Towers family free fall tower – Zierer Minimoys Kingdom 2014
Quipse Paddle Boatschildren's rowing boat ride–Klarer FreizeitanlagenIreland – Children's World2001 (reconstruction in 2016, before: "Paddletour")
Red Baroncarousel ride7 mMack RidesNetherlands1980
Snowflake Sleigh RideDark Ride4 mMack RidesRussia1998
Sheep Rockwater carousel–Mack RidesIreland – Children's World1990 (reconstruction in 2016, before: "Wikinger Boat Ride")
Silverstone Race Trackgo-kart ride–Mack Rides (track),
Ihle (vehicles)		England1975
Snorri TourenDark Ride–Mack RidesScandinavia2019
Spinning Dragonscarousel ride–Mack RidesIreland – Children's World1993 (reconstruction in 2016, before: "Dino-Carousel")
The British Carouselantique carousel–Mack RidesEngland1981
Tiroler Log Flumelog fume ride18 mMack RidesAustria1978
Tower Towtower ride9 mHeegeIreland – Children's World2002 (reconstruction in 2016, before: "Light House Fun")
VindjammerSwing boat20 mHuss Park AttractionsScandinavia1993
Voletariumflying theatre15 mBrogent Technologies /

Kraftwerk Living Technologies

 Germany2017
Volo da Vincisuspended pedal-monorail–ETF Ride SystemsItaly2011
Whale Adventures – Northern LightsSplash Battle–Mack RidesIceland2010 (reconstruction in 2015, before: "Whale Adventures – Splash Tours")
Dwarf Citykiddie fairytale ride–Mack RidesGrimm's Enchanted Forest1975
Vienna Wave SwingSwing ride14 mZiererAustria2006
Würmchen Wies'nplayground––Austria2014
Root Slides Playground – – Minimoys Kingdom 2014

See also

References
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