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You wooden believe it!
What is said to be Scandinavia's biggest wooden roller coaster has opened at the Liseberg amusement park near Gothenburg.
When the park first opened, it had a 1km long, 18m high wooden roller coaster. This was renovated several times over the years but finally demolished in 1987.The new ride, Balder, - built to commemorate the park's 80th birthday and costing SEK100m - is 1,070m long, 36m high, has a steepest drop of 70degrees and a top speed of 90kmh.
Negative g-forces are reported to be experienced 10 times during the 128-second ride.Balder has two trains carrying 30 people each and a maximum capacity of 1,000 passengers per hour.
Construction of the ride, which occupies an area formerly home to staff and storage buildings, took just over 18 months and used 190,000 metres of timber.In addition to Balder, Liseberg offers over 30 rides. It also has numerous stages providing a variety of live entertainment, a Maxxima 3D cinema and a wide range of food and beverage outlets.
Accommodation is available in the 181-room, two-storey Hotel Liseberg Heden and at the Liseberg Camping and Cabin Park. It is also possible to book a cabin aboard the 4-masted barque Viking, permanently moored in Gothenburg harbour.The park is open from 12 April until 28 September, with special Christmas openings in late November and December. Details: www.liseberg.se