Most inverted roller coasters are bolted to concrete for life. Euro-Star was built to be taken apart. Manufactured by Intamin and designed by the legendary Werner Stengel from a concept by German showman Oscar Bruch, Euro-Star is the world’s largest portable inverted roller coaster — a 98.9-foot, four-inversion machine engineered to be erected and dismantled at fairgrounds.
Today it runs as a permanent fixture at Anapa Park Jungle, an amusement park in the Black Sea resort city of Anapa, Russia, where it reopened on 8 August 2019. But the ride’s first act was far stranger and more glorious: thirteen years touring the German funfair circuit.
Key Stats
| Height | 98.9 ft (30.15 m) |
| Drop | 90.6 ft (27.6 m) |
| Speed | 50.2 mph (80.8 km/h) |
| Length | 2,769 ft (844 m) |
| Inversions | 4 |
| Max g-force | 5.2 |
| Duration | 2:20 |
| Capacity | 1,200 riders per hour |
| Trains | 3 trains, 28 riders each |
| Manufacturer | Intamin (design: Werner Stengel) |
| Debut | 20 July 1995, Düsseldorf fair |
| Current park | Anapa Park Jungle, Anapa, Russia (since 2019) |
A Giant of the German Fair Circuit
Euro-Star debuted at a Düsseldorf fair on 20 July 1995 after a six-day delay, and for the next 13 years it did something almost unthinkable for a ride of its scale: it traveled. Owned and toured by Oscar Bruch, one of Germany’s great showman dynasties, the coaster was hauled between fairs — an entire inverted coaster with four inversions, three trains and 844 meters of track, assembled and torn down again dozens of times. Its name honors the European subcontractors whose specialized components made the engineering possible.
It made its final German appearance in Hamburg in early 2008, closing one of the most remarkable chapters in traveling-ride history. No portable inverted coaster has surpassed it since.
From Moscow’s Gorky Park to the Black Sea
In 2008, Moscow’s Gorky Park bought the coaster, opening it late that year. The run lasted only three seasons: Euro-Star closed in 2011 when city authorities redeveloped Gorky Park, citing safety concerns among the reasons for dismantling its rides. The coaster then sat in storage for the better part of a decade before being relocated to Anapa, where Park Jungle reopened it on 8 August 2019.
Even in a fixed home, its stats hold up: 50.2 mph, four inversions, forces peaking at 5.2 g — company shared with the highest g-force roller coasters in the world — and a generous 2:20 ride time that would rank respectably among the longest ride times at theme parks.
FAQ
What record does Euro-Star hold?
Euro-Star is the world’s largest portable (transportable) inverted roller coaster — 98.9 feet tall with four inversions, designed to be assembled and dismantled for touring.
Where is Euro-Star now?
Euro-Star operates at Anapa Park Jungle in Anapa, Russia, on the Black Sea coast, where it reopened on 8 August 2019 after earlier stints on the German fair circuit (1995–2008) and at Moscow’s Gorky Park (2008–2011).
How fast is Euro-Star?
Euro-Star reaches 50.2 mph (80.8 km/h) with a 90.6-foot drop, pulling up to 5.2 g across its 2,769-foot layout.
Photo: John phillips235 via Wikimedia Commons (public domain) — Euro-Star touring at the Düsseldorf Rhine fair, 2007