The park is organized into 21 themed areas, most representing different European countries and regions, giving visitors the feel of touring the continent within a single site. With around 100 attractions including 14 roller coasters and a dozen or so water rides, plus themed hotels and the adjoining Rulantica water park, Europa-Park draws millions of visitors annually and has repeatedly been voted one of the best theme parks in the world.

Stats at a Glance

• Location: Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Opened: July 12, 1975
• Owner: Mack family (Europa-Park GmbH & Co Mack KG)
• Size: About 95 hectares
• Themed areas: 21 zones, mostly European countries/regions
• Attractions: About 100, including 14 roller coasters
• Annual visitors: Several million

The Ride Experience

Europa-Park’s coaster lineup draws on several of the world’s top manufacturers rather than a single builder. Silver Star, a Bolliger & Mabillard hypercoaster reaching about 73 meters tall, has anchored the park’s France-themed area since 2002, while Blue Fire Megacoaster, built by the park-owning Mack Rides, launches riders from a standstill to high speed in a matter of seconds. The wooden Wodan Timbur Coaster, built by American manufacturer Great Coasters International and opened in 2012, adds a classic-style ride themed to Norse mythology among the park’s more modern steel structures.

The newest addition, Voltron Nevera powered by Rimac, opened in 2024 in a new Croatian-themed area. According to RCDB, the Mack Rides-built multi-launch coaster uses several separate launches, climbs to a height of over 30 meters, and includes multiple inversions, including a launch into a beyond-vertical top-hat element billed as one of the steepest launches of any coaster in the world.

A Family-Run European Icon

Unlike many major theme parks owned by large corporations, Europa-Park has remained under Mack family ownership since it opened, with Franz Mack’s descendants still directing operations. The park has been recognized for years running as one of the world’s top-rated theme parks by industry awards such as the Golden Ticket Awards, and it was among the first theme parks in Germany to operate year-round.

Beyond rides, the resort includes several themed hotels, from the Roman-inspired Colosseo to the Spanish-styled El Andaluz, plus the Rulantica indoor water park, making Europa-Park as much a multi-day resort destination as a single-day theme park.

Explore more: Explore more theme parks.

Europa-Park FAQs

When did Europa-Park open?

Europa-Park opened on July 12, 1975, founded by Franz Mack and his son Roland as a showcase for their family’s ride-manufacturing business, Mack Rides.

Where is Europa-Park located?

It is located in Rust, in the Baden-Württemberg region of southwestern Germany, near the border with France.

Are all of Europa-Park’s roller coasters built by Mack Rides?

No. While the park is owned by the Mack family and several coasters like Blue Fire Megacoaster and Voltron Nevera are Mack Rides builds, Silver Star was built by Bolliger & Mabillard and the wooden Wodan Timbur Coaster was built by Great Coasters International.

Get More from Europa-Park

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Europa-Park, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: Gabriel Rinaldi / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Europa-Park: Germany’s Record-Breaking Theme Park in Rust appeared first on ThrillZing.

The park is organized into distinct themed worlds, including Klugheim, Mystery, Berlin, Mexico, China Town, and the aviation-inspired Rookburgh, each built with elaborate, immersive detail rather than open midways. Phantasialand draws around 2 million visitors annually and has become known for pushing coaster technology forward, most notably with Taron, an Intamin launch coaster whose track weaves through its themed village 58 times, a world record for the design.

Stats at a Glance

• Location: Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• Opened: April 30, 1967
• Park Area: About 28 hectares (69 acres)
• Themed Lands: 6, including Klugheim, Mystery, Berlin, Mexico, China Town, Rookburgh
• Annual Visitors: About 2 million
• Signature Coaster: Taron (Intamin, opened 2016)
• On-Site Hotels: 3 themed hotels: Hotel Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Matamba, Hotel Ling Bao

The Ride Experience

Phantasialand’s headline attraction is Taron, an Intamin multi-launch steel coaster that opened in June 2016 in the Klugheim area. It reaches a top speed of about 117 km/h (73 mph) over roughly 1,320 meters (4,331 feet) of track, with a maximum height of about 30 meters, and was built as the world’s fastest and longest multi-launch coaster at the time of its debut. Other notable rides include Black Mamba, a Bolliger & Mabillard inverted coaster from 2006, and F.L.Y., a Vekoma coaster from 2020 billed as the world’s first launched flying roller coaster.

