Another fun day for the kinder: Schloss Thurn

I realize there is still a good month left of summer here, but I can't help but think its going to be gone before we know it. The weather was stunning here this weekend, so we decided to take advantage of it and check out one of the many German amusement parks in the area. I found a brochure for a place called Schloss Thurn, and it looked like a perfect place to spend a beautiful summer day.

We really had no idea what to expect from this park. It was an easy half hour drive from home, and the park was full of very happy kids, so we figured it would be tough to go wrong with this idea. The only thing we weren't really prepared for was the lack of ATMs. Literally not a single ATM on-site. I was relieved I had packed some snacks to hold us over while we had fun. I suppose in a way it kept us from overindulging on park food - not entirely a bad thing.

Little r could not have been more excited. The park was different than any other amusement park I have ever been to. It was a theme park with knights, horses, and a whole section modeled after America's Wild West, which was actually pretty hilarious and fun to see here in Germany.

little r with me in the Wild West

The park had a plethara of fun rides for the littles. Cars, trains, boats, water rides, and a roller coaster (little r chickened out at the last second - maybe next year?). Big R rode on several different car rides with little r... My boys just love the fast wheels...

The water rides were a blast. We couldn't get a picture of the big flume ride we went on because of all the water, but believe me, it was a great time. The final steep hill didn't even phase little r. He had his hands of the entire way and then the splash soaked him at the bottom. There was also this crazy water "bob" ride where you climb up a ramped tower to go down this huge water slide on "bob."

Little r must have ridden on three different train rides, including one that took you all around the park. He just never gets bored of these things...

His favorite ride by far though was this "horse" ride where the kiddos sit down on a "horse" that follows a rail through a course as it makes a rocking motion as if it were the real deal. Little r loved it so much that he cried when we took him off the ride. I would have put him right back on, but apparently this was a park favorite, so the line for the ride was long all day. Such a great idea though. All the kids really loved it.

The look on his face is priceless

Going to a park in Germany nearly always guarantees you'll see animals, and this was no exception. A small "zoo" was home to deer, llamas, horses, burros, and even camels! I got to pet a camel. I can't say I've ever been able to do that before. It was uber cool. Well, as long as you could avoid the slobber!

Schloss Thurn was a theme park through and through with different shows offered all throughout the day. Big R and I liked these the best. Despite being exhausted, we were somehow able to ward off a little r meltdown and see a couple of shows before it was time to go home. They were so much fun. But then again, Big R and I are always a sucker for a show when horses are involved...

The first show involved a King, a princess, and a joisting fight (of course), where we conveniently sat on the "bad" side of the arena and found ourselves cheering for the evil villain trying to take over the castle. We enjoyed the show, but little r kept his ears plugged for the entire thing. Too loud, I suppose? He still seemed to enjoy watching the horses though.

The next show was in the Wild West. The horses, riders and actors were the same from the prior show, so it was fun to see them showcase all their skills as the knights became cowboys. The actors pretended it was a theater set for a Hollywood movie where the riders did horse tricks and stunts. It was a blast. Little r really got into this one, and Big R and I were seriously impressed by the horse tricks. Those riders are flat out NUTS! They moved far too quickly to catch any of the fun on camera, but I did manage to capture this rider holding onto to her horse while he reared.

The horse was beautiful and she was an amazing rider.

A Wild West show would not be complete without Clydesdales pulling a carriage!

All in all it was a fun family day at a theme park. The weather was nearly perfect, and we created some fun memories together with little r. If you have young children and you live in the area, this was a great time and the prices are reasonable. Definitely go check it out!

 

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