Those eager to see what the area will look like will not have to wait another three months. Alongside the opening date, Efteling is also revealing four sketches of the revamped themed area today, together with a teaser video offering a glimpse of the atmosphere and the story of the new show.

Since its opening in 2011, Raveleijn has grown into one of Efteling’s best-known stories: the story of five ordinary children who pass through a secret gate, transform into brave riders and must defend the city against evil. More than fifteen years after its opening, Raveleijn is awakening once again.

€20 million investment
Director of Product, Marketing & Image Koen Sanders: “The sets have been extensively revamped and Raveleijn is getting a brand-new show packed with spectacular stunts, created in collaboration with the French theme park Puy du Fou. At the heart of the story: when evil arises, the heroes of Raveleijn join forces. The total investment in the renewal of Raveleijn amounts to €20 million: €10 million for the new show, €5 million for the area’s renovation, and €5 million for the new Ravenring attraction.”

The story of the new show
Raveleijn - Battle for the City. Ten years after the victory over the dragon Draconicon and villain Olaf Grafhart, peace reigns in Raveleijn. On the day of Thomas and Samira’s wedding, a dark force awakens and disrupts the celebrations. As the statue of Countess Halina, protector of Raveleijn, watches over the square, the battle for the city erupts. Who will emerge victoriously? Visitors will find out from 1 December.

New attraction: Ravenring
Outside the city walls lies the encampment with the new attraction Ravenring. To protect the future of the city of Raveleijn, new heroes are always needed. In this whirling flight ritual, their courage is put to the test. This is how guests discover which of the five magical elements suits them best. Visitors take their seats in one of the 18 winged vehicles, inspired by the Raveleijn ravens. Each flight accommodates 36 visitors. It is a completely new attraction, developed by the Dutch ride manufacturer Vekoma.

Revamped food and beverage offering: De Verslaeghen Draek Inn
Where Heroes and Travellers come together
Located on the square, De Verslaeghen Draek Inn serves breakfast, lunch and delicious dinners throughout the day. The menu is inspired by recipes and ingredients brought back by travellers from around the world. Visitors can even order a slice of Thomas and Samira’s wedding cake.

New shop: In den Ravenkorf
In the new shop In den Ravenkorf, visitors will find dressing-up costumes, toys and other Raveleijn products. At the heart of the shop is a large raven’s nest, with many more ravens hidden among the wooden beams. Visitors can also have their photo taken with the heroes of Raveleijn.

From All Corners of the World

Designer Jeroen Verheij explains: “In The Fairytale Library, visitors will soon discover all the books filled with stories that the Fairytale Collector has gathered during his travels. They will also meet seven hard-working gnomes, who have accompanied the Fairytale Gatherer from all corners of the world over the years. The gnomes keep the library organised, welcoming and as complete as possible, because the Fairytale Collector himself is often away on his travels."

Meet the silence gnome

Like all the gnomes in the library, the silence gnome is passionate and dedicated to caring for the library. One of the best-known characteristics of a library is the quiet, allowing everyone to read and explore without being disturbed. This gnome makes sure that this peaceful atmosphere is maintained.

Expanding the thrill ride offering

“Missie Luminar will be a fantastic addition to our collection of thrill rides. This type of roller coaster is new to Efteling. The top speed reaches 80 km/h, but it may feel even faster,” says Fons Jurgens, CEO of Efteling. “All of this creates excitement from start to finish. It will be a truly unique and distinctive experience, even more so because of its location. Missie Luminar completes the Island of the five Senses themed area. Visitors will see the vehicles racing past as soon as they enter Efteling, setting the tone for their day at the park. We still have a little while to wait, but we’re looking forward to seeing our visitors’ first reactions.”

New addition to the themed area

Together with the House of the Five Senses, the Efteling Grand Hotel, the Efteling Theatre and water show Aquanura, Missie Luminar forms the Island of the five Senses, located near the park’s main entrance. This themed area is a vibrant place of travel, arrivals and departures, where every visitor will find something to discover.

For 25 years, Rapunzel has let down her long braid from her tall tower so that the sorceress can visit her. In 2001, when the new fairytale was introduced, Efteling set out to find the longest braid in Europe. This year, guests were invited to donate a braid of at least 30 cm to the Dutch Hair Foundation. Since the campaign launched on 8 June, almost a hundred guests registered, explaining why they wanted to donate their hair. The 25 guests whose braids were cut in the Fairytale Forest today are making a difference in someone else's life through their donation.

Annelot Gent, a Dutch national living in Antwerp, donated a braid measuring 30 cm: “Just like Rapunzel, I turn 25 at the beginning of July, and I think it would be wonderful to donate my blonde hair to the Dutch Hair Foundation the day after my birthday. As a little girl, I was fascinated by the fairy tale and used to tell my hairdresser that I wanted ‘Rapunzel hair’. I think this is a beautiful initiative, and I hope my donation will bring happiness to someone who has lost their hair. It feels like everything has come full circle.”

Lou Gottenkieny, aged almost nine, from Enter in the Twente region of the Netherlands, donated her beautiful, thick hair to charity: “With my donation, I want to help other children and people who have lost their hair because of illness. A beautiful wig can help them feel confident again and bring back a smile to their faces. Being able to have my hair cut in Efteling’s Fairytale Forest makes this special moment even more magical. I’m happy that my hair can make a difference for someone else.”

Seven: A Fairytale Number

Every year, Efteling celebrates Fairy Tale Day on the seventh day of the seventh month, as the number seven is a fairytale number. Who does not know the seven little goats who outsmart the wolf, or the seven dwarfs who take Snow White into their home? Or think of the seven voyages of Sinbad the Sailor, or the seven-league boots that help Tom Thumb escape from the giant.

