Summer is officially over, and the pumpkins start to appear throughout the park, and the ghouls are slowly awakening on the Traumatica grounds, but I would like to throwback to last summer, August to be exact. If you’re a theme park enthusiast you probably knew about the Europa-Parks 50th anniversary, and if you didn’t know about it, the park made sure you knew by arriving at the park (or one of their hotels). I went back to Europa-Park to celebrate their anniversary with 3 fantastic evenings in the Europa-Park resort, and 2 days at the park. Curious about my experience at Europa-Park during their 50th anniversary? Find out now in.. What does Bart say about.. Europa-Park’s 50th birthday š
If you travelled to Europa-Park by car and saw the Silver Star looming in the distance, you know that it won’t be long till your Europa-Park adventure is about to begin. As soon as you see Rulantica on your right hand-side, and the sign ‘Welcome to Rust’ it immediately felt like coming home. And that feeling came over me even before I had checked in or set foot in one of the hotels. I made it an unwritten tradition to have a cocktail upon arrival in hotel ‘Colosseo’, and a tradition has to be upheld, with an Aperol Spritz in my hand it was time to unwind, and remind myself that I really was back in hotel ‘Colosseo’. I didn’t have long to enjoy this, as earlier that week I had made reservations to eat at the ‘Silver Lake Saloon’, located in the camping resort that has been renamed ‘Silver Lake City’ since this year.
It’s quite a long walk from hotel ‘Colosseo’ to ‘Silver Lake City’, but once I got there, I didn’t regret it, on my way there I had a perfect view of ‘Silver Star’, one of my favorite coasters, and I had a glimpse of the theming they added for their 50th anniversary. When I arrived at ‘Silver Lake City’ it immediately felt warm, you don’t need to have any research done to know where this is themed to, an atmospheric cowboy/Western village. The staff here are very friendly, speak English (and if they don’t, they’ll call a colleague who does), the drinks are reasonably priced and the menu is very extensive with various meat dishes, and plenty of vegetarian options! In other words, the menu has something for everyone to enjoy! On my previous visits to Europa-Park I haven’t been here, but I highly recommend visiting ‘Silver Lake City’!
I could have stayed for a drink in the ‘Wild Horse Bar’ but I’ve seen in the Europa-Park app that the ‘Buena Vista Club’ was open (this bar can be found in hotel ‘Castillo Alcazar’), and to be honest, who would say no to a cocktail at a bar on the 9th floor with park view? Watching the sunset with a cocktail in my hand, and a view on Voltron, the roller coaster I had been looking forward to riding for over a year, was just one night away.
After the perfect first evening, it was time for my first day in the park. Europa-Park’s operating hours are from 9 a.m. till at least 6 p.m., but the entrance gates will open around 8:30 a.m. during the summer season, and so do a handful of rides (for example Voletarium, this is a high capacity ride, but it can build up quite a queue during the day). It does pay to arrive at the park on time. If it’s your first visit to Europa-Park make sure you have the Europa-Park installed on your phone! The app is not only useful to find information about queue-and showtimes. You also need this app when you want to use the free VirtualLine, available for the following rides: Blue Fire, Euro-Mir, WODAN, Voltron Nevera, Piraten in Batavia and. Poseidon (these might change during different seasons). Please note: to use this service, you need your admission ticket, which you can scan with your camera or enter the barcode when you purchased your tickets online. Every member of your group has to enter their admission ticket individually. When you upload every ticket in the app you will be able to join the VirtualLine from 9 a.m. I recommend checking the app regularly when a timeslot is not available at the moment, I was able to make several reservations throughout the day, even though it was indicated that there were no more time slots available at that moment.
