Behind the overgrown paths of the Efteling lies a history that few visitors know. While millions of international guests now wander through enchanting worlds, this Brabant icon had remarkably down-to-earth beginnings.
Anyone who entered the park on May 31, 1952, for the official opening of the Fairytale Forest paid a mere 80 guilder cents: exactly 36 euro cents. What many people don’t know is that the foundation for this fairytale empire was laid long before Anton Pieck’s arrival on an ordinary sports field in Kaatsheuvel.
From a Catholic soccer field to a fairy-tale forest for 36 cents
In 1933, Chaplain Rietra and Father De Klijn had a very different goal in mind for the grounds in Kaatsheuvel: to get the local youth active. The Roman Catholic Sports and Recreation Park opened in 1935 with a few soccer fields, a slide, and a cable car.
It wasn’t until Mayor Reinier van der Heijden joined forces with filmmaker Peter Reijnders and illustrator Anton Pieck that the sports field was transformed into a dream world. Pieck drew some 1,500 detailed sketches, while Reijnders brought the illustrations to life using ingenious techniques.
On May 31, 1952, the Fairy Tale Forest officially opened its doors with ten fairy tales. In its first year alone, more than 220,000 visitors found their way to Kaatsheuvel.
The Forgotten Soviet Secret in the Polder
In the decades that followed, the park grew from a rustic fairy-tale forest into a world-class amusement park. The iconic Holle Bolle Gijs made his debut in 1959, and in the early 1980s, the first spectacular roller coasters, such as the Python, followed.
The most remarkable chapter took place in 1986. During the special exhibition “Interkosmos, ” the park brought a unique piece of space history to Kaatsheuvel. Visitors could come face to face with real Soviet moon dust, brought back by Russian space missions. It was a bizarre combination of fairy-tale magic and Cold War history.
From the Haunted Castle to a Dark and Spooky Place
The park continues to reinvent itself without losing its unique identity. Where generations of visitors once shuddered in the iconic Spookslot, the brand-new Huyverwoud themed area rose in 2024. This dark world spanning 17,000 m² is home to the Danse Macabre attraction, built around the famous classical music piece.
With the addition of the impressive Efteling Grand Hotel, the former Brabant playground was definitively transformed into an international destination. A special detail at the opening: the hotel even set a Guinness World Record for the world’s largest bow.