Unlike parks built around wide-open sightlines, Phantasialand’s rides are woven tightly into themed architecture and landscaping, so coasters like Taron and Raik, a Vekoma family boomerang model, wind through buildings and terrain rather than standing apart from them.

History and Growth

The park has expanded steadily from its 1967 origins into a resort-style destination with three themed on-site hotels: Hotel Ling Bao, Hotel Matamba, and the steampunk-themed Hotel Charles Lindbergh in Rookburgh, which opened in 2020. Its history has not been without setback: a cable fire on May 1, 2001, destroyed two roller coasters, a theater, and parts of the park’s Western-themed area, injuring 54 people, though the park rebuilt and continued expanding its themed lands in the years that followed.

Explore more: Explore more theme parks.

Phantasialand FAQs

Where is Phantasialand located?

Phantasialand is located in Brühl, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, roughly between Cologne and Bonn.

What is Phantasialand’s most famous ride?

Taron, an Intamin multi-launch coaster that opened in 2016, is the park’s signature attraction, known for reaching about 117 km/h and threading through the Klugheim themed area a record 58 times.

How many hotels does Phantasialand have?

Phantasialand operates three themed on-site hotels: Hotel Charles Lindbergh, Hotel Matamba, and Hotel Ling Bao, each offering direct access to the park.

Get More from Phantasialand

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Phantasialand, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: Phantasialand Schmidt-Löffelhardt GmbH & Co. KG / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Phantasialand: Germany’s Immersive Theme Park in Brühl appeared first on ThrillZing.

Since then, Tropical Islands has grown into the world’s largest indoor water park, surpassing Canada’s West Edmonton Mall waterpark in scale. The 66,000-square-meter interior holds a rainforest with roughly 50,000 plants, a lagoon-style pool, sandy beaches, and Germany’s tallest water slide tower, all kept at a steady 26°C regardless of the weather outside. Now owned by Spanish leisure group Parques Reunidos, the resort draws over a million visitors a year and continues to expand with new lodging like the 2024 OHANA Lodge complex.

Stats at a Glance

• Location: Krausnick, Brandenburg, Germany
• Opened: December 19, 2004
• Building: Former CargoLifter airship hangar (the Aerium), completed 2000
• Dimensions: About 360 m long, 210 m wide, 107 m high
• Indoor area: About 66,000 square meters
• Interior climate: Held at about 26°C (79°F), 64% humidity
• Daily capacity: Up to about 8,200 visitors
• Operator: Parques Reunidos (since 2018)

A Hangar Reborn

The building’s backstory is as striking as anything inside it. CargoLifter AG raised the Aerium in the late 1990s to assemble giant cargo airships, and its pillar-free interior remains the largest of its kind in the world by volume, holding about 5.5 million cubic meters of space. When CargoLifter collapsed financially in 2002, the empty hangar risked becoming a stranded industrial relic on the site of a former Soviet-era military airfield.

Instead, Tanjong’s 2003 purchase and subsequent redevelopment turned the shell into a climate-controlled tropical world. Visitors pass through what still looks like an aircraft hangar door into a landscape of palm trees, a beach lagoon, and a rainforest canopy, all lit by a translucent roof membrane that lets in natural daylight.

What’s Inside

The centerpiece Tropical Sea lagoon spans thousands of square meters and anchors a network of slides, saunas, and relaxation areas, including Germany’s tallest water slide tower. The Rainforest section houses around 50,000 plants across some 600 species, while the outdoor Amazonia area outside the dome adds camping and lodging space exceeding 35,000 square meters.

Because the entire park sits under one climate-controlled roof, it operates year-round regardless of the harsh Brandenburg winters outside, a rarity among water parks of its scale and a key reason it has kept its title as the world’s largest indoor water park.