A 50th anniversary is something to be proud of, and Europa-Park is making sure everyone knows it. And an anniversary without decorations that’s not possible, right? Europa-Park must have thought so too, because every themed area is lavishly decorated with extra decorations, with each flag representing the themed area you are currently in. Not only have the themed areas been decorated, but additional flower boxes bearing the number ā50ā have been placed in various locations throughout the park, hedges have been trimmed into festive shapes, and sculptures featuring the number ā50ā can be found here and there. Europa-Park is not wasting any time; even the staff uniforms feature a subtle reference to the park’s 50th anniversary, and this logo is also incorporated into the glasses in the bars and restaurants. The logo is also featured on a few reusable cups (don’t worry if you collect reusable cups, ones featuring Blue Fire, Euro-Mir, Silver Star and Wodan are still available), along with a reference to the new cinema film Grand Prix of Europe!
It seems to me that it must be quite costly to change everything for a year. I’m curious to see what the park will reuse for the 2026 season, when their 50th anniversary is officially over. I can see them keeping some of the theming throughout the park, as the uniforms and glasses in the bars and restaurants. On the other hand, it’s Europa-Park and they only want the best for their park. One thing for sure, Europa-Park did everything they could to make it a perfect celebration!
It’s customary to treat others on one’s birthday, and Europa-Park has done so with a new attraction: āGrand Prix Edventureā in the Luxembourg themed area. Previously, this location housed a theatre and regularly hosted exhibitions. The theatre initially felt like a ālostā space to me, and during previous visits the only reason I had to go here was the monorail station. I’m therefore pleasantly surprised that Europa-Park has been able to create such a beautiful and unique attraction in a relatively small space. Of course, I don’t know how much space was still available, which we as guests of the park couldn’t see, but I don’t think it was much, given that the train also runs behind here. Grand Prix Edventure is a āGameplay Theatreā built by MACK Rides and was the first of its kind when it opened. A similar attraction can be found at Paultons Park (England), called āGhostly Manorā. These are the only attractions of this kind so far, and it’s a type of attraction that I’m not usually a fan of, especially when they involve screens and 3D glasses. But I thought that āGrand Prix Edventureā was a surprisingly fun attraction (perhaps because I finally managed to win at a shooter game for once.. haha). By entering the queue you are immersed in the atmosphere of the attraction, and as you approach the station, the excitement builds nicely. Grand Prix Edventure is a successful addition to the Luxembourg themed area if you ask me, and the attraction is a nice warm-up for the film Grand Prix of Europe that Europa-Park is releasing/had released this year (the film is expected in the Netherlands in October 2025, and has already been released in some European countries).
Europa-Park has not only expanded its range of attractions during its anniversary season, but also given the daily parade a makeover! During my previous visit, I was already very impressed by āEd’s Adventure Paradeā. But with āEd’s Paradeā, Europa-Park has shown that it has more to offer than it has shown in previous years. The parade makes many references to the 50th anniversary, with balloons, gifts and confetti, as well as to the new attraction āGrand Prix Edventureā and cinema film āGrand Prix of Europeā. Europa-Park did not lose sight of the park during the parade, with various floats depicting attractions and themed areas, including the Netherlands (Pirates in Batavia), Italy, and France! The floats are of reasonable size, and in combination with the actors, Ed, Edda, Eurofant, Louis and Bƶckli, it is a feast for the eyes. Speaking of Ed, Edda and their friends, you can meet them at the meet & greet location in the German themed area! Which, as a mascot fan, I did, of course!
Staying with the German theme area, did you know that the park has beautifully landscaped gardens where you can relax? No? Neither did I! Europa-Park never ceases to amaze me in this respect. Every time I visit, I discover something new in the park, from a shortcut between themed areas to a whole new area I hadn’t been to on previous visits. This time was no exception, with the beautifully landscaped gardens leading to āSchloss Balthasarā. With peaceful music in the background and the sound of a babbling brook, you can escape the hustle and bustle of the park and relax completely before stepping into the next attraction.
When a park has been open for 50 years, it is only natural to celebrate, but in those 50 years, Europa-Park has also experienced a few setbacks, particularly in the last seven years. Starting with āPiraten in Bataviaā, which opened in 1987, burned down completely in 2018, affecting not only the dark ride, but also part of the Scandinavian area and the Netherlands themed area. Fortunately, Europa-Park has decided to give āPiraten in Bataviaā a new lease of life, and the attraction reopened in 2020. Unfortunately, I was unable to experience the attraction before the fire. But rebuilding an attraction with today’s technology and the knowledge and capabilities of Europa-Park has resulted in another beautiful attraction that will last for years to come.
