Poland's very first theme park opened in 1959 as Śląskie Wesołe Miasteczko (Silesian Amusement Park) but came under new ownership in 2015 then was renamed and relaunched as Legendia last year.

Thanks to innovative new attractions such as Lech Coaster and Bazyliszek, visitor numbers are growing fast.

We were guided around the theme park by director Paweł Cebula, who was incredibly passionate about the ongoing €28m transformation.

• 
• 
• 
•  

The park is divided into five themed areas surrounding a beautiful lake; Magical Village, Valley of Dreams, Magical Forest, Magical Mountains and Adventures Valley.

The entrance area is completely new and very attractively designed, with shops and places to eat, plus the welcome show performed daily. It opens an hour before the rest of the park, so arrive early and start your day here.

• 
• 
• 
•  

Our first attraction to experience was the newest addition to the park, Bazyliszek, a fantastic interactive dark ride combining detailed sets, 4K screens, projection mapping and trackless ride technology with a charming story.

It's the first ride of this type in Poland, featuring 10 technologically advanced vehicles each accommodating up to 6 people. The attraction covers an area of 1000 square metres and the experience lasts over 3 and a half minutes.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

The storyline and concept of the attraction is based on the well-known legend of Basilisk, which appears in folklore and mythology in many parts of Poland.

Participants of the game travel through the magical world of Basilisk, which consists of 7 scenes, specially designed and produced for Legendia, containing the original story and characters.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

The adventure starts in the Monster Hunters' Guild room, where you see a multimedia pre-show, then take a seat in a ride vehicle and pass through an old village, dark caves, forests and ruins.

Riders are equipped with a laser gun and your mission is to overcome the monsters and other obstacles that appear on the route then defeat the monster that terrorises the villagers. You are scored and the results are visible on a multimedia board at the end of the ride, which also ranks the bravest hunters, and the best shooter will be announced on the last day of the season. 

Alterface has overseen the ride experience as main contractor for the attraction, applying their latest interactive technology including video mapping, show control and shooting devices. Jora Vision devised the theming and ETF has supplied the ride system. Bazyliszek represents an investment of €5.5m.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

We enjoyed wonderful views across the theme park and beyond on the Legendia Flower, a 40 metre high ferris wheel that was built in 1978 but looks as good as new due to a complete refurbishment.

• 
• 
• 
•  

Lech Coaster is a one-of-a-kind new ride that perfectly blends speed and inversions packed into a compact space. It's ultra smooth, very intense and highly themed. 

This first-ever Bermuda Blitz roller coaster from Vekoma cost a mere €4.5m for a ride that is almost 3,000 ft long, 131ft tall and reaches a top speed of 95km/h. It packs three inversions (a reverse sidewinder and a pair of corkscrews) into an intense circuit that features a beyond-vertical drop above the lake into a tunnel and later on a thrilling fly through the station roof.

A storyline for the attraction is introduced in an immersive pre-show and continues with themed elements during the ride.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

There is an extensive range of branded products available in the ride's shop and a restaurant located nearby with excellent views of the ride.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

Lech Coaster is located in the Magical Mountains area, a particularly well-themed land that also includes the Dragon Riders, Dragon Temple and Diamond River log flume.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

The theme park features 45 rides and attractions in total, many of which are classic family attractions or vintage thrill rides that have been re-located, refurbished and re-themed.

The other roller coasters at Legendia are the Pinfari coasters Dream Hunters Society and Scary Toys Factory, and the Soquet Twin Looper Tornado, which came from the UK where it previously operated at Lightwater Valley then American Adventure.

• 
• 
• 
•  

Other notable highlights include Dream Flight Airlines, a classic ride that opened with the park 59 years ago, the delightful family ride Royal Ballroom, and the rider-powered Cyclodrome.

You can even take a rowing boat out on to the lake with the Magical Lake Taxi and there are some intense fairground thrill rides too, including Circus Hoppala, Dragon Wrestling Tournament and Sky Flyer.

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
•  

The park has a brilliant atmosphere, relaxed and friendly, with thematic music playing throughout, and the Legendia theme tune is incredibly catchy!

Looking to the future, Adventures Valley will receive a new theme in 2019 and a brand new water attraction will be opening in 2020.

We look forward to returning to Legendia to discover more of Poland's myths and legends.

• 
• 
• 
•