2015

Horror Nights

In a world where the zombies have developed a consciousness of their own, you find yourself thrown into the midst of a savage horde of the undead, hunting you down with brutal efficiency and nipping any thought of escape in the bud. As ancient creatures rise from dark caverns beneath the earth, sinister hordes strike, and cursed forces create new armies of terror within Egyptian ruins and crumbling mansions, all order finally collapses. And even where it seems that games and illusions still prevail, everything turns out to be a trap. At Horror Nights, you’ll encounter madness, deception and a world that won’t ever let you go.

The zombies have reawakened. A year after the explosion in the top-secret laboratory, the test subjects have created their own world – and it is not one that is hospitable to visitors.

The shadows cast upon the cold walls of the abandoned building appear bizarre and oversized. The clanging of metal makes you flinch. Empty, soulless pairs of eyes pierce through your body. The army of the undead is growing in strength, marching with steady steps and stony faces towards their next victim. The situation is hopeless. There is no escape. Your pulse pounds against your temples. The acrid stench of decay assaults your senses, making it hard to breathe.

With the help of artificial intelligence, the zombies have learned to anticipate human behaviour, making escape almost impossible. Using their cognitive abilities, they have managed to form an army that will not hesitate to use heavy firepower. They store their weapons in an armoury, waiting only to strike and destroy any intruders. Only the fastest can escape the massacre.

A creepy creature at Horror Nights at Europa-Park in 2015.

Nightmare – Escape turns nightmares into reality. Whether it’s the fear of being devoured, claustrophobia or the dread of the dentist – visitors encounter everything that keeps them awake at night here.

Its face is deeply furrowed, its features etched with scarred bark. Rough, fibrous bark plates make the Nightgrabber’s emotions difficult to discern. And yet one thing is certain: the monstrous figure is merely lying in wait for its next attack. Its mighty claws and razor-sharp teeth are smeared with blood. This grim foreboding turns to reality in 2015. Little Caroline has been abducted and killed by the beast. As a changeling, the Nightgrabber took on the form of a charming creature to lure new prey into his clutches.

His camouflage allows the monster to blend into any environment, waiting unnoticed until his victims are standing right before him, then striking from nowhere. Even a chapel can become a death trap. There is no sanctuary here. Those who manage to escape Nightmare – Escape will lie awake at night haunted by the gruesome images, tossing and turning in bed night after night, unable to find peace.

For thousands of years, the gloomy cavern has been cut off from the outside world. In the dark passages of The Cave, evolution has forged creatures that are unlike anything ever seen before, creatures that have never seen the light of day. Deep underground, these mutated creatures lie in wait for their next meal. They have learnt to go without food for very long periods, but when they smell human flesh, their primal instincts are awakened and they hunt anything that moves. Like bats, they use echolocation to detect even the slightest movement in the pitch-black tunnels. Anything that breathes is already doomed. Each species has developed its own abilities to locate intruders. Highly sensitive hearing organs, infrared eyes and an acute sense of smell help them pounce on anything that strays into the cave. You will only encounter this pack of mutants once.

Bright and colourful, with plenty of fanfare and confetti, beaming harlequins welcome the playful crowd to the Big Shoe Casino. Surrounded by roulette tables and slot machines, Joker Poker is in full swing, and the next round of Black Jack in the Box is heralded by loud clown horns. Streamers fly through the air, colourful balloons dance to the beat of cheerful circus music, and a small carousel spins dreamily in circles. And there’s cake! Fluffy, delicious cream cake. Topped with sweet cherries and sugar curls. It’s a carnival atmosphere that everyone.wants to be part of! In this den of iniquity, the seeker will find their fortune. On rainbow-coloured bar stools, loose women bobbing to the beat of the carnival music with cheap drinks in hand coax the last of the guests’ money out of the pleasure-seeking crowd.

There’s a real Las Vegas vibe in the casino. But appearances are deceptive. Soon enough, the pranksters reveal themselves to be nasty tricksters. Is the bubble gun perhaps not so harmless after all? Suddenly, the colourful revelry doesn’t seem so funny any more, and the jokers aren’t so friendly either. Mischievous pranks can also end up being deadly, and foolish jokes can have fatal consequences. This dance with mischief could be your last – and this game of chance could have an ominous end.

