In honor of its 74th anniversary, theme park Efteling is introducing its first podcast series on June 10. *Het Geheim van de Efteling* consists of seven episodes and is presented by Paul de Leeuw, who delves deeper into the Fairytale Forest together with designers, creators, and experts. Starting June 10, a new episode will be released every Wednesday on various podcast apps and YouTube.
Behind the scenes of the Fairytale Forest
In the series, the park offers insight into its inner workings through the eyes of presenter Leeuw. The episodes cover topics such as the origins of the Fairytale Forest (which opened in 1952 with ten fairy tales by designer Anton Pieck), the role of nature in the park, music, visitor memories, value finding, and the future. Leeuw speaks with groundskeepers, designers, music composers, and experts in neuropsychology and value finding.
Just like for many, Efteling is a place of togetherness and making memories for me. It is incredibly fun and inspiring to learn so many new things about the Fairytale Forest. Everything I know now adds something extra for me when I walk around the park.
Paul de Leeuw
Growth and heritage
Since its opening in 1952, the park has grown from ten fairy tales to 31. The park now boasts 90 bird species, 5.000 different tree species, and approximately 200 types of mushrooms. The series underscores how heritage and continuous innovation can reinforce each other: the park acknowledges its past while reaching new target audiences through a modern format (podcast). This is a characteristic approach in the leisure sector, where amusement parks are increasingly intertwining content and experience.
| Episodes and guests | |
| 1: Origin and future of the Fairytale Forest | With Jeroen Verheij (Efteling designer) and Francine Oonk (great-granddaughter of Anton Pieck) |
| 2: Nature in the Fairytale Forest | With Mario Dieltjes (Efteling green manager) and Arjan Postma (forest ranger) |
| 3: Fairy tales in the Fairy Tale Forest | With Patrick van den Nieuwenhuizen (Efteling designer) and Kevin Hassing (children's book author) |
| 4: Music in the Fairytale Forest | With René Merkelbach (Efteling resident composer) and Francis van Broekhuizen (opera singer) |
| 5: Memories in the Fairytale Forest | With Sander de Bruijn (Efteling designer) and Margriet Sitskoorn (neuropsychologist) |
| 6: Wandering in the Fairytale Forest | With Ivo Südmeier (Efteling landscape architect) and Fenne Roefs (behavioral psychologist and wayfinding expert) |
| 7: The future of the Fairytale Forest | With Koen Sanders (Director of Product, Market and Image at Efteling) and Deborah Nas (future forecaster and professor at TU Delft) |
More information: www.efteling.com