BERRY STRANGE
The ‘bizarre’ European strawberry theme parks – with brand new sausage rollercoaster and spitting toilet man attraction
And where to find some of Europe's oddest attractions
A STRANGE collection of European theme parks is set to welcome its newest ride this month, ahead of the summer season.
The Karl's Adventure Village collection of theme parks can be found across Germany, with a range of unique attractions and rides that aren't like anything found anywhere else.
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The parks are based on an historical strawberry farm, started in 1921 by a man named Karl Dahl in a village in Mecklenburg.
Somewhere along the way, the strawberry business added rides and attractions, and opened new sites across the country.
Now, people throughout Germany visit the resorts to ride rollercoasters like the flying cowshed, in which visitors are lifted up in a cowshed, as if it's caught in a storm, before being shaken about.
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Elsewhere, there's the flying umbrella, which is described as "Karl's biggest and fastest adventure of all time".
The huge disc, painted to look like a strawberry, spins around while travelling up and down a track at speeds of up to 70 kmh (43mph) and at a height of 17 meters (56ft).
Meanwhile, the K2 rollercoaster, found in the Potato Adventure World at the Elstal park, near Berlin, won the European Star award in 2023, recognising it as one of the continent's best attractions.
The coaster takes riders through a potato chip factory, starting underground, before they are catapulted around the track in a two-carriage train.
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While queueing, they are shown a multimedia and sound show about local potato chip production, to "shorten the waiting time".
The food-themed fun continues this year, with a brand new ride opening called the Brockwurst Spinner.
The new sausage ride will see pairs of people experience swung around in meaty-shaped cars at their site in Döbeln.
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: "You both get into the funny Bockwurst boat and are then pulled up on one side.
"Once at the top, after a short break, you quickly go down and up again on the opposite side.
"Then you spin back and forth in the funny Bockwurst as long as you have enough momentum. Guaranteed stomach tingles."
The sausage coaster is set to open to the public for the first time this weekend.
Theme Park Tips
- Go to the back of the theme park first. Rides at the front will have the longest queues as soon as it opens.
- Go on water rides in the middle of the day in the summer - this will cool you off when the sun is at its hottest.
- Download the park's app to track which rides have the shortest queues.
- Visit on your birthday, as some parks give out "birthday badges" that can get you freebies.
- If it rains, contact the park. Depending on how much it rained, you may get a free ticket to return.
While the rides are strange enough, there are other peculiar attractions and oddities found throughout the theme park.
One of which is "Toilettenmann" - an animatronic man seen sitting on a toilet, who spits at guests.
There's also the Scaredy Bunny Barn, the Giant Climbing Cushion, the Rat Kitchen, a bee museum and a Strawberry Fortress among many inventive ideas throughout the six adventure villages.
The various different sites offer food and drinks stalls, including bars, grills, burger stands, restaurants and cafes.
While, of course, strawberries and other Karl's foods can be purchased in the on-site shops. In fact, strawberry jam is made on site in such huge quantities, that the whole place smells of the stuff.
Tickets for the sites range from £10.75 to £19.30, depending on which of the parks you visit.
The park has left people entertained and confused in equal measures, with plenty of reviews online.
One person wrote: "HOW is it possible that we had never heard of this place!!? A totally amazing place, it has everything!"
Another said: "It's a very fun, yet strange place (but in a good way). It's something that needs to be experienced."
A third added: "It takes the classic family fun farm/garden centre mechanic and gives it a bizarre niche twist that makes it truly unique and wonderful."
The strawberry theme parks are far from the most peculiar in Europe, or beyond.
Farting dog theme park, Denmark
The designers of Bonbon Land in Denmark have put a farting dog at the heart of most of their attractions.
The standout is the Hundeprutterutchenbane - better known as the "farting dog switchback" rollercoaster.
JCB amusements, UK
Diggerland in the UK is themed around JCBs and diggers - providing youngsters with the chance to play with excavators and machinery.
There are four different Diggerlands throughout the country, including Kent, Devon, Durham and Yorkshire.
Underground park in a salt mine
Another odd day out can be found at an underground theme park called Salina Turda in one of the world's oldest salt mines in Romania.
Inside the mine a huge 20m panoramic wheel which is the "only one in the world that works underground".
There are also games including bowling, mini-golf, table tennis and billiards.
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Meanwhile, this TV star claims to have a foolproof trick for winning prizes at fairgrounds.
And this little-known theme park is one of the best in the UK.
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