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All the Netherlands Kaatsheuvel Efteling Sprookjesbos
AO Edited

Efteling Sprookjesbos

This fairy tale forest hides scenes from some of the more obscure and bizarre Western nursery stories.

Kaatsheuvel, Netherlands

Added By
May527
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Sprookjesbos   Bas Boerman on Flickr
Sprookjesbos   Bas Boerman on Flickr
De Zes Dienaren (The Six Servants)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
Doornroosje (Sleeping beauty)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
Sneeuwwitje (Snow White)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
Hans En Grietje (Hansel and Gretel)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
Sprookjesboom (Fairy Tales Tree)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
Het Kabouterdorp (The Gnome village)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
Roodkapje (Little Red Riding Hood)   May527 / Atlas Obscura User
  Olga Lisina / Atlas Obscura User
  Olga Lisina / Atlas Obscura User
  Olga Lisina / Atlas Obscura User
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About

While Sprookjesbos has grown to be simply a part of the Netherlands' largest theme park (and one of the oldest in the world), the scenes from fairytales both classic and obscure still remain to delight and unsettle visitors.

Long before it evolved into the sprawling Efteling theme park that now surrounds it, the fairy tale forest attraction was just a collection of dummies and mannequins posed in fantasy scenes from popular fables. Opened in 1952 the ten original scenes were sculpted and modeled after the illustrations of Dutch artist Anton Pieck, whose fanciful works notably contained a certain darkness akin to that found in many European fairytales. The displays managed to translate that darkness well, providing a slightly sinister, lost-in-the-dark-woods feel. The original set of tableaus contained scenes from such popular stories as Snow White and Sleeping Beauty as well as lesser known tales such as Mother Hulda's Well and The Frog King. Some of the figures in the scenes were animated with early mechanical effects, and each scene had a voice-box or book that would tell the story associated with it. 

Since its inception the collection of scenes continued to grow, building moments from stories ranging from Little Red Riding Hood to The Indian Water Lillies. Each new scene maintained Pieck's signature style, even as the technology evolved, and even as older fairytale scenes were updated and replaced. Today there are a total 30 scenes, each culled from the fairy tale greats such as Hans Christian Anderson and The Brothers Grimm. And just like the original stories, they continue to prove just a little creepy.

Related Tags

Amusement Parks Fairytales

Know Before You Go

From Amsterdam/Utrecht: take the train to ’s-Hertogenbosch, where bus connections are available to Efteling.

From Breda: take the train to Tilburg, where bus connections are available to Efteling (300, 301, 800, 801).

Currently, ticket prices range from €25/$30 (evening ticket) to €45/$53 (all-year-round). These tickets allow access to the entire park. 

It is possible to stay overnight at the Efteling Hotel, or one of its resorts Bosrijk and Loonse Land. 

Community Contributors

Added By

May527

Edited By

daanphoto24, DrGuido, AnnemoonvanMaastricht, rikforthekill...

  • daanphoto24
  • DrGuido
  • AnnemoonvanMaastricht
  • rikforthekill
  • EricGrundhauser
  • Olga Lisina

Published

November 24, 2013

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Sources
  • https://www.eftepedia.nl/lemma/Sprookjesbos
  • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairy_Tale_Forest
  • http://aegtte.weebly.com/
Efteling Sprookjesbos
Europalaan 1
Kaatsheuvel, 5171 KW
Netherlands
51.650407, 5.043497
Visit Website
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