Destinations
Destinations - archive
A record year for the Gunzburg Lego park
Text and photo: Srđan Vrančić
Source: Croatian Traveller
Lego is synonymous with play, imagination, creativity… This specific form of children philosophy was invented by the Danish. The wooden bricks appeared for the first time some sixty years ago. Coinciding with the appearance of the plastic bricks, the first Lego theme park was opened in Lego’s headquarters in Billund (1968). Five years ago, Lego theme parks separated from Lego and are now owned by the Merlin Entertainments Group, in a very respectable company of Sea Life, Madame Tussauds, The Merlin London Eye, Gardaland and so on.
The change in ownership did not change park’s philosophy. The spirit of fellowship between parents and children managed to take hold in Denmark, England, USA and Germany, who still have Lego parks. The foundation is reflected in the philosophy of “little heroes”. The parks invite their visitors to become firemen, police officers, constructors… Of course, you will also find your typical roller coasters, but the focus lies on the education through fun, not through rushes of adrenaline.
This form of entertainment definitely requires assistance from the parents. Explanations of practical physics and the experience of adults are not only welcome, but also necessary for solving some of the tasks in the park. Legoland is a unique place where you can build of relationship full of trust with your little one. The name Lego comes from Danish words “leg” and “godt”, meaning “play nicely”. We are all children in spirit, no matter how old we are.
The park closest to us can be found in Gunzburg, halfway between Stuttgart and Munich. Legoland-Deutschland lies by the motorway and offers accommodation in bungalows or in the campsite. The bungalows are decorated with pirate, race car or Indiana Jones motifs, while in the camp you can rent genuine medieval tent. You should definitely study the pricelist well, especially the discounts, and plan your trip as a multiple day excursion. Lego will not bore you even after two or three days, and if you use the discounts, the prices can be cut almost in half.
At the entrance to the park, you will be welcomed by the traditional buildings made of building blocks, including: Neuschwanstein Castle, Allianz Arena in Munich, Hamburg port, as well as the Berlin Love Parade. Of course, the Germans made sure to include the football, so in the honor of the recent World Cup, they built Lego busts of football greats and placed them in the middle of the park. There are more than fifty million bricks in the park for your entertainment.
Out of the present attractions, we should definitely point out the Bionicle Power Builder, fashioned after flight simulators. At the entrance you receive a digital card with which you can program the simulator’s moves and speed. Then you sit into the cockpit at the end of a bionic arm crane, and the acrobatics can begin! The enchanting pirate land promises a lot of action. After you board a ship, take a place by one of the manually operated mechanical cannons that shoot water.
The danger lurks from all sides: the restless seas, cannons from the forts on the coast and enemy ships, will make sure that even the best covered pieces of your clothing are soaking wet. Be sure to reload the cannon for your little ones; this will provide them with sufficient water ammo. The barrage of laughter will take turns with high-pitched shrieks when they are hit by the enemy. The hot air chamber and spare dry clothes left in a safe place will help you dry very quickly, even when it’s not summer.
The kingdom of knights, lego x-treme, and waterfall rides can be found in every Lego park. You will also find Imagination with its Build-test center, where you can build your own skyscraper and subject it to the earthquake test, or build your own racecar and release it onto a track with electronic timekeeping. Of course, you can also visit the factory that manufactures the blocks, manufacture your own, or simply watch Clutch Powers, this year’s hit film in 4D.
In Gunzburg, they see the next year as the year of records. The Australian scientist and adventurer Lloyd will try to break the Guinness world record in early April by spending 336 hours in the newly opened Sea Life aquarium with 1.300 tropical fish. In August, there will be an attempt to break the world record by building a 30 meter high tower, weighing over 1.5 tons. Of course, it will be built by the visitors themselves, with more than half a million of Lego bricks.
In early September you can participate in the biggest Star Wars convention with more than 250 participants. If you satisfy the academy, you can even become a Jedi knight. Late October is reserved for Halloween, i.e. building of a big pumpkin with more than 180,000 bricks. Of course, you can choose some other time to visit the Lego world, because this year it will be visited by cowboys, Indians, car stuntmen, singers, and if you’re in luck, perhaps even you with your children.