The Curse of the Mummy harbours a dark secret. An Egyptian excavation site lies dormant, awaiting scholars keen to explore the origins of humanity. Strangely, the skeletons show no signs of damage from the pressure of the earth’s layers. And is that a trail of blood leading from the burial ground to the dilapidated building? Timidly, the explorers venture towards the entrance. A weathered sign hangs above the steel door. “Undead Delivery Corporation (UDC)” is scrawled on the rusted metal. This place is clearly nothing to do with the origins of Homo sapiens. The UDC warehouse is filled with large crates in which zombies await their deployment. The founder of this shady firm is greedy archaeologist Mister X, who stumbled upon the remains of an Egyptian priest during an excavation many years ago and inadvertently reawakened his spirit. The apparition offered him a dangerous deal: in exchange for eternal life, he had to create an army of zombies capable of wiping out humanity. The Curse of the Mummy wreaks havoc on a massive scale and seizes world domination with unimaginable consequences.

Two zombies stare into the camera at Horror Nights 2015 at Europa-Park.

Driven by a lust for power and greed, Mister X has created an empire of terror with ‘The Mansion’. From a hilltop, he surveys his kingdom and his subjects. A magical potion has made him immortal. If the formula is altered even slightly, it turns humans into undead creatures. This is how the eccentric billionaire is creating his army of zombies. Only his close friends are allowed to buy the pure essence from him and thus become immortal as well. By selling the potion, he has quickly amassed enormous wealth and gained power over his people. The friends he has bought have no idea that, by gaining immortality, they are bound to Mister X for eternity and are subservient to him.

Bored by money and power, the billionaire is growing increasingly restless. To pass the time, he has invited an old acquaintance: Marc Terenzi. Mister X no longer throws parties himself. He has his followers throw them for him. He now surrounds himself only with his undead disciples and is becoming increasingly unpredictable. He changes his clothes several times a day and is beginning to develop bizarre fetishes. Mister X eats nothing but dead tree bark and speaks to the paintings he creates. Boredom has driven him to turn his house into a playground for his sick fantasies. If you want to find your way out you’ll have to solve puzzles, pass tests and follow the deranged train of thought of the madman who owns the place. The Mansion has a consciousness of its own. Only a select few are allowed access to the residence. Will they ever find their way out again?

With gigantic, soot-coloured crow’s wings, a diabolical creature fights its way through Nightgrabber Forest. This fearsome creature stumbles through the thicket, sometimes rustling and rumbling loudly, other times creeping silently and unnoticed until it can pounce on its prey. In the terrifying form of the Nightgrabber, three legendary figures merge into an eerie spawn of terror. According to legend, the Nightgrabber wreaks havoc in the Black Forest. After dark, he snatches up all the children who are still outside and flies them miles away from home, until they can no longer find their way back.
The Krampuses, too, have their sights set on naughty children. In the guise of the devil, these mythical creatures gather around their victims, bringing misfortune and ruin. As changelings, who are also rooted in folklore, they constantly change their appearance, are descended from the devil, and have their origins in mythology. This forest is eerie and cold. The night wind blows the treetops back and forth. Like dark clouds they stretch out in front of the moon. Defenceless and completely at his mercy, you run straight into the Nightgrabber’s clutches.
The Excavation site lies abandoned right next to the sinister compound of the Undead Delivery Corporation, which specialises in the delivery of zombies and monsters. Finds are stored in large crates. But the storage area is not as deserted as it seems. Hordes are waiting to emerge from their den. The sound of ragged breathing can be heard through the brittle wood of the containers. The creatures of hell are awakening. The zombies fight their way to freedom with unbridled force, splinters flying through the air. Now the time of the undead has come.

Ein Darsteller bei den Horror Nights 2015 im Europa-Park als Zombie verkleidet steht hinter einem Metallzaun und reißt seinen Mund weit auf.

Burning cars line the length of K-cam Street. Gloomy silhouettes shuffle awkwardly through the landscape. Their slow, deliberate movements are deceptive. The moment they sense the presence of humans, they spring swiftly from behind the wreckage. The smell of gas lingers in the air, creating a nauseating mixture with the sickly sweet scent of death. A single spark could spell the end. This path leads straight to hell.