Hossoland: A Fairytale-Themed Adventure Park Finally Opens
Hossoland, a fairytale-themed adventure land, has finally opened its doors after facing several delays. The park, located in the village of Brojce on Poland’s northern coast, was originally scheduled to open on May 31st but faced a month-long delay, which impacted its chances during the lucrative summer season.
Now that the gates are officially open, the park is welcoming its first thrill-seekers. Spanning 400,000 square meters and featuring 50 rides and attractions across four themed lands, Hossoland aims to compete with popular theme parks like Thorpe Park and Disneyland Paris.
The park centers around a lighthouse and draws inspiration from local Baltic legends and fairytales. However, some have criticized it for not being ambitious enough, particularly in terms of the number of big thrill rides available. While Poland’s largest theme park, Energylandia, boasts 18 rollercoasters, Hossoland only has four. One critic questioned, “This is supposed to be competition for Energylandia? 4 rollercoasters?” Another visitor expressed concern about the park’s appeal to adults, saying, “Me and my 15-year-old son are waiting impatiently.”
One of the park’s anticipated highlights, the GhostRider steel coaster, was expected to be a standout attraction. This coaster, which cost several million pounds, was set to reach 53 meters in the air and take guests on a thrilling ride at speeds of 72 mph. However, it seems this attraction may not be available anytime soon.
The ticket prices have also drawn some criticism, with adult tickets priced at £34 and child tickets at £30 (toddlers pay 20 pence). One tourist remarked that the tickets “aren’t cheap either.” Despite this, some visitors have defended the new park, noting that while it appears to target younger children, new rides are still under construction.
Social media has seen a lot of excitement about Hossoland, with many theme park enthusiasts expressing their admiration. One person wrote on the park’s official Instagram page, “I was there today I’ll say yes… MEGA! I liked the most on the roller coaster in the dragon zone.” Another added, “Really one of the most beautiful entrances. Not getting over it. Bravo.”
Hossoland features four distinct themed lands: the Dragon Valley of the Mines, the Land of the Vikings, the Kingdom of Baltambrya, and Mermaid City. Karen Hovsepyan, vice president of the park’s operator Hosso Group, previously stated, “Hossoland will be the only amusement park of such a large scale on the Polish coast. It will certainly become a recognisable symbol and a frequently visited place in this region.”
It is hoped that the park will attract one million tourists per year. The closest airport to Hossoland is Szczecin, with direct flights from Liverpool and London available via Ryanair. From the airport, it is approximately a one-hour drive to the park. Additionally, the park is within three hours of Berlin.
Former Theme Park Transformed into Homes
Last week, it was revealed that a former theme park could be transformed into hundreds of homes 15 years after the site was closed and left to rot. A planning application has been submitted to turn the former Camelot Theme Park in Charnock Richard, Lancashire, into 350 homes.
The park, which closed in 2012 after nearly 30 years of operation, has remained empty since then, with occasional use for immersive Halloween events and laser tag. Story Homes has submitted the application to convert the site into housing, with 50% of the proposed homes designated as affordable housing for local residents.
During its peak, Camelot was one of the northwest’s most prominent tourist attractions, featuring rides like Excalibur 2 and hosting live jousting in an arena. Inspired by the legend of King Arthur, the park was boarded up after nearly 30 years of operation. Owners Knights Leisure cited bad weather as a contributing factor to low visitor numbers, leading to the decision to shut down the park and resulting in over 150 staff losing their jobs.
The amusement park was home to the legendary Knightmare roller coaster, whose structure remained standing even after the park was closed. It was only dismantled in 2020. Other notable rides included the Dragon Flyer, Caterpillar Capers, The Galleon, and Pendragon’s Plunge.
