Europa-Park
Europa-Park is the largest theme park in Germany, and the second most popular theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Paris. Europa-Park is located in Rust, south-western Germany, between Freiburg im Breisgau and Strasbourg (in neighbouring France). 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. The park counted 5.75 million visitors in 2019. It  is also the location of the Euro Dance Festival. 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. 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" (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. 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 further north, where the Macks bought the park of the  historical "Balthasar" castle in Rust. The park opened in 1975 with an area of . It counted 250,000 visitors in the first year; 700,000 in the second; and passed the million mark in 1978. Themed areas and growth (1980s–2012). 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 . 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. By the year 2000, the number of visitors had risen to 3 million, 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. In 2011, there were 4.5 million visitors, 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. In 2012, Roland Mack announced investments in excess of EUR 60 million, the largest yearly investment in the park's history. The total sum invested in the park is estimated at close to EUR 700 million. 2013–present. On 3 June 2017, Europa-Park opened the 'Voletarium' attraction. The attraction is the biggest flight motion simulator theater in Europe. It features a queue line with multiple pre-show elements culminating in the main ride section: a film showcasing European landmarks which lasts for 5 minutes. 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. In November 2019, Europa-Park's "Rulantica" water park will open, in addition to a new themed hotel "Krønasår" in May 2019. There will be 25 water attractions, including 17 water slides. Other attractions include a wave pool, a surf simulator (probably on a static wave), and a wild river. There is an indoor part of and an outdoor part of . 2018 Fire incident. On 26 May 2018, a fire broke out in the indoor complex between  the park's Dutch and Scandinavian sections, and the complex--home to the attraction "The Pirates of Batavia", a theater, a restaurant, and an employee costume shop--was vacated. Shortly thereafter, the fire spread throughout neighboring areas, and eventually, the entire park was evacuated. Despite the efforts of the fire department, the complex was destroyed, along with parts of the neighboring Scandinavian section. The adjacent fjord rafting ride was affected by debris from burned-down wooden facades because part of its canal ran alongside the destroyed indoor complex and the damaged part of the Scandinavian themed area. According to the  operators, the incident resulted in tens of millions in property damage. No visitors or employees were injured, while seven firefighters suffered minor injuries during firefighting operations. With the exception of a few hot spots, the fire was mostly extinguished and the park reopened regularly the very next morning. Only the destroyed attractions, restaurants, show stages and shops, the affected fjord rafting, as well as the neighboring attraction "Koffiekopjes" remained closed for the time being. Initially "Vindjammer", a giant swinging ship ride, was also closed since one of the two entrance lines ran across the fire-destroyed Scandinavian-themed area. After  closing this entrance and making adjustments to the other one, the ride was nevertheless in operation again, shortly after the park opened the next day. 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 fjord rafting ride could also be reopened. Initially, it was suspected that a warehouse near "The Pirates of Batavia" attraction was the location where the fire broke out. According to the current state of the investigation, on 6 June 2018, the Offenburg police  believe that the fire actually broke out due to a technical failure in the fjord rafting area. However, the investigation is still ongoing. The Scandinavian village and the attraction "The Pirates in Batavia" were both rebuilt based on their original designs, with some updates. Both reopened in July 2020. 2022 Renovations of racist and colonial stereotypes. In 2017, Europa-Park recognised criticisms of hurtful portrayals of black people portrayed as wild natives, and white people as colonial rulers in safari outfits in the Adventureland themed area. However, the park rejected allegations of racism and discrimination up to 2021 and made  only small adjustments in response, such as renaming "Colonial Food Station" to "Adventure Food Station". 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 to be a part of the Austria area. No further detail was given on the other rides and attractions of Adventureland. 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, and with all references to colonial Africa removed. Accommodation and transportation. On -site transportation. 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. 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 . The Panoramabahn has been installed since the opening of the park in 1975. 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. From the 2019/2020 winter season onwards, the locomotives have been converted to run on electricity using a system designed by SEW-EURODRIVE. 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. 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. 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. 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. In the summer seasons of 2018 and 2019, "Rulantica-The Musical" was performed there. Both musicals were composed by Hendrik Schwarzer. In the summer season the park shows the magic show "It´s Magic!", in which the magician Peter Valance appears, among others. 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. 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, the 11-minute 2D film called "Aufbruch nach Batavia" was screened three times a day. 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. The Park’s 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 airs 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, 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. Europa-Park host 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. 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. 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 already. 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, the Baden Medieval Banquet as well as the Dinner & Movie. 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 2020 was cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic. 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. 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. Tortuga - Vergessene Piraten. Tortuga - Vergessene Piraten ("English: Forgotten Pirates") took place in the Greek-themed area in 2006, and in the Scandinavian-themed area from 2007 to 2011. Visitors would walk through dark alleys and get scared by pirates, which  ensured heart-stopping moments. The Spanish name Tortuga designates Haiti's second largest island which was a focal point for pirates in the years 1640 to 1670. The maze only took place in the weeks around Halloween. The Villa. After the horror maze Tortuga - Vergessene Piraten was cancelled, The Villa put the fear of God into visitors in 2012 and 2013. Numerous horror actors and special effects awaited the visitors in the horror maze that was situated in a 19th-century style, Victorian dream house. Tenem's Revenge. In the years 2015–2016 the daytime maze Tenems Rache ("English: Tenem’s  Revenge") was located below the waiting area of the Poseidon. Visitors had to navigate through a horror mansion and its dark corridors, where boos crews were creeping through lighting and fog effects. The design of the house was inspired by Egyptian burial chambers. 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. 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. In the winter, the park opens an ice rink, a skibob  track, the Big Wheel Bellevue and adds festive decor. The park is also home to an annual Christmas market. Since 2002, the park hosts 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. During the winter, most outdoor and/or water rides are closed: the African Queen, Atlantica SuperSplash, Fjord-Rafting, Poseidon, and the cable ferry. Both the Blue Fire Megacoaster and Silver Star are only in service if the weather allows. Although the park does extend closing time if it's busy, this does n't happen as often in the winter seasons, partly due to low temperatures in the evening. In the winter season 2019/20, the park will reopen the once-destroyed attraction Pirates of Batavia, now resurrected as Batavia of Ice. 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. 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 in 2.5 seconds, reaches  a maximum velocity of , 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 fast. Attendance. Top amusement parks in Europe of annual attendance