Fall Break: My Intro to German Theme Parks

Thomas is an American student studying in Germany as part of the CBYX (Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange) scholarship exchange program. 

Driving through the entry gates, a smiling mouse greets us. The golden statue radiates a soft glow of sunlight, lighting our path forward. The parking attendants in bright orange vests also help. Getting out of the car, we four – me, my host dad, and two host brothers – walk up to the park's entry point. We wait in line, gazing at the decorations placed all around. Finally, it's our turn. We scan our tickets and walk through the turnstiles. We've made it. But this ain't Disney; we're in Europa Park.

Europa Park is an amusement park in the tiny town of Rust, Germany. The park, however, is anything but tiny. Arranged like a compressed map of Europe, Europa Park features 17 sections themed around different countries. Each one has activities, like the Poseidon water coaster in Greece, and extensive food options, like gelato in Italy! The park's mascot is the ever-jolly Ed the Mouse.

The outside of the building bears a striking resemblance to the Moulin Rouge performance hall in Cologne. The waiting line wraps through a twisting series of internal hallways, each filled with portraits of circus performers. Reaching the head of the line, it feels like we're backstage at a theater performance. Hopping in bright red coaster carriages, we start our climb through the night sky. Stars illuminate the pitch black of the fabric-draped walls. Our cart spins around the Parisian air. Kicking legs fly out, dancing in perfect formation. Ending the trip, we zoom back into the performance tent.

Coming from Florida, the home of Disney, Universal, and SeaWorld – just to name a few – I've seen my fair share of theme parks. And with the parks come coasters: massive behemoths of metal and motion. The only issue? My parents hate drops. In other words? I'd never ridden one before. Getting on one in Europa Park for the first time made my heart pound before we'd even left the ground. But swinging through the air, up, down, sideways, and upside down? That was a jittering rush of adrenaline. That was amazing. 

There are five minutes left until the park closes. Time to run. We dash through Scandinavia and hook a left at Croatia. Before us, a magnificent turreted building appears. Zooming through the gates just before the clock strikes 19:00, we've made it to the gemstone of the park: Voltron. Barely a year old, this tribute ride to Nikola Tesla is supposed to push the boundaries of roller coaster technology. The waiting line is filled with spinning rings of water, flashing lights, and blaring rock music. Approaching the ride itself, we sit down in rows of suspended chairs, crossing our arms before ourselves and allowing the safety bars to descend automatically. The ride begins to shake as we move forward. The gate door opens, and we fly out into the night sky.

Two weeks long, fall break was a great time to connect with my host family. Beyond Europa Park, we ventured into France (Strasbourg), went to the Technik Museum in Speyer, and enjoyed apple harvesting. Still, the magical land tucked away in Southwest Germany's rolling farm hills might just be the coolest place I've visited in Germany (so far)! It's going to have to fight to keep this honor, though; for winter break, we're headed to Phantasialand!