Source: Croatian Traveller
Lego is synonymous with play, imagination, creativity… This specific form of children philosophy was invented by the Danish. The wooden bricks appeared for the first time some sixty years ago. Coinciding with the appearance of the plastic bricks, the first Lego theme park was opened in Lego’s headquarters in Billund (1968). Five years ago, Lego theme parks separated from Lego and are now owned by the Merlin Entertainments Group, in a very respectable company of Sea Life, Madame Tussauds, The Merlin London Eye, Gardaland and so on.
The change in ownership did not change park’s philosophy. The spirit of fellowship between parents and children managed to take hold in Denmark, England, USA and Germany, who still have Lego parks. The foundation is reflected in the philosophy of “little heroes”. The parks invite their visitors to become firemen, police officers, constructors… Of course, you will also find your typical roller coasters, but the focus lies on the education through fun, not through rushes of adrenaline.
This form of entertainment definitely requires assistance from the parents. Explanations of practical physics and the experience of adults are not only welcome, but also necessary for solving some of the tasks in the park. Legoland is a unique place where you can build of relationship full of trust with your little one. The name Lego comes from Danish words “leg” and “godt”, meaning “play nicely”. We are all children in spirit, no matter how old we are.
The park closest to us can be found in Gunzburg, halfway between Stuttgart and Munich. Legoland-Deutschland lies by the motorway and offers accommodation in bungalows or in the campsite. The bungalows are decorated with pirate, race car or Indiana Jones motifs, while in the camp you can rent genuine medieval tent. You should definitely study the pricelist well, especially the discounts, and plan your trip as a multiple day excursion. Lego will not bore you even after two or three days, and if you use the discounts, the prices can be cut almost in half.
At the entrance to the park, you will be welcomed by the traditional buildings made of building blocks, including: Neuschwanstein Castle, Allianz Arena in Munich, Hamburg port, as well as the Berlin Love Parade. Of course, the Germans made sure to include the football, so in the honor of the recent World Cup, they built Lego busts of football greats and placed them in the middle of the park. There are more than fifty million bricks in the park for your entertainment.
Out of the present attractions, we should definitely point out the Bionicle Power Builder, fashioned after flight simulators. At the entrance you receive a digital card with which you can program the simulator’s moves and speed. Then you sit into the cockpit at the end of a bionic arm crane, and the acrobatics can begin! The enchanting pirate land promises a lot of action. After you board a ship, take a place by one of the manually operated mechanical cannons that shoot water.
The danger lurks from all sides: the restless seas, cannons from the forts on the coast and enemy ships, will make sure that even the best covered pieces of your clothing are soaking wet. Be sure to reload the cannon for your little ones; this will provide them with sufficient water ammo. The barrage of laughter will take turns with high-pitched shrieks when they are hit by the enemy. The hot air chamber and spare dry clothes left in a safe place will help you dry very quickly, even when it’s not summer.
The kingdom of knights, lego x-treme, and waterfall rides can be found in every Lego park. You will also find Imagination with its Build-test center, where you can build your own skyscraper and subject it to the earthquake test, or build your own racecar and release it onto a track with electronic timekeeping. Of course, you can also visit the factory that manufactures the blocks, manufacture your own, or simply watch Clutch Powers, this year’s hit film in 4D.
In Gunzburg, they see the next year as the year of records. The Australian scientist and adventurer Lloyd will try to break the Guinness world record in early April by spending 336 hours in the newly opened Sea Life aquarium with 1.300 tropical fish. In August, there will be an attempt to break the world record by building a 30 meter high tower, weighing over 1.5 tons. Of course, it will be built by the visitors themselves, with more than half a million of Lego bricks.
In early September you can participate in the biggest Star Wars convention with more than 250 participants. If you satisfy the academy, you can even become a Jedi knight. Late October is reserved for Halloween, i.e. building of a big pumpkin with more than 180,000 bricks. Of course, you can choose some other time to visit the Lego world, because this year it will be visited by cowboys, Indians, car stuntmen, singers, and if you’re in luck, perhaps even you with your children.
