Sven: Last week our correspondent Yannick visited one of the best theme parks in the world: Europa-Park. As you now, they were recently struck by a big fire caused by one of their rides. See for yourself how things are now!
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To give a bit of context, Europa-Park had a big fire on May 26th which destroyed one themed area and one ride. Luckily, no one got hurt and the park has been dealing with the matter very well. They had an open and clear communication towards the media and fans. Its what made them stronger during this financial throwback. Moreover, it’s Europa-Park that we’re talking about. They are already brainstorming about the future plans of this destroyed area! But what exactly is gone?
Scandinavia
Scandinavia consists out of two parts: one central main street surrounded by rides and a church. (Yes, it’s a real one!). That central street is unfortunately gone, which used to be a cozy little area with a great restaurant. Especially in the dark, this area came even more to life.
One of the towers could be used as a viewing point over the area, there was a cute little shop and an iconic shark photo point. It was truly the blend of Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark in a cliché way with colorful buildings. You’ll see later on what it has become…
Piraten von Batavia
The best classic dark ride of Europa-Park is also gone. No more Piraten von Batavia, a Pirates of the Caribbean inspired attraction in the Dutch area of the park. Yes, it was a lot more cheesy as German dark rides usually are, yet it had some unique elements. For example in the main hall, you had a starry sky to dream into the world of the pirates. At the end, you did not only pass by the Bamboe Baai restaurant but the other side had a stage where shows were performed. It’s sad that nothing remains… The good news however, is that the Mack family confirmed that a family Pirate attraction will return!
Fjord Rafting
Finally there is the Fjord Rafting ride. The rapid ride will return but it might take a bit longer than expected. Apparently, the fire started at this ride before it spread to a Scandinavian stockroom and the pirates attraction. That means that they will need to investigate more to avoid future problems.
The destruction
Here’s a comparison with the former picture. Not entirely the same angle but it says enough. A lot of the wreckage have already been removed, but there’s still some work to do.
Here’s another side from the rapids attraction. The Scandinavian tower is still partly standing.
This used to be a cozy place to stand and relax a bit.
No words needed…
Europa-Park continues their excellent operations by at the same time building a water park, renewing two rides and cleaning up the mess from the fire. It is of course one of the major parks in Europe so they have the means to do so, but it’s the force of the family that continues forward and we have a lot of respect for that. We’re curious about the future of the area, but we can already kinda guess. The park will probably restore everything to its former similar glory with modern touch. For me, that’s more than enough.
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