Explore more: Explore more water parks.

Tropical Islands FAQs

Is Tropical Islands really inside an airship hangar?

Yes. The park occupies the Aerium, a hangar CargoLifter AG built to assemble airships, completed in 2000. It remains the largest free-standing hall in the world without interior support pillars.

How far is Tropical Islands from Berlin?

It’s located in Krausnick, Brandenburg, about 50 kilometers south of Berlin, reachable via the A13 autobahn or by train to the Brand Tropical Islands station with a shuttle connection.

What temperature is it kept at inside?

The interior is climate-controlled to about 26°C (79°F) with roughly 64% humidity year-round, regardless of the weather outside.

Get More from Tropical Islands

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Tropical Islands, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

The post Tropical Islands: The World’s Largest Indoor Water Park in a Hangar appeared first on ThrillZing.

Housed beneath a domed roof that can be partially opened in summer, Galaxy Erding now features 28 water slides stretching roughly 2,850 meters combined, built with attractions supplied by German manufacturer Wiegand.Waterrides. Slides are organized into three difficulty tiers, letting families and thrill-seekers alike choose an experience that matches their nerve.

Stats at a Glance

• Location: Erding, Bavaria, Germany
• Part of: Therme Erding
• Galaxy opened: March 31, 2007
• Water slides: 28
• Total slide length: about 2,850 meters
• Difficulty levels: Family, Action, X-Treme
• Notable slide: Magic Eye, billed as the world’s longest tube slide at about 365 meters
• Manufacturer: Wiegand.Waterrides

The Ride Experience

Galaxy Erding’s slide lineup ranges from gentle family rides to genuine adrenaline. The Magic Eye tube slide is the headline attraction, running about 365 meters through darkness and light effects and marketed by the park as the longest of its kind in the world. For steeper thrills, riders can try the Kamikaze, a roughly 34-meter chute with a drop of about 60 degrees, or the tire-raft Big Wave, which includes an outdoor water-halfpipe section.

Other rides, like the Black Mamba and the multi-slide Space Glider, add themed lighting and uphill sections to keep the ride from being a straight drop. Some slides also offer scheduled virtual-reality sessions, an unusual feature for a water park, letting riders wear a headset synced to the twists and turns of the slide.

Part of Europe’s Largest Thermal Spa

Galaxy sits within Therme Erding, a thermal bathing complex that traces back to 1983, when an oil-drilling operation near Erding struck sulfurous thermal water instead of oil. The broader Therme Erding complex opened in October 1999, and the Galaxy slide section was added in 2007 to give the resort a dedicated water park alongside its saunas and thermal pools.

The domed Galaxy hall rises about 25 meters and can be opened in warmer months, blending an indoor park’s reliability with an outdoor feel. Therme Erding as a whole draws an estimated 4,000 visitors a day, making Galaxy one of the busiest indoor water slide destinations in Europe.

Explore more: Explore more water parks.

Galaxy Erding FAQs

Where is Galaxy Erding located?

Galaxy Erding is part of the Therme Erding complex in Erding, Bavaria, Germany, roughly 30 minutes northeast of Munich.

How many water slides does Galaxy Erding have?

Galaxy Erding features 28 water slides with a combined length of about 2,850 meters, split across Family, Action, and X-Treme difficulty levels.

What is the most famous slide at Galaxy Erding?

The Magic Eye tube slide is the park’s signature attraction, stretching about 365 meters and marketed as the world’s longest tube slide.

Get More from Galaxy Erding

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Galaxy Erding, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: Therme Erding / CC BY-SA 3.0 de, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Galaxy Erding: Germany’s Massive Indoor Water Slide Park appeared first on ThrillZing.

Spread across roughly 40 hectares (100 acres), the park is organized into themed zones inspired by Hollywood productions, including Hollywood Street Set, Streets of New York, Nickland, The Old West, and Santa Monica Pier. It combines movie-studio-style sets and stunt shows with a lineup of roller coasters and family rides, making it one of the larger theme park destinations in western Germany.

