Efteling, The Netherlands – Review

By Dominic Picksley, September 2025

If ‘enchantment is the oldest form of medicine’, then a trip to the Netherlands’ oldest theme park Efteling, in Kaatsheuvel, will cure you of any lingering ailments.

One of the most magical parks on the continent, Efteling is a mixture of fairytale wonder, thrilling rollercoasters, nostalgic ambience and the most incredible dark rides, all liberally sprinkled with huge doses of the aforementioned enchantment.

“Is this Europe’s best theme park?”

“Is this Europe’s best theme park?” is a question often asked and it would be hard to disagree as my wife Jennie and I, plus our teenage children Ben and Amelia, found out this summer when we spent a few days there on our first-ever visit, enjoying the likes of Baron 1898, Symbolica, Danse Macabre, De Vliegende Hollander, Fata Morgana, Droomvlucht, the Fairytale Forest and many more attractions beside.

Staying on the seventh floor of the Efteling Wonder Hotel – renamed from merely the Efteling Hotel following a revamp earlier in 2025 – it proved the perfect accompaniment to the delights of the park next door, especially on a belly-full of lovely breakfast, while we also sampled the dinner menu in the evening, tucking into medium-rare steak, mini burgers and boneless spare ribs, followed by chocolate dessert and sweet treats.

“Delightful looping coaster”

Guests here are allowed into the park half an hour before day visitors, through what must be one of the most unassuming ‘back entrances’ ever and as we ventured through the gates, our first port of call was Baron 1898, a dive coaster with some spectacular theming, all made to look like a 19th-century gold mine shaft. Beware the two-or three second hold at the top of 100ft lift hill, which definitely gets the pulses racing, before you plunge straight down into the darkness below. What an introduction to Efteling that was.

Baron provides the most thrills in the park, but De Vliegende Hollander (The Flying Dutchman), part dark ride, part water coaster, is great fun, the wooden racing coaster Joris en de Draak (George and the Dragon) packs a real punch, the delightful looping coaster Python is a bit of a throwback, Vogel Rock whizzes you through the darkness (time it right and you can have several back-to-back runs), while Max and Moritz is a fun, family coaster.

“Are you brave enough?”

But it’s the dark rides that really provide the wow factor, none more so than Danse Macabre, probably the most popular attraction in the entire park.

Only opened last year to a rapturous reception, the haunted house dark ride asks whether you are ‘brave enough to enter the Huyverwoud’, where you sit in one of the various pews on a rotating, tilting (and dropping) platform and get spun round and round as the deathly orchestra plays the 19th-century symphony. The round of applause from the ‘congregation’ at the end of every cycle never fails to make you smile.

The theming of Symbolica – the most expensive ride ever built at Efteling at around £35million – is splendidly fabulous as you journey on one of three routes through the incredible Palace of Fantasy, while Droomvlucht (Dream Flight) takes you on a trip through a dream world of forests, castles, fairies, trolls and numerous other fairytale-like creatures and scenes. Some of the scenery is incredible in here.

You can take a boat ride through the 1001 Arabian Nights-inspired Fata Morgana – beware the enormous genie – experience the madhouse Villa Volta, take in a bird’s eye view of the park from the viewing tower, Pagode, and also get wet on the Piranha river rapids.

“Over 20 scenes from famous fairytales”

Hop on and take a fun trip round the world in Carnaval Festival – some very non-PC, but funny stereotypes of foreign nations and people in here – and you’ll be humming that tune long after you’ve gone. Talking of the soundtrack, the music all around the park is upbeat and joyous, with so many memorable, jolly tunes, not the dark, sinister tones you’ll find at other theme parks.

There’s some strange characters in Volk van Laaf, while also be prepared to spend a few hours to take in the delights of the Sprookjesbos (Fairytale Forest), the oldest area of the park, which was first developed in the 1950s and will capture the hearts of both young and old.

There are over 20 scenes from famous fairytales, including the likes of Hansel and Gretel, Rapunzel, Little Red Riding Hood, Cinderella, The Little Mermaid, Rumpelstiltskin and The Emperor’s New Clothes, etc… some of which are just things to look at, but others where you can ride or walk through various setups, all of which mesmerise young and old alike.

Make sure you visit wide-eyed Langnek, one of the most iconic characters in Efteling, along with the Talking Tree (if you can get your BlueTooth to work, he will interact with you). There’s so much to see that you might actually miss some of the scenes, so study the map!

“Five headed, fire-breathing beast”

Located in this fantasy world is also the Raveleijn, an amazing outdoor theatre (reminiscent of the Roman period) which can sit up to 1,200 people and where we watched a show with heroes on horseback, fighting their enemies and who are eventually forced to battle against an astonishing five-headed, fire-breathing beast called the Draconicon. And you could have easily walked through this part of the park and not realise this was all there.

Finally, end the day watching the amazing Aquanura water show, by the main entrance, before stopping at Polles Keuken for some sumptuous pancakes… and then wonder to yourself why the UK theme parks can’t be as good as this.

One-day tickets cost between €38.00 and €53.00.

Stays at the Efteling Wonder Hotel start from around €350.00 per night and include park admission.

For more information and to plan your visit, go to www.efteling.com

Steve Crabtree

Dominic Picksley( Writer )

Dom has worked in journalism for 25 years, specialising in sport, but with a penchant for penning travel features, at home and abroad, and also has a vast knowledge of 60s music, from the popular hitmakers to those bands long since forgotten.

He’s become something of a theme park reviewer now, sparked by his children’s interest, and if there’s an interesting book that appeals, then he’ll review that as well.

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