Journey high up into the Swiss Alps in search of the legendary Krampus monster...
Journey high up into the Swiss Alps in search of the legendary Krampus monster...
| Theme Park | Nigloland |
|---|---|
| Type | Watercoaster |
| Audience | Thrillseekers |
| Opened | 12 June 2021 |
| Manufacturer | Mack Rides |
| Model | Water Coaster |
| Height | 92 ft |
| Length | 1969 ft |
| Inversions | 0 |
| Max Speed | 49 mph |
Krampus Expédition
An adventurous expedition is afoot at Nigloland, as a ferocious beast is disturbed when visitors enter its territory high up in the Swiss Alps aboard the theme park's water coaster, Krampus Expédition.
The ride, themed around a boat journey through the wild Alpine rivers, is a Mack Rides Water Coaster, and represented the largest investment at Nigloland to date when it opened in 2021 at a reported cost of €12 million.
It is set in an area next to Nigloland's Alpina Blitz rollercoaster, with a themed landscape incorporating icy rocky cliffs that surround Krampus' main lake. The station and most of the queueline is housed within a wooden alpine lodge, with the skeleton of a baby Krampus monster chained up inside.
Eight seater boats transport visitors through the ride, which begins with a short water channel floating past more alpine buildings before coming to the lift hill and the coaster section. The layout of this is pretty much the same as most Mack Water Coasters, with a couple of spiralling turns which line the boat up for the drop, airtime hill and tunnel, culminating in a splashdown into the lake.
The coaster section is much smoother than on other water coasters, and the splash is not overly wet which makes Krampus Expédition a good ride on both sunny and not-so-warm days. The main complaint is its short length, with the usual water coaster section being both a little dull and over very quickly. Much of the overall ride duration is spent floating around the water channel post-splashdown, as the boat meanders its way back to the station.
Krampus Expédition's theming and smoothness sets it apart from many other water coasters, delivering an exciting family friendly experience. More could have been made of the Krampus monster itself, but it is understandable that the park shied away from this so as not to scare younger visitors. It's a pity that the slow ending floating around the lake back to the station doesn't add up to the most exciting finale, but this is a common problem found on Mack's water coasters.
Ride entrance
Station building
Posters referencing other water rides around the world
Newspaper report
Skeleton of a young krampus monster
Loading platform
Ready to set off
Past alpine buildings
Lift hill
The ride sits next to Alpina Blitz
Coaster section
Main drop
Krampus rock tunnel
Splash down
Floating back to the station
