Efteling
The House of the Five Senses, the entrance to the Efteling theme park | |
| Location | Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands |
|---|---|
| Coordinates | 51°39′01″N 5°02′53″E / 51.65028°N 5.04806°E |
| Opened | May 11, 1951 (Naturepark) May 31, 1952 (Fairytale Forest) |
| Owner | Efteling Nature Park Foundation |
| Theme | Fantasy - ancient legends, mythology, fables, folklore and fairy tales |
| Operating season | Year-round |
| Attendance | 5.56 millions in 2023 |
| Area | 72 ha (720,000 m2) (park); 276 ha (2,760,000 m2) (resort); 400 ha (4,000,000 m2) (total) |
| Attractions | |
| Total | 62 (including Fairytale Forest) |
| Roller coasters | 8 (including both Joris en de Draak and Max & Moritz) |
| Water rides | 1 |
| Other rides | 4 |
| Website | www.efteling.com |
Efteling (Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɛftəlɪŋ]) is a fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient European myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
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.
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 the United States and predates it by three years. Annually, the park has more than 5 million visitors. In 2020, due to differences in pandemic policy, it was the most visited theme park in Europe, ahead of Disneyland Park. In 2019 and 2022, it was the third most visited theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Park, Paris and Europa-Park, Germany.