Five years later, Europa-Park was once again the victim of a fire, this time not around Piraten in Batavia, but in another part of the park, namely in the Austrian section. Causing the āZauberwelt der Diamantenā, powered coaster āEnzianā and the āTiroler Wasserbahnā to set on fire. Both attractions have (fortunately) been rebuilt, but the āZauberwelt der Diamantenā has not been rebuilt the way it was, they kept it on a smaller scale. It might have been an older area in the park, but the nostalgia made it something. It’s difficult to explain in words, but I’m sure you understand what I mean. There may have been plans to tackle this area already, but this way, you’re not doing anyone any favors. I am pleasantly surprised to see that Europa-Park has been able to breathe new life into the theme area in less than a year, and has even added a new attraction: the āYomi Abenteuer-Trailā!
Europa-Park has not been idle during the period in which it has (partially) rebuilt areas. In 2024, a new themed area opened: Croatia, with the Voltron Nevera launch coaster (Stryker Coaster) powered by Rimac. From the moment I saw an on-ride video of Voltron Nevera, I was sold and couldn’t wait to take my first ride. I had to wait a while, but Voltron Nevera did not disappoint me at all! In fact, after several rides, Voltron Nevera has managed to take my new number one spot. Sorry, Taron! Taron in Phantasialand has been my number one roller coaster for six years, both roller coasters have a beautiful themed area, but the intensity of Voltron Nevera beats Taron. The theme behind Voltron Nevera is the story of inventor Nicolas Tesla, who was born in Croatia, making the story a perfect fit for the themed area. Tesla was obsessed with electricity, which is clearly reflected in the queue and the ride! As soon as you step onto the train, you are sent from one place to another like electricity. And the Tesla Coils in the last waiting room playing the soundtrack ā I have no words for that!
I spoke to several people who had mixed feelings about Voltron Nevera. They often said that the roller coaster wasn’t smooth and rattled, especially in the wing seats. I must admit that I didn’t notice this during my rides. I was able to ride Voltron Nevera five times, and all of them in a wing seat. I have to agree, it’s an intense ride, and if you tell me it’s too intense for you, I get it. But I disagree with the comment that the roller coaster rattles, I haven’t noticed that in any of my five rides. One point of criticism is the brakes before the turntable. The train approaches the turntable/brakes at quite a speed, which makes for an unpleasant feeling and it slightly even hurts arriving at this point. All in all, Voltron Nevera is a superb ride and, as I mentioned, my new number one. My compliments to MACK Rides. With Voltron Nevera, MACK Rides has once again demonstrated its ability to build excellent roller coasters, and I hope we can expect to see this type of roller coaster in more parks in the coming years.
I had two wonderful days in the park, and to round it off nicely, I returned to the Colosseo Hotel to watch the evening show: La Storia dell’Hotel Colosseo. A show with projections on the faƧade of the Colosseo Hotel. Music, dance and acrobatics come together here and bring the square to life. I watched this 15-minute show in amazement. Europa-Park has once again demonstrated that it can put on a fantastic show, not only in the park, but also outside of the park. Something that many parks could learn from. After the show, I had one last drink, and then it was really time to leave the Europa-Park bubble.
Tip for first-time visitors to Europa-Park: spend at least three days at the park. I have now been there for two full days and, without rushing too much, have been on all the rides I wanted to go on several times. However, I haven’t seen any of the shows, so if you really want to experience the park at its best, I recommend spending at least three days there. If you have any questions or would like some tips for your first visit, feel free to ask and I will get back to you as soon as possible!
From here, I wish Europa-Park all the best, and here’s to the next 50 years!
And that’s what I have to say about.. Europa-Park’s 50th birthday š
Bart
What does Bart say? - A Theme Park blog! 
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