About the Dutch Hair Foundation

The Dutch Hair Foundation supports anyone affected by hair problems or hair disorders. The foundation provides wigs free of charge to financially disadvantaged people who have lost their hair as a result of cancer treatment or hair disorders. It offers professional information, serves as a platform for peer support, and collects hair donations that are used to create wigs.

Kaatsheuvel, 26 May 2026 - Efteling reveals the name and design of the new attraction in the renewed Raveleijn themed world: Ravenring. It will be an exciting flight ritual in which visitors soar through the air in winged vehicles inspired by ravens, the mysterious black birds that are deeply connected to the world of Raveleijn. From this winter onwards, heroes can put their courage to the test in Ravenring.

Ravenring is being built just outside the city walls of the magical city of Raveleijn. Visitors take their seats in one of the 18 winged vehicles and use a lever to decide how steeply their vehicle tilts. The many smooth movements and tilts create intensity and excitement. Here, flying skills and endurance are truly put to the test. Who is brave enough to protect the magical city of Raveleijn?

The attraction accommodates 36 visitors at a time and has a minimum height requirement of one metre. At the centre of the ring stands the Raven medallion. The attraction is decorated with banners and the five magical elements that are characteristic of Raveleijn. At the end of the ride, visitors discover which of the five magical elements suits them best: water (blue), fire (red), wood (green), earth (brown) or metal (purple).

Renewed themed area
In August 2025, Efteling announced that the themed area would undergo a complete transformation. The park show is being fully renewed with a new storyline and impressive special effects, in collaboration with the French theme park Puy du Fou. The new show will also open this winter. More details about the new Raveleijn show and the exact opening date of the renewed area, including Ravenring, will be announced later this year

Ravenring coming soon – see here for a sneak peak

Expansion of the Themed Area
“In line with our vision of full immersion, we are looking at the entire area surrounding the park show in this development. The story of Raveleijn lends itself perfectly to this.” says Koen Sanders, Director of Product, Market & Image. “By placing the new attraction outside the open-air arena, we are enlarging the themed area. The park show will undergo a complete transformation, meaning that it will be performed more often than ever before: several times a day and almost year-round. We are also choosing more environmentally friendly fire effects, which combined with the improvements to the show, will create an even more spectacular experience for guests.  

Attraction with Thrill Experience
The new and exciting attraction will be built just outside the city walls. It will be a rotating flying experience, allowing visitors to soar as if on the wings of ravens. The many flowing movements and tilting motions create a strong sense of intensity and excitement, making it a truly thrilling experience.

Poetic song

‘The choice of this fairy tale, in which a sleeping princess plays the leading role, was obvious due to the pavilion’s location at the foot of the Efteling Grand Hotel,’ says Koen Sanders, director Product, Marketing & Image. ‘The pavilion forms a true fairytale scene in the tradition of the Fairytale Forest but this time replacing the spoken narration with a poetic song. This makes the moral of The Princess and the Pea even more apparent: real beauty is inside. It is clear that the princess's sensitivity turns out to be her strength. And so, Efteling connects through the power of stories, also with its 31st fairy tale.’

The story

Once upon a time, there was a prince who wanted to marry a real princess. On a stormy evening in the pouring rain, a princess from a distant land knocked on the palace's door. The queen, intrigued by the girl, welcomed the ‘princess’ into her home and gave her a pea test to decipher whether she was a true princess fit for her son. Before the princess went to bed, the queen hid a pea under twenty mattresses and twenty down blankets. After all, only a real princess would be sensitive enough to feel the pea and, therefore, be unable to sleep.

15^th April 2025: 2024 marked another successful year for Efteling theme park in the south of Holland. With an increased number of 5.6 million visits made by 4.9 million individuals. 

A net turnover of more than € 300 million was also achieved, with a net operating profit of € 36.8 million. Over € 105 million was invested last year, for example in the newest attraction Danse Macabre, the soon-to-open Efteling Grand Hotel, care for cultural heritage, sustainability projects and IT systems. In 2024, more visitors again came from abroad for a day or a weekend, in line with the 2030 Efteling-vision that focuses on continuity and independence. Last year's Guest Satisfaction Survey showed an increase in staff ratings: in 2023 Efteling received an average of 8.89 and in 2024 an average of 8.93.

Highlight opening of Danse Macabre

CEO Fons Jurgen says: ‘We can look back on a fantastic year, culminating in the opening of Danse Macabre.’ ‘The response to this unique attraction, which is unlike any other in the world, has been wildly enthusiastic. It is an absolute enrichment for our theme park. The fact that we were able to welcome more international visitors for the second year in a row strengthens our confidence in the future. We are achieving sufficient results to not only improve Efteling but also maintain our heritage and invest in nature. I am most proud of our employees, who give their best for our guests every day and who are rated well for this by our guests.’ 

Cultural Heritage and sustainability projects

Over the past year, a lot of work has been focused on the cultural heritage of the park. Sleeping Beauty's castle and Hansel and Gretel's candy cottage were completely renovated during the year. Two large batteries for energy storage and energy management were also commissioned to make the theme park less dependent and more self-sufficient. Meanwhile, two major maintenance projects on the Joris en de Draak double track roller coaster and the Piraña river rapids ride were also completed. In the autumn, the soon-to-be-opened pavilion of The Princess and the Pea slowly but surely appeared in the Fairytale Forest.

Link to video