Efteling, Fantasy-themed amusement park in Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant, Netherlands
Efteling is a theme park in Kaatsheuvel, North Brabant, covering 72 hectares. Its centrepiece is the Sprookjesbos, opened in 1952, where ten fairy tales were first built from Anton Pieck's drawings with Peter Reijnders' mechanics, lighting and sound. The park also holds six roller coasters and five dark rides, among them the 1981 steel coaster Python, 750 metres long with two loops and two corkscrews.
The site began as the R.K. Sport- en Wandelpark, opened on 19 May 1935 on the initiative of pastor De Klijn and chaplain Rietra. In 1950 mayor Reinier van der Heijden, filmmaker Peter Reijnders and artist Anton Pieck founded the Stichting Natuurpark de Efteling, named after a 16th-century farm called Ersteling; the nature park opened on 11 May 1951. The Sprookjesbos, with ten fairy tales built from Pieck's drawings and Reijnders' mechanics, lighting and sound, followed on 31 May 1952 and drew 240,000 visitors that year.
The name comes from a 16th-century farm called Ersteling. Anton Pieck's grim yet romantic drawing style shaped the park, and his last design was the Wolf and the Seven Goats. About twelve talking bins called Holle Bolle Gijs call "Papier hier!" and thank visitors who drop in litter.
The site opens daily at 10 a.m., with closing times varying by season and extended during holidays. Wide paths and seating areas make the grounds easier to navigate, though longer walks between sections should be expected.
The Symbolica ride offers three different routes through a palace, allowing guests to experience different rooms and perspectives on each visit. This choice enables repeated trips with new discoveries.
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