Sleeping Beauty
Sleeping Beauty is an attraction that displays a detailed scene featuring the princess asleep in her castle, surrounded by roses and fairy tale elements from the classic story. Visitors walk through this carefully crafted world and see handmade figures and painted backdrops that bring the tale to life without words.
Sleeping Beauty was built as part of Efteling's Fairy Tale Forest, which opened in 1952 as the first experience visitors encountered in the park. The scene was designed by Dutch artist Anton Pieck and later refined by other artists to keep the story fresh and engaging.
The scene depicts Sleeping Beauty as it is known in Dutch culture, where the princess is called Doornroosje in the local language. Visitors see the sleeping princess displayed in her bed, surrounded by details that bring the fairy tale to life and connect to how families have passed this story down through generations.
The scene is located within the Fairy Tale Forest and is easily accessed on foot from the main pathways of the park. Take your time exploring and look for the storybook-shaped signs beside the scene, which offer summaries of the story in multiple languages.
The figures and scenes in this area were created through careful handcraft and are regularly maintained by park staff to preserve their beauty. This sets it apart from many modern attractions and maintains the timeless, handmade quality of the Fairy Tale Forest.
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