Stats at a Glance

• Location: Bottrop-Kirchhellen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany
• Originally opened: 1967 (as Kirchhellener Märchenwald)
• Reopened as movie park: June 30, 1996 (Warner Bros. Movie World Germany)
• Renamed: March 19, 2005 (Movie Park Germany)
• Owner: Parques Reunidos (since 2010)
• Size: About 40 hectares (100 acres)
• Roller coasters: About 8
• Notable coasters: Bandit (wood, RCCA) and Star Trek: Operation Enterprise (Mack Rides launch coaster)

The Ride Lineup

The park’s signature thrill ride is Star Trek: Operation Enterprise, a Mack Rides launch coaster that opened in 2017, reaching about 90 km/h (56 mph) across roughly 720 meters of track with three inversions and a triple-launch layout. The wooden coaster Bandit, built by the Roller Coaster Corporation of America, is one of the park’s longest-running attractions, standing about 91 feet tall with a top speed near 50 mph. Other coasters include the inverted Iron Claw and the suspended family coaster Jimmy Neutron’s Atomic Flyer, alongside Gerstlauer’s Van Helsing’s Factory.

From Fairytale Forest to Movie Studio

Before it became a movie-themed park, the site operated for decades as Kirchhellener Märchenwald, a small fairytale forest attraction dating to 1967. Warner Bros. acquired and redeveloped the property in the mid-1990s, opening it as Warner Bros. Movie World Germany in 1996 with sets and characters tied to the studio’s film library. After Warner Bros. sold the park, it was rebranded Movie Park Germany in 2005, broadening its theming beyond Warner properties to a wider mix of film and TV franchises.

Explore more: Explore more Theme Parks.

Movie Park Germany FAQs

Is Movie Park Germany the same as Warner Bros. Movie World Germany?

Yes. The park opened in 1996 as Warner Bros. Movie World Germany and was renamed Movie Park Germany in 2005 after ownership changed.

What is Movie Park Germany’s biggest roller coaster?

Star Trek: Operation Enterprise, a Mack Rides launch coaster opened in 2017, is the park’s most intense ride, reaching about 90 km/h (56 mph) with a triple launch and three inversions.

Where is Movie Park Germany located?

It’s in Bottrop-Kirchhellen, North Rhine-Westphalia, roughly 50 kilometers north of Düsseldorf in western Germany.

Get More from Movie Park Germany

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Movie Park Germany, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: Stefan Scheer / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Movie Park Germany: Bottrop’s Hollywood-Themed Amusement Park appeared first on ThrillZing.

Standing 174 feet tall and reaching speeds of 74.6 mph over a course of 4,003 feet, Expedition GeForce became one of Europe’s most celebrated roller coasters. Its 82-degree first drop and seven distinct moments of weightlessness earned it perennial spots on the Golden Ticket Awards’ top steel coaster lists, peaking at #3 in the world.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Plopsaland Deutschland, Haßloch, Germany
• Manufacturer: Intamin
• Opened: June 18, 2001
• Height: 174 ft (53 m)
• Top Speed: 74.6 mph (120 km/h)
• Length: 4,003 ft (1,220 m)
• Inversions: 0
• First Drop Angle: 82°

The Ride Experience

After ascending 174 feet via a cable lift hill — the same system used on Millennium Force — riders plunge down an 82-degree first drop before surging through a sequence of camelback hills and sweeping turns. The course delivers seven periods of weightlessness across its 4,003-foot layout, creating sustained airtime that has made Expedition GeForce a benchmark for hyper coaster design.

The ride runs two 28-seat trains and handles up to 1,300 riders per hour. At peak intensity it generates 4.5 Gs, and the full circuit lasts around 1 minute and 15 seconds — packing an exceptional amount of variety into a relatively compact run time.

Legacy and Awards

Since its debut, Expedition GeForce has been a fixture in enthusiast rankings. The Golden Ticket Awards recognized it as high as the third-best steel roller coaster in the world (2003, 2013–2015), and it remained a top-ten presence for over a decade. At opening it was the tallest coaster on the European mainland, a record it held until Silver Star opened at Europa-Park.

