Which theme park to visit in Alsace?

Europa Park and Rulantica – The must-sees

Europa Park is THE amusement park not to be missed if you are in Alsace. It is located in Germany, close to Alsace, and was voted best amusement park in Europe by Tripadvisor. It’s worth crossing the border to spend the day there during your vacation in Alsace, isn’t it? A large number of Alsatians go there (very) regularly, as the place is so popular.

Europe’s best amusement park

This theme park is dedicated to Europe. It is built as a reconstruction of Europe, with different zones for each country. We walk between small Swiss chalets, between white and blue Greek houses or on an Italian square. It’s fun and well done!

Europa Park is a leisure park suitable for the whole family. It has attractions adapted to the little ones as well as to the biggest thrill seekers. I tested for example the Silver Star, a 73m high roller coaster with a peak speed of 130km/h, I can tell you that it really blows your mind! In any case, don’t expect to see it all in one day – it’s huge!

Rulantica, Europa Park’s water park

Rulantica is Europa Park’s water park, located right next door and inspired by Norse mythology. With more than 50 attractions and slides, 2 pool bars, 3 saunas, a steam bath and 14 Nordic themed areas, this park is gigantic and allows you to combine attraction and relaxation!

Parc du Petit Prince – An aerial park

I tested the
Little Prince Park
is located in Ungersheim, right next to theAlsace Ecomuseum. It’s a family theme park based on The Little Prince and the world of Saint-Exupéry in general. It’s a beautiful place, with nice green spaces: very pleasant! It is also the first air park in France. The idea is to have a poetic amusement park, a “slow park” and to let young and old explore the Asteroid B612 at their own pace. Significantly, the park was built near the site of the Ensisheim meteorite crash, the oldest recorded in Europe, in 1492.

Family attractions

The park has 34 different attractions: there are very simple attractions like swings or water jets, but also real rides. It’s globally nice, but really dedicated to a family audience: don’t go there without children, you’ll get bored very quickly! Children, on the other hand, seem to have a field day, with a choice of attractions that’s pretty good for a park of this size: they can go trampolining, have thrills in the Serpent, the Pierre de Tonnerre or the South Atlantic, climb aboard a little train, see sheep, a pigeon show, draw on a wall…

You can also watch films about the Little Prince and l’Aéropostale in several cinemas, get lost in giant mazes, take part in games and quizzes, and meet several animals.

Concerning the waiting times at the attractions, they were very long for us, but maybe we were there on a particularly busy day…

The ball in the Little Prince Park

One of the special features of the Parc du Petit Prince is a tethered balloon (unlike a hot-air balloon) flying 150m above the ground. Unlucky for my arrival, this one didn’t fly: the balloon stops as soon as there’s too much wind. You can check the park’s website before you arrive to verify the status of the Ballon du Roi.

Another really special attraction is theAerobar: you sit around a large round table, in an individual seat with your feet in the air, and a platform slowly raises this large table to a height of 35m. The idea is not to have a thrill ride (although having your feet in the air is a strange feeling!) but to let you enjoy the view, which is really great! You can admire the park from above, see the Vosges summits, the Black Forest, guess Mulhouse and Colmar… The attraction is called Aerobar, because you are supposed to be able to have a drink up there, but you will have to buy it beforehand at the refreshment stand at the bottom of the ride… And considering the waiting time for us (1 hour), we might as well say that the drink would not have been very fresh! But it is still an attraction that I really enjoyed.

Cigoland, a multi-activity park for the whole family!

Cigoland was tested by Clémence – We took our family to Cigoland, a park that combines outdoor attractions, shows, animals and… storks! In the center of Alsace, in Kintzheim, near Sélestat and the Volerie des Aigles, this park, created almost 50 years ago, offers a rather surprising mix of attractions that make for a great family day out, because there’s something for all ages!

A water play paradise

Firstly, an entire area is dedicated to water games, with water games (don’t forget your children’s swimsuits!), slides, bumper boats with water guns to drench opponents, small canoes, giant ducks… It’s a must for cooling off on the hottest days.

