LEIPZIG, Germany — One week after its grand opening, a new Asterix-themed area at BELANTIS theme park near Leipzig is drawing strong visitor numbers, park management said Wednesday — marking the first concrete step in a multi-year plan to remake the facility as Germany’s first Asterix park.
The new zone, Idefix’ Adventure Land, was developed by park operator Compagnie des Alpes (CDA) at a cost of €5 million and is designed specifically to appeal to families with younger children. It features four brand-new rides, a large custom-designed adventure playground, and daily meet-and-greet opportunities with beloved comic book characters Asterix and Obelix.
“The first week exceeded our expectations,” said Martin Endruhn, Managing Director of BELANTIS. “The feedback from our guests has been overwhelmingly positive and shows us that, with Idefix’s Adventure Land, we have created exactly what many families were looking for.”
The official opening ceremony on May 27 was attended by notable guests including François Fassier, Director of the Amusement Park Division at Compagnie des Alpes; Guy Vassel, Managing Director of France’s Parc Astérix; and Burkhard Jung, the Mayor of Leipzig. German TV presenter and singer Uta Bresan was named the official patron of the new area.
A particularly meaningful moment at the launch was the presence of Anne Goscinny, daughter of Asterix co-creator René Goscinny. “It’s touching to see how the world of Asterix and Idefix is now coming to life here for families and children,” she said at the ceremony, adding that her father “could never have imagined in his wildest dreams that Asterix would one day come to Germany.” Goscinny passed away in 1977; his co-author and illustrator Albert Uderzo died in 2020.
The opening represents far more than a single new attraction. CDA acquired BELANTIS in April 2025, and the long-term goal is to fully reimagine the park as Asterix Park Germany by 2030/31 — which would make it the first Astérix-branded park outside of France. Working in close partnership with copyright holders Les Éditions Albert René, CDA plans to systematically introduce new themed areas, updated infrastructure, and modernized guest experiences across the entire park footprint.
The strategic rationale behind the investment is straightforward. Germany is considered the second-largest market for Asterix comics after France, giving the franchise a strong built-in fan base in the region. CDA estimates the fully revamped park could eventually attract 900,000 to 1,000,000 visitors per year — a significant jump from the roughly 300,000 annual visitors BELANTIS attracted under its previous management.
The site also offers considerable room for growth. BELANTIS spans around 80 hectares, with roughly 41 hectares currently held in reserve for future developments, and its proximity to Leipzig, Dresden, and Berlin — along with good motorway access — makes it well positioned as a major leisure destination.
The next expansion phase is already finalized, with a new family roller coaster set to begin construction in 2026 and open in 2027. Filip de Witte, Managing Director of BELANTIS, described the opening as “the start of a long-term development programme through which we will continue to transform the park step by step over the coming years.”
BELANTIS is located just outside Leipzig in Saxony, and currently offers nine themed worlds with roller coasters, an Egyptian themed water ride, and dozens of other attractions across the site.
Cover image: © 2026 – EVENT PARK GmbH