The park was later rebranded from Holiday Park to Plopsaland Deutschland under new ownership, and the coaster received a sponsor-tagged name — bigFM Expedition GeForce — while retaining its iconic identity. It continues to draw coaster enthusiasts from across Europe as one of the continent’s most decorated steel rides.

Explore more: Roller Coasters hub.

Expedition GeForce FAQs

Where is Expedition GeForce located?

Expedition GeForce is located at Plopsaland Deutschland (formerly Holiday Park) in Haßloch, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.

Who designed and built Expedition GeForce?

It was manufactured by Swiss firm Intamin and designed by renowned German engineer Werner Stengel, whose firm Ing.-Büro Stengel GmbH is responsible for many of the world’s most celebrated roller coasters.

Does Expedition GeForce have any loops or inversions?

No — Expedition GeForce has zero inversions. Its thrills come entirely from extreme airtime, an 82-degree first drop, and relentless hill-and-valley sequencing at speeds up to 74.6 mph.

Get More from Expedition GeForce

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Expedition GeForce, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: Boris23 / Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Expedition GeForce: Germany’s Elite Intamin Mega Coaster appeared first on ThrillZing.

The ride’s classic out-and-back layout stretches 1,620 metres across the park’s parking area, delivering a relentless succession of camelback airtime hills at speeds up to 127 km/h (79 mph). Though newer giants have since eclipsed its European records, Silver Star remains one of the continent’s most celebrated hyper coasters and a signature attraction at Europa-Park.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Europa-Park, Rust, Germany
• Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard (B&M)
• Opened: 2002
• Height: 73 m (240 ft)
• Drop: 67 m (220 ft)
• Top Speed: 127 km/h (79 mph)
• Length: 1,620 m (5,310 ft)
• Inversions: 0

The Ride Experience

Riders board one of three 36-seat trains — each made up of 9 cars with 4 riders abreast — inside the covered station before a chain lift hauls them 73 metres skyward. The train then plunges 67 metres at a steep angle, accelerating to around 127 km/h before launching into a long sequence of camelback hills that produce strong ejector airtime at each crest and pull up to 4 Gs in the valleys between them.

Magnetic trim brakes on the camelback crests keep the experience smooth and accessible for a wide range of guests, while the generous 1,620-metre layout ensures momentum never fully bleeds away before the final brake run. The simple out-and-back design lets the high-speed thrills speak for themselves from start to finish.

Records and Legacy

At its 2002 debut, Silver Star broke new ground for both Europa-Park and its manufacturer. It was the tallest coaster Bolliger & Mabillard had ever built and held European records for height, speed, and drop length simultaneously — a remarkable sweep for a single attraction. Those marks have since been surpassed by newer giants, but the ride’s pedigree remains a point of pride for the park.

The coaster’s station was originally branded as the ‘Mercedes-Benz Hall,’ with the Silver Star name itself referencing the automaker’s three-pointed star logo. That early corporate partnership underscored the ride’s prestige at the time. More than two decades on, Silver Star is widely regarded as a landmark in the history of European roller coasters and a must-ride for enthusiasts visiting Germany.

Explore more: Roller Coasters hub.

Silver Star FAQs

Where is Silver Star located?

Silver Star is located at Europa-Park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany — the country’s largest theme park.

Does Silver Star have any inversions?

No. Silver Star is a hyper coaster with zero inversions. Its thrills come entirely from speed and a long series of airtime-producing camelback hills.

How fast does Silver Star go?

Silver Star reaches a top speed of about 127 km/h (79 mph), hit shortly after cresting and dropping from its 73-metre lift hill.

Get More from Silver Star

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Silver Star, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: AS / CC BY 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Silver Star: Europa-Park’s Record-Breaking Hyper Coaster appeared first on ThrillZing.