More classic attractions that do the job

Other more classic attractions, which we all enjoyed, include the famous “King-Kong”, where you can soar above the park in a gondola, the “stork” monorail, which takes you around the park as a stork, the miniature train, the “mine train” roller coaster, the “tacots”, the 1900 carousel, the galloping horses, etc. We had a particularly good laugh on the “King-Kong”. Cigopanoramic, which made our heads spin!

At several points in the park, you can cross paths with animals, mainly local, or to delight the little ones: the storksA small museum dedicated to the stork gives you the opportunity to learn more about this emblematic Alsatian animal.

A circus show… all year round!

And on top of all this, there’s the Cirque Joubinaux show, in their big top all season long. The juggling and clowning acts are always a big hit with the kids!

Funny World – For children aged 2 to 12

Funny World has been tested by Clémence – C’est à
Funny World
in Kappel-Grafenhausen, Germany, just a few minutes from Europapark, that we spent a summer day with our family. But what is Funny World? It’s a children’s playground that I’ve been hearing about for a few years now and that I wanted to discover! You see the indoor playgrounds like Okidok or Royal Kids? Funny World is exactly that, with the added bonus of an outdoor area with even more attractions! This amusement park is for families with children from 2 to 12 years old.

Tortuga, the country where it doesn’t rain!

Tortuga is the name of the large indoor space of Funny World Germany. Children can have fun in two different universes offering rides of all kinds: the sea and pirates and the “jungle”. There are inflatables, slides, games of skill or strength, trampolines … There are also two small rides: a small farm train with pigs and a mini Ferris wheel. The kids loved it! And we were set up on a table outside, with no risk of them getting away.

The exterior of Funny World, a “do it yourself” park

Outside, the attractions are relatively numerous but don’t expect a big ride, the space is quite condensed. Among these rides, many are only for children (one would risk sinking the little plastic boats, derailing the little train or unhooking the flying chairs 😉 ). The most “sensational” activities are only available from the age of 7. Most rides are operated manually, either from inside the ride or by another person at the control station. Once the attraction is over, because it has fortunately a limited duration as in other parks, it is “to the following”! There are also several playgrounds and slides available for visitors.

My little girl – 7 years old – and I really enjoyed the zip line, where we “flew” in a seat above the park, or the “Funny sombrero”, a ride where you can do complete turns thanks to a front and back lever. Laughter guaranteed! As for the little brother – 3 and a half years old – the little boats to maneuver, the little train “El Paso” or simply the slides had his preference. As you can see, the themes of the outdoor space are diverse: Mexico, cowboys, circus, countryside … However, expect something rather “vintage” and a bit old-fashioned. The installations are no longer youthful, such as the mannequins or the space dedicated to the circus. In short, the outdoor space could use a major facelift!

And what services are there?

We are in an amusement park, as small as it is! Visitors can find food in a self-service area that offers hot dishes and desserts. In Germany, food is generally cheap so we get by with a very decent rate. As for the two points of sale offering sweets, drinks and of course souvenirs, we dare you to leave empty-handed…

My review of Funny World in Kappel Grafenhausen

Let’s just say that at Funny World, it’s more like a time for kids. We could only participate in a few attractions. Nevertheless, we pay the same entrance fee as the children. As in indoor playgrounds, we should think about introducing a reduced admission fee for larger visitors. But, beyond the price, I was disappointed by the fact that I didn’t “really” enjoy this moment with my family. I think it is worth the trip if you live in Colmar or Strasbourg, but if you come from Mulhouse, there are other parks closer by with an offer that is just as attractive or even more so.

Badeparadies – Water park with slides

Still in Germany, Badeparadies is a huge water park in Titisee, comprising three different areas: a naturist spa, a relaxation area and a leisure area. The latter turns out to be a veritable water theme park, with plenty of slides! Click here to read our article on Badeparadies in Titisee .

Other theme parks for young children (under 13)

We haven’t tried it out yet, but here’s another amusement park in Alsace that’s sure to please the kids:

• 
  
  Didi’land
  
  is a small family amusement park located in Morsbronn-les-Bains, in northern Alsace. It’s best reserved for children aged 4 to 12.