Rodelparadies St. Englmar to Build New Themed Area

(eap) Germany’s Rodelparadies St. Englmar (Engl.: “tobogganing paradise of St. Englmar”) in Bavaria, which is nowadays a popular summer destination for families with numerous playgrounds, rides such as carousels and even a rollercoaster rather than a winter sports destination, is planning to open a new adventure area. The extension will be called “Sepps zünftiger Bauernhof” (Engl.: “Sepp’s Hearty Farm”) and construction work will begin in autumn. The expansion is set to include a new themed playground and a giant swing, among other new attractions. The first phase of the planned expansion is due to open in summer 2026.

The Bindl family, who owns and operates the site, has recently invested in infrastructural measures such as a new car park and entrance area. Now, the next steps in the further development of the family leisure destination is to expand the range of activities and experiences again, themed around the characters of “Der voglwuide Sepp” (Engl.: “Farmer Sepp”) and “Bazi, the beaver”. Sepp is to have its own farm, which will be built on an area of around 6,000 square metres, where the energetic craftsman wants to build some exciting attractions together with Bazi the beaver... According to the storyline, not everything goes smoothly, because Bazi has his very own ideas about how to build things. This results in constructions that appear unstable but function as intended – to the amusement of guests.

Unimogbahn & spritzige Karussellfahrt There will be several attractions in the new themed area, including a rail-guided Unimog ride (by Metalltechnik Kirschner) for transporting tree trunks, and a lively carousel ride (implemented by ART Engineering), where guests can water colourful flowers with watering cans. Both rides will be accessible without age restrictions.

Themen-Spielplatz "Hofgaudi" There will also be a new themed playground – with an approx. eight-metre-high playable cow as the central element. The figure will invite young visitors to slide, climb and discover, while other farmyard elements such as tractors, milk cans and funny moles will provide fun all around. The entire playground, which is being planned and realised by Kletterparadies, will also be barrier-free, with special play attractions for guests with disabilities, wide paths and a large wheelchair-friendly sandpit (read the special feature on accessibility in leisure facilities in the current May/June issue of EAP).

Another highlight of the planned expansion will be the “Hofschleuder” – a twelve-metre high giant swing that transports guests to lofty heights, but does not make any rollovers. This is the “Wild Swing” model (also from ART Engineering), which can be used by children from the age of three and a height of 0.9 metres.

Also with this expansion, the St. Englmar tobogganing paradise, which incidentally celebrated its 25th anniversary in 2023 (c.f. EAP 4/2023), will stick to its existing concept of free admission to the park, says Maximilian Bindl. According to the Tivoli principle, coins can be purchased to use the rides, while the playgrounds are free to use. “Sepp’s traditional farm will offer fun, adventure and lots of mischief. Here, children can romp around, families can laugh together and everyone can discover farm life in their own way – together with Sepp and Bazi,” promises the junior CEO. ■