Settled into the park’s Iceland-themed section, the ride takes its name from Wodan, the Germanic equivalent of the Norse god Odin, while ‘Timbur’ is the Icelandic word for wood — a fitting tribute to both the structure and its Viking-age setting. The queue line deepens the immersion with fire, mist, and water effects, and the layout intertwines with neighboring attractions Blue Fire Megacoaster and Atlantica SuperSplash, making Europa-Park’s Iceland zone one of the most visually dramatic areas of any theme park in Europe.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Europa-Park, Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany
• Manufacturer: Great Coasters International
• Opened: March 31, 2012
• Height: 131 ft (40 m)
• Top Speed: 62 mph (about 100 km/h)
• Length: 3,444 ft (1,050 m)
• Inversions: 0

The Ride Experience

Wodan pulls riders up a chain lift to 131 feet before pitching them into a 52-degree first drop, immediately building the G-forces that characterize GCI’s high-energy layout style. From there, the track banks through tight turns, swooping valleys, and quick reversals for a full 3 minutes and 25 seconds — a long run for a wooden coaster and one that rarely lets up. Three Millennium Flyer trains, each seating 24 riders with T-bar restraints, cycle through the course and allow throughput of up to around 1,250 riders per hour.

The course threads through Europa-Park’s Iceland scenery in a way that makes every moment feel purposeful. Near-miss interactions with Blue Fire and Atlantica SuperSplash add visual spectacle even for guests watching from the ground, and the sense of speed through the lower sections of the layout — where the track tucks close to structures and theming — is among the most visceral on any wooden coaster in Europe.

Evolution and Legacy

Since its 2012 debut, Wodan has built a devoted following among wooden coaster enthusiasts who rank it among the best GCI installations worldwide. The ride’s combination of sustained pacing, strong airtime, and elaborate theming sets it apart from many contemporaries that prioritize one quality at the expense of others.

Starting around 2023, Great Coasters International and Skyline Attractions began retrofitting sections of the brake run with Titan Track — a steel-reinforced hybrid rail designed to smooth rough spots and extend the structure’s lifespan. Additional Titan Track segments were added before the lift hill and elsewhere on the ride in subsequent years, ensuring Wodan continues to deliver a refined experience well into the future.

Explore more: All Roller Coasters.

Wodan Timbur Coaster FAQs

Where is Wodan Timbur Coaster located?

It is located at Europa-Park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, Germany, inside the park’s Iceland-themed section.

Who manufactured Wodan Timbur Coaster?

The coaster was designed and built by Great Coasters International, an American firm known for fast, airtime-rich wooden coasters.

How fast does Wodan Timbur Coaster go?

It reaches a top speed of approximately 62 mph (about 100 km/h), achieved shortly after the 52-degree first drop.

Get More from Wodan Timbur Coaster

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Wodan Timbur Coaster, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

The post Wodan Timbur Coaster: Europa-Park’s Norse Wood Thriller appeared first on ThrillZing.

What truly distinguishes Black Mamba is its immersive underground layout and elaborate theming. Roughly two-thirds of the track runs below ground level, carving through a richly detailed environment inspired by the traditional mud-brick architecture of Timbuktu and Djenné in West Africa. The entire themed area, including the ride hardware, cost approximately 22 million euros — making it one of the most expensive single attractions built in Germany at the time of its opening.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Phantasialand
• Location: Brühl, Germany
• Manufacturer: Bolliger & Mabillard
• Opened: May 24, 2006
• Height: 85.3 ft (26.0 m)
• Drop: 88.6 ft (27.0 m)
• Top Speed: 49.7 mph (80.0 km/h)
• Length: 2,519 ft (768 m)
• Inversions: 4
• Max G-Force: 4.0 g

The Ride Experience

Riders board Black Mamba in hanging seats suspended below the track — the hallmark of B&M’s inverted coaster design — before climbing a 65.6-foot chain lift and plunging into a drop that actually exceeds the lift height at 88.6 feet, thanks to the below-grade terrain. The layout threads through a loop, a zero-G roll, a Junior Immelmann, and two corkscrews, all at speeds reaching nearly 50 mph.

Strategically placed near-miss elements send the train hurtling past rock formations and architectural structures with just inches to spare, amplifying the sense of speed. B&M engineers filled the hollow steel rails with sand to dampen vibration and reduce noise — an unusual measure that contributes to the exceptionally smooth ride quality the coaster is known for.

