Efteling Theme Park: Inside the delightful Dutch fairy tale attraction perfect for a fun family holiday
A delightful theme park will try and spin a magic spell on visitors: convince them they've entered another realm for a while. And while, indubitably, the Disney Theme parks excel at spinning that sorcery on visitors, whoever is picking up the check is likely to be yanked out of the reverie by the money they're haemorrhaging on seeing Mickey and co. Enter Holland's Efteling, an altogether less expensive family trip out, albeit one that still provides an immersive sense of wonder for, if not the whole family, definitely the pre-teens.
Founded in 1950 by filmmaker Peter Reijnders and illustrator Anton Pieck, Efteling started life as a recreation ground, located in a forest surrounding the village of Kaatsheuvel. In 1952 the park constructed the 'Fairytale Forest' (Sprookjesbos), to bring a series of Europe's most famous fairy tales to life. It's grown and evolved ever since, but across 500 acres of dense forest (wear comfortable walking shoes) the park and its attractions are firmly committed to fantasy and folklore.
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