Multi-million investment: Plohn opens new water roller coaster

In the spring, the new water coaster was still under construction: Junior manager Jan Völkel stands next to the new Multi Launch Water Coaster at Plohn Amusement Park. (File photo) / Photo: Bodo Schackow/dpa

With “Dønnervind,” Plohn Amusement Park is now taking its visitors on a Viking-style roller coaster ride. It’s being called a “world first.”

The Plohn amusement park in the Vogtland region has opened a new Viking-themed water roller coaster. According to the family-run company, it has invested approximately 11.5 million euros in the new attraction, “Dønnervind”—the largest single investment in the park’s 30-year history.

Park operator and manufacturer Mack Rides from Baden-Württemberg describes it as a world first. The car carrying the riders is catapulted out of the water and into the roller coaster twice. The ride covers a total distance of more than 500 meters and reaches a speed of over 50 kilometers per hour, according to the report.

Saxony is the land of amusement parks, said Minister President Michael Kretschmer (CDU) at the opening of the new water roller coaster. Such parks are important attractions for drawing in tourists.

Plohn Park most recently attracted more than 300,000 visitors per year. Other popular destinations include the Belantis amusement park near Leipzig and Karls Erlebnisdorf in Döbeln.