A Record-Setting B&M Helix

Black Mamba holds a notable distinction among B&M inverted coasters: it features the tightest helix radius ever constructed by the manufacturer. This compressed helix, combined with the underground setting and surrounding rock work, creates an intense sensation of being swallowed by the earth as the train whips through the turn.

The African-themed Deep in Africa area that houses Black Mamba is itself an architectural achievement, featuring authentic-looking mud structures modeled on the Great Mosque of Djenné. The integration of ride and environment is so complete that the coaster feels less like a fairground attraction and more like an expedition — cementing Phantasialand’s reputation for world-class themed experiences.

Explore more: Roller Coasters hub.

Black Mamba FAQs

Where is Black Mamba located?

Black Mamba is at Phantasialand in Brühl, Germany, roughly 15 miles south of Cologne.

How many inversions does Black Mamba have?

Black Mamba features four inversions: a loop, a zero-G roll, a Junior Immelmann, and two corkscrews.

What makes Black Mamba unique among B&M inverted coasters?

About two-thirds of the track runs below ground level through an elaborately themed Sub-Saharan African landscape, and the ride contains the smallest-radius helix ever built by Bolliger & Mabillard — both highly unusual features for an inverted coaster of its type.

Get More from Black Mamba

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Black Mamba, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: uploader (User:Breakdancer) / CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Black Mamba: Phantasialand’s Underground Inverted Beast appeared first on ThrillZing.

At the time of its opening, Taron was the fastest multi-launch coaster in the world, and it still holds the record for the most intersecting track points on any launched roller coaster — 58 crossover points where the track weaves over and under itself 116 times. The ride cost an estimated €25 million and has climbed to a top-ten finish in the Golden Ticket Awards, reaching 6th place by 2024.

Stats at a Glance

• Park: Phantasialand, Brühl, Germany
• Manufacturer: Intamin
• Opened: June 30, 2016
• Height: 98.4 ft (30 m)
• Top Speed: 73 mph (117 km/h)
• Length: 4,330 ft (1,320 m)
• Inversions: 0
• Launches: 2 (LSM)

The Ride Experience

Taron begins with a sharp initial LSM launch that accelerates the train to around 50 mph before plunging into the heart of Klugheim’s rocky landscape. Riders snake through an intricate web of track that crosses over and under itself at 58 distinct points — a layout density unmatched by any other launched coaster. Tunnels, near-misses with canyon walls, and sudden direction changes keep the intensity high throughout.

The second and more powerful launch fires from the lowest point in the canyon, catapulting the train to its full top speed of 73 mph in seconds. Despite having no inversions, the combination of speed, tight turns, and immersive theming makes Taron one of the most celebrated coasters in Europe. The total ride lasts about 1 minute 40 seconds.

Records and Legacy

When Taron debuted in June 2016, it claimed the title of the world’s fastest multi-launch coaster. Its other world record — the most intersecting track crossings on a launched coaster (58 points, 116 crossings) — remains unchallenged. The complex layout required precision engineering from Intamin to ensure both safety and the seamless flow that makes it so rerideable.

Taron has earned consistent critical acclaim in the enthusiast community, climbing from 32nd place in the 2016 Golden Ticket Awards to 6th place by 2024. It anchors the Klugheim area alongside F.L.Y., Phantasialand’s flying coaster, making the park a must-visit destination for coaster fans across Europe.

Explore more: Roller Coasters hub.

Taron FAQs

How fast does Taron go?

Taron reaches a top speed of 73 mph (117 km/h) during its second LSM launch, which fires from the lowest point of the canyon section.

Does Taron have any inversions?

No. Taron has zero inversions. Its intensity comes entirely from speed, tight turns, and an unusually dense track layout with 58 intersecting crossover points.

Where is Taron located?

Taron is located at Phantasialand in Brühl, Germany, within the park’s Norse-themed Klugheim area.

Get More from Taron

Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Taron, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.

Photo: Stefan Scheer / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

The post Taron at Phantasialand: Europe’s Wildest Multi-Launch Coaster appeared first on ThrillZing.