Efteling (Netherlands)

[Rideguy70]

That's pretty awesome the hotel has a view of Aquanura!

 

[tielo]

It's winter and finally we have snow.
It looks amazing but it's so, so cold.
Foto's by Efteling and Nick Ringelberg.

 

[tielo]

New concept art for Efteling.
There will be a rebuild of The Chinese Nightingale fairytale and a new building called The Fairytale Library. These will open in 2027.

 

[Timchat2]

I'm happy that the Chinese garden is apparently remaining intact. I'll miss the scope and eerie vibe of the current Chinese Nightingale but appreciate the Fairytale Forest could benefit from a "finale" of sorts to wrap up the (already very impressive) experience.

 

[tielo]

Efteling is a magical park but the fairy tales are often harsh and cruel while teaching us valuable lessons.

The fairy tale "The Little Match Girl" tells the story of a poor girl who walks through the snowy streets on New Year's Eve without shoes and with a bundle of matches to sell. She is too afraid to go home because she hasn't sold anything and expects to be beaten and face a cold home. Out of despair and cold, she lights one of the matches and experiences visions of warmth and festive scenes. When a star falls, she remembers that her grandmother said this means someone is dying. In a final vision, she sees her deceased grandmother and begs her to take her along. Eventually, she lights all her matches to hold on to the vision and dies in the cold with a smile. The next day, she is found, unknown to the community who do not know her dreams and fate. The story is a moving evocation of hope, a softening of misery through dreams, and a suggestion of peace beyond earthly suffering.