The Babelsberg theme film park, located in Potsdam, Germany, invites visitors to enter a world of lights and sets. Here, children and adults can look behind the blue screen and discover how films and cartoons are made. How do fairytale characters come to life on the big screen? How do stuntmen perform their stunts? How are actors made up and costumed? At Babelsberg, visitors can find out all this and much more about the world of film.
The amusement park was once home to a film studio that was known as Germany's Hollywood. Around a hundred films were made here every year, and famous actresses such as Marlene Dietrich and Greta Garbo worked there. In 1991, a film park was opened on the site of the studio, featuring characters from Babelsberg films.
It's best to start with a guided tour of the studio grounds. For this, tourists are invited to take a ride on a small train that passes by the most interesting places. The train stops near a simulated street. Many films have been shot here and you can walk around the sets.
Although the park is not very large, there are plenty of activities for children of all ages and their parents. For example, there is a whole house dedicated to the Sandman. Younger visitors will enjoy the playground, which is based on the world of Mowgli and his friends. Children are invited to visit the gingerbread house built for the filming of Hansel and Gretel.
For those who like to take spectacular photos, there is a whole room dedicated to photo opportunities, where everyone can try on a role and have their photo taken as a souvenir.
Western fans will love the area known as the Wild West. Cowboys and gold miners roam the area. Visitors are even invited to immerse themselves in the Gold Rush era and try their hand at panning, as there's a spring near the cliff in the medieval town where you can find everything! Adults and young miners alike can get to work. Those who are patient will be rewarded with plenty of nuggets. Grab a sifting pan and get started!
Just 300 meters away is the Extavium Potsdam, which we recommend to visit.
Teenagers are more than welcome to visit Horrorland, as the show is all too realistic for the little ones. Gothic graveyards with vampires, torture chambers and execution chambers with guillotines and gallows have been created with meticulous German care. Screams and groans can be heard from all sides, and some of the 'dead' even jump out of their graves. There's also an attraction — a flood on a Soviet submarine. The boat is a real one, which was once brought to the studio for filming.
The most curious guests will love visiting the workshops where film props and sets are made. In the park, you can follow all the stages of film production, from working with a film camera to the secrets of make-up artists and the creation of special effects. You can also try your hand at working in the studio, for example as a weather presenter or as a stand-in for a celebrity on a TV show. One of the most spectacular attractions is the stunt show, which demonstrates how different stunts are performed. Experienced professionals perform stunts with fire, fake car crashes and jump on motorbikes at full speed.
It's also nice to just stroll around the park, taking pictures next to film and fairytale characters, and relaxing among the fountains and flower beds.
