News about Tønnevirvel

In November 2025, Tønnevirvel received another visible upgrade, this time focused on theme rather than ride hardware. After eleven days of major maintenance at Rulantica, Europa-Park installed a 7-metre female sea serpent above the interactive water carousel. The figure represents Svalgur, a mythological inhabitant of Rulantica who also appears elsewhere in the water park, including on the slide Svalgur Rytt. For Tønnevirvel, the addition is more than decoration. Since the permanent cover turned the ride into an indoor experience, the space above and around the carousel became part of the show. With Svalgur, crates and other suspended objects, the area gained more story and visual tension. During the water fight, guests are now watched from above by a creature tied directly to the park's mythology. Looopings noted that the upgrade came during a wider maintenance period in which Rulantica also received other smaller improvements. Although the reopening included water temperature issues elsewhere in the park, the attraction's own history gained a clear thematic layer that strengthens its place in Rulantica's world.

The December 2024 reopening gave Tønnevirvel a clear new chapter. What had started as an outdoor water fight and was later protected by a heated temporary tent now received a permanent cover with a large glass dome. For visitors, the benefit was immediate: the interactive water carousel could remain appealing in bad weather and during winter. The core ride stayed familiar. Nine round boats, each seating six people, still spin while riders and bystanders spray one another with water cannons. Yet the atmosphere changed substantially. Europa-Park added lighting effects designed to stand out after sunset, along with a Scandinavian-inspired soundtrack. Later in the evening, dance music takes over, giving the water battle a more energetic night-time character. Looopings connected the reopening to the construction work that had started in September, noting that the carousel itself remained untouched while its surroundings were transformed. In the attraction's history, this is a key turning point. Tønnevirvel moved from a weather-sensitive outdoor ride to a more complete indoor experience within Rulantica.

In September 2024, Tønnevirvel returned to the news in a very different way from its cheerful opening season. Photos from fansite EuropaStreet showed fencing removed around the interactive water attraction and the surrounding area dug up. Europa-Park had not yet officially explained the exact reason for the work, but Looopings connected the visible construction to the likely arrival of a permanent cover. That made sense in the ride's short history. After opening in 2022, Rulantica had already used a heated tent to keep the outdoor water carousel operating during winter. Now the resort appeared to be turning that temporary fix into a structural upgrade. For visitors, the work meant a temporary closure and a detour toward alternatives such as Vikingløp, but the promise was stronger year-round usability. The park's own communication pointed to a return around Christmas in a new atmosphere and as a splashy indoor adventure. Historically, this article captures the moment Tønnevirvel moved into a second design phase. It was no longer just an outdoor novelty, but a ride being reshaped for a more permanent, weather-resistant place in Rulantica.

Less than six months after opening, Tønnevirvel already showed how valuable it could be for Rulantica's year-round offer. The interactive water ride was originally expected to close at the end of September, because an outdoor water fight is far less appealing once temperatures drop. Europa-Park instead chose a fast and practical solution: a large heated tent was built around the ride, connected to the indoor section of the water park by an airlock-style passage. The water inside the attraction was heated as well. That allowed Tønnevirvel to remain available during winter, while other outdoor features such as Svalgurok closed for the colder months. For visitors, the change mattered because Rulantica's first fully mechanical ride did not become a short seasonal extra. It immediately gained a role in the park's winter operation. For fans, the move suggested that Europa-Park saw the water carousel as a permanent part of Rulantica's identity. The temporary tent would later prove to be the first step toward a more ambitious permanent cover.

When Tønnevirvel opened in June 2022, Rulantica gained a ride that worked very differently from the slides and pools that defined the water park until then. Europa-Park presented the twist 'n' splash during an opening ceremony as Rulantica's first fully mechanical attraction. From that weekend, guests could board round gondolas fitted with water cannons, while people on the edge of the ride could join the battle from outside. The concept mixed the familiar movement of a teacup ride with a basin that appears when the floor drops at the start of the cycle. The opening also brought a notable name change: the project previously announced as Heligvända became Tønnevirvel. Its theme referred to an ancient place of worship of northern peoples, tying the attraction more closely to Rulantica's Scandinavian world. For fans, the milestone mattered because it pushed the water park beyond slides and swimming areas into true ride territory. Tønnevirvel immediately became a recognizable outdoor anchor, surrounded by new children's areas and future expansion plans.

Tønnevirvel's story began in March 2022, when Europa-Park announced that Rulantica would receive its first mechanical ride. The project was presented as a Mack Rides twist 'n' splash under the Scandinavian name Heligvända. That made the plan more than another slide or play area: it introduced a ride experience built around movement, water and audience participation. Riders would sit in gondolas fitted with water cannons, while visitors standing around the attraction could join the battle from the sidelines. At the start of the cycle, the floor would lower and form a basin around the ride. Looopings placed the announcement within Rulantica's wider expansion push, as the resort was looking for more loungers and slide capacity. For visitors, the addition promised a lively outdoor experience with high throughput and a different rhythm from the rest of the water park. In hindsight, the article marks the moment when the future Tønnevirvel first entered Rulantica's timeline, before the name changed and the ride became a distinctive mechanical landmark.