Efteling
Efteling park entrance
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| Location | Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant, Netherlands |
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| Coordinates | 51°39′01″N 5°02′53″E / 51.65028°N 5.04806°ECoordinates: 51°39′01″N 5°02′53″E / 51.65028°N 5.04806°E |
| Theme | Fantasy - ancient legends, mythology, fables, folklore and fairy tales |
| Owner | Efteling Nature Park Foundation |
| Opened | 1952 |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Visitors per annum | 4.7 million in 2015 |
| Area | 72 ha (720,000 m2) : the park ; 276 ha (2,760,000 m2) : the resort |
| Rides | |
| Total | 35 |
| Roller coasters | 6 |
| Water rides | 4 |
| Website | www.efteling.com |
Efteling (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛftəˌlɪŋ]) is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel in the Netherlands. The attractions are based on elements from ancient myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened in 1952. It has since evolved from a nature park with a playground and a Fairy Tale 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.
It is the largest theme park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world. It is twice as large as the original Disneyland park in California and antedates it by three years. Annually, the park has more than 4 million visitors. Over the years, it has received over 100 million visitors.
In 1950, Efteling Nature Park Foundation (Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling) was founded by the mayor of Loon op Zand, R.J. van der Heijden, filmmaker Peter Reijnders, and designer artist Anton Pieck (1895-1987). The foundation was named after the 16th-century farm Ersteling.
Efteling officially opened on May 31, 1952, when the Fairy Tale Forest (het Sprookjesbos), designed by the famous Dutch illustrator Anton Pieck, was opened to the public. Initially, the Fairy Tale Forest was home to some 10 different fairy tales, all of them brought to life using original drawings by Pieck alongside ingenious mechanics and lighting and sound effects designed by the Dutch filmmaker Peter Reijnders. The life-sized dioramas, displayed together in an atmospheric forest, were an enormous success. In 1952 alone, Efteling welcomed 240,000 visitors.
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Wikipedia