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Attractie Sirocco in Efteling. Photo by Laurensvanheerde.

Top 10 Intriguing Facts about Efteling

Efteling is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore. It is the largest theme park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world.

The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nature park with a playground and a Fairytale Forest into a full-sized theme park. It now caters to both children and adults with its cultural, romantic, and nostalgic themes, in addition to its wide array of amusement rides including six roller coasters and four dark rides.

Annually, the park has more than 5 million visitors. In 2020, it was the most visited theme park in Europe, before Disneyland Park (Paris). Here are the top 10  intriguing facts about Efteling.

1. Efteling and Disneyland are comparable

Efteling Entrance Building. Photo by Stefan Scheer. .

Efteling is comparable to Disneyland in many ways, although it is twice as large as the original site of Disneyland in California and three years older. It actually offered some inspiration to Disneyland and the two giants have kept a long-lasting positive relationship.

Disneyland Paris consulted Efteling, looking for inspiration on building an American theme park that would be sure to fit European tastes. As a token of appreciation, the Disney company bestowed a small statue upon Efteling. In 2004, Efteling won the Thea Classic Award, the highest honour given by the Themed Entertainment Association. It turned out that the Efteling had been nominated by the senior vice president of Walt Disney Imagineering.

2. The park was designed by Anton Pieck

The success of Efteling has been attributed largely to its ride designs, architecture and atmosphere. When Anton Pieck was asked to design the initial fairy tales for the Efteling, he made sure the park would live up to his personal high standards.

There would be no use of cheap building materials, plastic, or concrete. Pieck’s illustration style, somewhat grim and dark, but also romantic and nostalgic, was the thematic base on which nearly all future expansions were built.

3. Efteling is a private company

The Efteling is a private company limited by shares. The Efteling Nature Park Foundation (Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling) is the only shareholder. The foundation was founded in 1950 by R.J.Th. van der Heijden, Peter Reijnders, and Anton Pieck. The company is led by two directors. They manage four sections: the theme park, the Efteling Hotel, the Efteling Golf course, and the Efteling Theatre.

4. It is the largest theme park in Netherlands

Efteling. Photo by Eliedion.

The Efteling theme park is the largest in the Netherlands comprising of 200 hectares; in the park you will be able to experience an abundance of different rides 鈥� 36 to be exact 鈥� and there are also plans to expand and bring in new rides to the park.

One of the most interesting facts about Efteling is that it never started out at the scale that it is now, it all started back in 1952 when it consisted of just a playground and a fairy tale forest. It has since evolved into something much bigger and better and attracts upwards of 4 million visitors per year!

5. Efteling is divided into five realms

There鈥檚 Marerijk, the magic realm. You鈥檒l find there attractions dedicated to fairy tales and fantastic creatures. There鈥檚 Reizenrijk, the journey realm, dedicated to adventure and travel. There鈥檚 Ruigrijk, the wild realm. This is the area with the best attractions for adults, the roller coasters, etc鈥� The thrill seekers should go there!

There鈥檚 Anderrijk, the bizarre realm. This is where you鈥檒l find the mystical side of the theme park, the parallel worlds, etc鈥� Finally there鈥檚 Uitrijk, the entrance realm. It鈥檚 just the reception desk of the park and its theater. You can walk from one realm to another one as you like, but you need to know the park is huge, you鈥檙e gonna walk a lot!

6. The park has a wooden roller coaster!

Joris en de Draak is a wooden racing coaster in the theme park Efteling, based on the legend of Saint George. The dual-tracked roller coaster, built in the place of the 2009 demolished wooden coaster Pegasus, features two tracks, named ‘Water’ and ‘Fire’ respectively.

A total of five Millennium Flyer trains with 12 cars each are used, although only four trains are used at once for maintenance purposes. Riders are arranged two across in a single row for a total of 24 riders per train, totaling a capacity of 1750 riders per hour.

7. There’s a story behind each attraction

Darkride “Fata Morgana” in Efteling, Netherlands seen from “Pagode”. Photo by Stefan Scheer. .

There鈥檚 a story behind each attraction 鈥� a fairy tale or a local legend that is told with a passion and all details are mastered to perfection to give you the illusion that you are a part of the story.

The Fairy-tale Forest takes you on a journey where well-known and less known, but locally popular, fairy tales come to life. There鈥檚 a talking tree telling stories, you can spot the house of Hansel and Gretel, the Sleeping Beauty and Cinderella aren鈥檛 missing as well, and there is Little Match Girl.

8. The park has a talking dustbin!

What can be more unusual than a talking dust bin that eats paper? The talking paper gobbler Holle Bolle Gijs invites all kids (and adults) to clean the park by repeating 鈥淧apier hier! Papier hier!鈥� (Paper here! Paper here!).

 Indeed the park is pretty clean as kids will run around collecting everything they see on the ground and sticking it into the mouth of Holle Bolle Gijs just to hear him saying once again 鈥淧apier hier!鈥�

9. The park also has a winter Efteling section

Winter Efteling is a real winter Wonderland. As if the whole park puts his winter clothes on 鈥� all attractions get special winter decoration. There鈥檚 artificial snow and you can warm up your hands at the bonfires at each square. There鈥檚 this cheery wintery atmosphere everywhere. There is a huge skating rink at the Ice Palace, as well as daily entertainment shows.

10. The park has an exciting madhouse

Darkride “Fata Morgana” in Efteling, Netherlands at night. Photo by Stefan Scheer.

Villa Volta is a Vekoma Madhouse in De Efteling theme park, The Netherlands. It is the worlds first large scale Madhouse, and arguably the most famous of all Madhouses.

Villa Volta’s story begins in mid-18th century Netherlands, and is a slight extension on the myth of ‘De Bokkenrijders’. In the madhouse, visitors are given an impression that the building, visitors or both are being turned upside down.