Efteling
theme park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands
Efteling is a fantasy-themed theme park in Kaatsheuvel, a town in the Netherlands. The attractions reflect elements from ancient European myths and legends, fairy tales, fables, and folklore.
The park was opened on May 31, 1952. It evolved from a nature park with a playground and a Fairytale Forest into a full-sized theme park. It now caters to both children and adults with its cultural, romantic, and nostalgic themes, in addition to its wide array of amusement rides including six roller coasters and five dark rides.
It is the largest theme park in the Netherlands and one of the oldest theme parks in the world. It is twice as large as the original Disneyland park in the United States and predates it by three years. Annually, the park has more than 5 million visitors. In 2020, due to differences in pandemic policy, it was the most visited theme park in Europe, ahead of Disneyland Park. In 2019 and 2022, it was the third most visited theme park in Europe, after Disneyland Park, Paris, and Europa-Park, Germany.
The public source identifies “Efteling” as theme park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Efteling, theme and park.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Efteling”, the useful work is to connect “theme park in Kaatsheuvel, the Netherlands” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
Maps, plans, fabric surveys and administrative records can establish how the site’s name, extent and function changed over time. The source revision retrieved here is dated Sep 15, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q733234. VIAF identifies the subject as 124990360. Authority coordinates are 51.650, 5.048. 1 of 4 selected statements include explicit references; 2 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1952, 2020, 2019 and 2022.
Architectural summaries often privilege surviving fabric and can understate demolished phases, contested use or displaced communities. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
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Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
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Three-step research path
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This entry incorporates text from “Efteling” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.