• ℹ️ Heads up...

    This is a popular topic that is fast moving Guest - before posting, please ensure that you check out the first post in the topic for a quick reminder of guidelines, and importantly a summary of the known facts and information so far. Thanks.

[2024] Alpenexpress & Tiroler Wildwasserbahn Rebuild

I touched on it a little in my general thoughts from a visit this last week, but it really is incredible how quickly the park have moved to get to this stage. It’s only been six months since the fire and we’re already seeing such progress. At this rate, it’s entirely believable that the area will be open for the new season. There wasn’t a single time that we saw the site without some sort of work occuring.

It looks as though most of the structures are now in place, barring the new Spanish shop which has some in place but is also now the location of a second tower crane. There are numerous tunnel sections which you can see formed in the cast concrete shear walls, which look like they’ll accommodate either the mine train or log flume. There’s also a gap in the shear walls at the rear of the old shop location, which makes me wonder whether the intention is for the train to catch a glimpse into the new Austria area whilst obscuring it from pedestrian areas in Spain behind the rebuilt shop.

There are some big openings in the walls too which I’m guessing will be a combination of faux windows on the Spanish side and potentially viewing windows to see the log flume passing from Spain.
 
They have started pouring footers for Alpenexpress today:

index.php


Source: Tine on epfriends.de.
 
Europa-Park have posted a press release regarding the rockwork for the new Austrian rock formations, which is being done by the same local family business that has worked on many previous projects at the park, including the beautiful Santa Isabel arches:
Europa-Park said:

Diamonds in the Ortenau – plasterer Isabel Marko from Ettenheim makes new gemstone grotto at Europa-Park​

"We're not normal plasterers," Isabel Marko is certain. She is currently proving this in the production of the new gemstone grotto. Since the 90s, her father Uwe's family business has been producing elaborate stucco work such as the pointed arches in the cloister of the 4-star superior Hotel Santa Isabel, in the style of a Portuguese monastery.
Ortenau District Administrator Frank Scherer is impressed by the skills of the 29-year-old. How the highly complex artificial rock formations in the Austrian themed area are decorated with crystals, how much know-how is required to artfully decorate the technical substructure, shows that the renowned handicraft business from the region stands up to any global comparison. Grinding, creating expanded metal constructions, applying primer and modelling plaster and gluing and welding gemstones with threaded rods – the process to achieve the perfect result is associated with a lot of effort.
It is a sign of solidarity that Europa-Park has been relying on the excellent quality of the plastering company Marko for so many years and that the best craftsmanship is now guaranteed in the future with company successor Isabel Marko. Awarded as the best in the guild in the Ortenau, it shows how much heart and soul can be put into stucco work. Europa-Park visitors also appreciate this attention to detail and repeatedly emphasise how important the decorations are for the overall experience. In 2024, guests can look forward to the newly designed world around the "Alpenexpress Enzian" and the "Tyrolean white-water ride".
Click to expand...

They also included a photo showing a look inside the new gemstone shop:


PM2023_Edelstein-Grotte_Stuckateurin.jpg
 
A couple of interesting pictures of progress:

IMG_8509.png
IMG_8510.png

Rockwork seems to be progressing apace, and there also seems to be even more structures within the area than I was expecting. It definitely looks set to be an intricate tangle of tunnels, rockwork and pathways.
 
A few of the photos that I took last week when at Europa-Park:



There was not really any significant work going on last week, what with is being the Christmas period. However progress since my previous visit in October really is quite astonishing.

I would expect they will be in a position to start erecting the new supports for Alpenexpress in the next week or two. The new shop in Spain is also taking coming on well, and looks like it will be a slightly different shaped building compared to the original.
 
Audiogazer have confirmed that they are producing a new soundtrack for these reworked attractions:



A new company to me but two of the three composers (Andreas Kübler and Sebastian Kübler) were founders of IMAscore; apparently they left due to internal issues. Good to hear that the new soundtrack will have a nostalgic charm, hopefully that means it will have hints of the original Diamond Mine music in it.
 
Thomas Mack has shared some new photos of the construction site, including a look at the detailed floor in the diamond shop and just how tight the gorges they've built are:



Europa-Park have also posted a short video on Instagram showing off the area. In this you can see that the beautiful magical looking houses that were at the end of Diamond Mine are being rebuilt, which is great news!



Doesn't appear that any Alpenexpress supports or track have gone up yet. I am thinking that March/April is going to be a push for all of this to open, but it's still incredible how much progress has been made.
 
Quadruple post, I'll have to give myself a warning at this rate!

However, track has arrived onsite today:

index.php


Source: Stefan Gloger on Instagram via epfriends.de.

Imagine that this means the coaster will be going vertical very soon, and I am sure one of the Mack's will be giving us an update once that happens! That track is rather straight looking, so likely to be for the station.
 
Thanks for sharing all these updates Rob, excited to see how this is progressing.

Fingers crossed its ready for end of March, it is an area of the park I love to wonder around and enjoy.
 
IanB said:
Thanks for sharing all these updates Rob, excited to see how this is progressing.

Fingers crossed its ready for end of March, it is an area of the park I love to wonder around and enjoy.
Click to expand...
I have to be honest and say that while I have high hopes for Voltron and the Croatia area opening with the start of main season, it looked to me as though there is still a lot of work to be done in Austria, and I'd hazard a guess at early summer for a grand reopening of Tirol Log Flume, AlpenExpress and the Diamond Mine replacement walkthrough. However the construction site is of interest in itself and easily accessible - at New Year it was possible to take the Panoramabahn train right into the construction area itself and have a good nosey!
 
In the new Voltron Construction documentary there's a brief clip at the end of the area being rebuilt. Some very impressive rock work.
 
Rowe said:
IMG_1102.JPGIMG_1109.JPG
Source: Own photos

Yes, this loveable sweet pea.

Consider me very happy to learn we'll still have the dragon around the area. The animatronic was a park favourite of mine.
Click to expand...
Ahh yes! Sorry with you now.

Gonna be intresting to see how they bring him back seeing as most of the area is now outside
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top