Toverland in the Netherlands has invested 35 million euros in a 7 hectare expansion, becoming one-and-a-half times bigger and adding two themed areas, Port Laguna and Avalon.

New attractions include wing coaster Fēnix, boat ride Merlin’s Quest and interactive experience Magiezijn.

We visited the park to check out all the additions.

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First impressions of a theme park are an important thing to get right, and here Toverland excels. Attractively themed ticket kiosks and entrance gates surround a spacious plaza.

Port Laguna has been designed as an idyllic port with azure water, a beach and a boulevard full of activity. The central focus of this Mediterranean entrance is magic: visitors with a magic wand are able to perform 'real magic'. Along the boulevard are shops, catering outlets, games, interactive experience Magiezijn and the lighthouse Solaris.

The magic wands can be purchased or borrowed and allow visitors to interact with various props around the area by casting spells, very much like in The Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal's theme parks.

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Fēnix is the first wing coaster in the Netherlands and is the centrepiece of Avalon, based on the world of Merlin the wizard. The whole area looks spectacular and the indoor queue is beautifully themed with various charming scenes along the way.

This type of roller coaster has its seats hanging on either side of the track, which creates a wonderful flying sensation. It is 40 m (131 ft) tall, 813 m (2667 ft) long and reaches a top speed of 95 km/h (59 mph). Riders invert three times during the ride, which features a Dive Drop, Immelmann and Zero-G Roll.

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Avalon also contains water-based attraction Merlin’s Quest. During this 12-minute boat ride that’s suitable for the whole family, passengers search for the source of eternal life, 'Tir na nÓg'. The experience includes four indoor scenes in which there are eighteen moving characters.

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We enjoyed a delicious lunch in The Flaming Feather restaurant, then spent the rest of our day exploring the other lands.

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In the Magische Vallei (Magic Valley) we really enjoyed the Dwervelwind (Whirlwind) spinning roller coaster with on-board audio soundtrack and the Djengu River rapids water ride. Both rides are located in a very well themed landscape with lush planting, ponds and waterfalls. The motorcycle roller coaster Booster Bike is rather out of place and completely unthemed, but is still a fun ride with a launch from from 0 - 75 km/h (0 - 46 mph) in just 3 seconds.

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Ithaka is a Greek themed area for the impressive wooden roller coaster Troy. With a height of 32 m (105 ft), a top speed of 87 km/h (54 mph), and a track length of 1,077 m (3,534 ft) it is the tallest, fastest and longest wooden roller coaster in the Netherlands. A particularly exciting moment is when the train rattles through the roof of the station.

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Heading inside to Wunderwald, a large covered area with a variety of family rides and attractions, we came upon a surprise highlight of the visit. Maximus' Blitz Bahn is an exciting bobsleigh style ride that is powered through a wild course at up to 45 km/h (28 mph). After queuing in a brilliant themed alpine lodge with a series of amusing scenes, riders board individual steampunk vehicles and can control their speed during the ride.

The nearby Expedition Zork log flume has indoor and outdoor sections, with backward and forward drops, but the design of the building with minimal decoration detracts from the ride.

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For young visitors Land van Toos, another indoor area, includes another 11 rides and attractions including the Toos-Express children's roller coaster.

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Toverland’s ambition for the next few years is to attract 1 million visitors. To achieve this, the theme park intends to increase the length of stay by building new expansions and opening a four-star hotel resort.

We stayed at the Gr8 Hotel Sevenum, located just 5 minutes away by car. This modern and stylish hotel is perfectly suited to visiting Toverland, with free WiFi, free parking and free breakfast. Book here.

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