Every year I take our daughters on a dad-daughter weekend. It's always fun, a bit cool and unique. With two teenagers in the house who have ever higher expectations, I really had to pull out all the stops this year. And on top of that they're the TikTok generation; they have a whole different level of what counts as cool. It became a weekend at Phantasialand!

So I went for mystery, sensation and thrills. I'd seen Rookburgh pass by on TikTok a few times and it ticked all the boxes. That had to be it. Bags packed, kids in the car and off to Phantasialand. The well-known theme park in Brühl lies somewhere between Cologne and Bonn. From Flemish Brabant it's just an hour and a half's drive. We found the travel time surprisingly manageable and our crew was unanimous: the best theme park we've visited so far. Let us explain why. Parking is free for hotel guests and the car parks are close to the entrance.

6 Phantasialand Themes

Phantasialand is a theme park with 6 major themes: Berlin, Mexico, China Town, Mystery, Fantasy and Deep in Africa. In terms of surface area the park is probably smaller than you'd expect, but thanks to its ingenious layout it still has an enormous number of attractions. Very walkable. In the park you'll never get the feeling that you're miles away from your favourite attraction. You'll also notice that the roller coasters are literally puzzled into the buildings. The little corners and tunnels they send the FLY racing through at high speed make even the biggest thrill-seeker beam.

A fun fact: the designer of the themed worlds didn't like fast roller coasters at all himself and wanted his designs to guarantee that every visitor can have a good time. Even those who don't like super-fast rides enjoy themselves here. And you notice that – there's still so much to see and experience apart from all those thrilling attractions. An overview of the major themes…

Berlin

Historic Berlin with a nostalgic touch of the early 20th century. Really lovely how they've recreated the square with the gigantic carousel (Wellenflug) and the street leading up to it. Berlin as it should be! Our guide told us that in winter the atmosphere goes completely through the roof with "Wintergarten", in short an oversized Christmas market where the Glühwein flows freely, mega cosy. But we already thought summer was fantastic too. In the Berliner Strasse, if you have a sweet tooth you won't be disappointed. With a very concentrated collection of tearooms and patisseries you can completely lose yourself in your Berliner tea moment. Definitely not to be missed is "Das verrückte Hotel Tartüff", a completely crazy hotel that's fun for young and old. And you won't get queasy on it after stuffing yourself with sweet treats.

Discover Rookburgh!

Since 2020 Berlin has had a new addition: Rookburgh. A steampunk-design industrial zone that belongs to the Berlin of the early 1900s. Discover Rookburgh in full by staying overnight at the Charles Lindbergh Hotel. An overnight stay at the Charles Lindbergh Hotel includes the "Explorers Package". As a hotel guest you become a member of the exclusive 'Explorer Society'. This package guarantees two full days of fun at Phantasialand. You get exclusive access to Rookburgh from your hotel. In the evening you're welcomed with a delicious 3-course dinner at restaurant Uhrwerk. They have a very extensive menu for carnivores, vegetarians and vegans alike. We tried a bit of everything and found the poké bowls and pastas delicious.

Besides the restaurant there's also Bar 1919, exclusively for hotel guests! In a steampunk setting they spoil you with craft beers, cool cocktails and a cosy atmosphere.

After the park closes, Rookburgh becomes your personal back garden where you can wander around while no other guests are present any more. Everywhere you see extra lighting and steam being pumped out from all sides, well worth it! Be sure to bring your camera. You spend the night in the cabin of a real aeronaut. In the morning a delicious breakfast buffet awaits you, after which you can get straight back to it in the theme park. The 'explorer package' also includes fast-track tickets for Rookburgh's main attraction F.L.Y. And fast really does mean fast!

According to experts, F.L.Y comes closest to a real flying experience. Use the fast-track tickets to skip the queue via the exclusive gate.

There's no shortage of food at Phantasialand, there's something for everyone. In Rookburgh you can go to Uhrwerk for more refined cuisine or to Kohleschipper for the best handmade sandwiches.

Mexico

Plaza Mariachi with Mexican buildings but also structures from the Aztec and Maya cultures. The colourful little churches, the flags above your head and the glorious summer sun made us believe for a moment that we were finally visiting Mexico, truly beautifully executed. We enjoyed the main attraction Chiapas (a fast log flume) the most, which was able to cool us down on a hot summer's day. The girls were also very taken with the Colorado Adventure, which takes you western-style through Mexico at high speed.

China Town

Traditional Chinese buildings and gardens. River Quest seemed like a very pleasant attraction to us, but because the quick pass wasn't accepted here and we still wanted to do so many other things, we decided to save it for next time.

Middle Ages

The medieval village "Klugheim" with lots of Norse symbolism, you know, heavy hammers and axes. The mystical atmosphere the designers have managed to create is really worth it, even on a sunny day – the terraces there are super cosy; I can only try to imagine how much work it must have been to replicate all those rock formations. But combined with the beautiful castle-like buildings, the result really is something. We thought the Taron was amazing. Apparently classified as "The world's fastest multi-launch coaster". And you'll notice what's meant by that. You start your ride with a rock-hard launch that gives you an introduction to g-force. Just when you think the ride is over, you hear a heavy humming sound and you're launched full force once again. You've just completed your first multi-launch.

Fancy finding out how a stone in a catapult feels? Then definitely don't skip the Raik. This attraction is described as a family boomerang. Clear? We thought it was brilliant.

Deep in Africa

Savannah and rainforest landscapes with West African buildings. We found this part really beautiful in terms of looks, mega amounts of detail. We were also allowed to take a look inside the Matamba hotel, wonderful how they've managed to create the African rainforest atmosphere. Reportedly, a lot of the wooden components were also imported from the original regions, so no imitations. As for attractions, the Black Mamba is of course not to be missed. The girls did two rides in a row straight away, they thought it was that cool. Ideal preparation for a trip to Africa.

Staying overnight at Phantasialand.

There are 3 hotels on the grounds: Hotel Ling Bao (China Town), Matamba (Deep in Africa) and Charles Lindbergh (Berlin).

I had no doubt that Phantasialand would be a resounding success as a dad-daughter weekend. They squealed with excitement, thought the world of the travellers and aviators was mega cool and ate like royalty. What was a nice bonus was that, as a dad, I now got some extra credit too.

So I'm already planning a new trip to Phantasialand.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

Is Phantasialand also good for people who don't like roller coasters?

Absolutely YES! The designer of the park didn't like fast and thrilling rides at all himself, so he created a fantasy world that's pleasant for everyone.

Is it busy?

We were there during the summer holidays and felt it was lively but far from busy. This was confirmed by several other people, by the way.

Is Phantasialand good for wheelchair users?

Because it's a very beautiful park and isn't actually built specifically around thrill rides, it's a great park for wheelchair users to visit too.

FUN FACT: some people go to Phantasialand purely for the food.

Is this suitable for children of all ages?

Certainly! Of course there are the thrill rides that small children aren't allowed on/can't go on yet, but the waiting times aren't long and there's always another attraction nearby. There are also lots of attractions for all ages. For example, Das verrückte Hotel Tartüff was a hit with our teenagers and will be just as much of a hit with toddlers.

What are the waiting times like?

Generally the waiting times move along smoothly. At the bigger attractions it can occasionally run up to 40 minutes, but we only saw that once. Otherwise around 20 minutes each time. And that's in high season.