The Europa-Park Story

In the first episode of the series, we take a look at the Mack Rides production facility in Waldkirch, a place that the Mack family has remained loyal to for generations. Since 1780, this is where the family has produced fairground carriages, and later, rides. We accompany Franz and Roland Mack on a flight to the USA, which may just bring about the idea for their own theme park. However, they never expected the hurdles they would have to overcome in their search for a suitable plot of land. It is also exciting to find out how Roland and Franz Mack were able to manage a production facility and a park, as well as finding suitable investors. Pictures of the park opening, of the construction work and the first rides, as well as initial sketches, give an insight into the vision of the Europa-Park founders.

Europa-Park is open and already has a number of attractions. At the beginning, everything seems to be a complete success, the number of visitors doesn’t seem to be slowing down. However, behind the scenes, not everything is going as smoothly as it seems. Above all, the expansion of the park with themed areas in collaboration with Ulrich Damrau provides a lot of fuel for conflict for Franz Mack. One of the numerous attractions is and has remained number 1 for a long time, yet no one could have predicted how successful the second-hand ride would be.

Europa-Park now features a Swiss-themed area. Its highlight is a bob run without a guiding track. However, there were some initial difficulties that had to be overcome here. After three years of planning, the ‘Pirates in Batavia’ ride opened in 1987, with Ulrich Damrau helping to develop the story behind it. Franz Mack's son Jürgen then joins the company and heads the entertainment division, which quickly becomes the flagship of Europa-Park. The themed areas for Holland, France, Spain and Scandinavia soon follow.

Just in time for the twentieth anniversary in 1995, El Andaluz, the first themed hotel of Europa-Park, is opened. In the following years, the Russian-themed area is created with the fast-paced rollercoaster Euro-Mir, including a real training module used by Russia for manned space travel! In addition, the Greek-themed area with the Poseidon water ride and the large-scale Silver Star project: Europe’s highest rollercoaster.

Two further hotels ensure that the growing number of guests experience the best and most-varied accommodation. Thomas Mack establishes himself with the new hotel Bell Rock and a new, unique restaurant. Michael Mack too initiates his first big project: a rollercoaster that is second to none! But a stroke of fate in the family marks the end of an era.

In its fifth decade, Europa-Park heads to new shores. With the help of VR technology, VR Coaster transforms the Alpenexpress Enzian into an entirely new experience. Virtual Reality will now have a significant impact on the development of rides. The most complex ride to date, the Voletarium, makes it possible to experience breathtaking landscapes through the power of flight. This euphoria is unfortunately clouded by a devastating fire which, among other things, destroys one of the favourite attractions of many guests.