Ga naar Nederlandstalige versie

Erlebnispark Tripsdrill

Cleebronn, Germany

“Great rides and a unique German flair“

If you ever want to get a taste of the real Germany, there are several options. You could book a bed & breakfast in a quiet village on the countryside, you could attend the world-famous Oktoberfest in Munich or… you could go to Erlebnispark Tripsdrill. This is without any doubt the most German theme park you’ll ever find. It’s full of cute German houses, cheap animatronics, odd-looking rides and it even has a German wine museum. Sorry, did you say wine? Yes, absolutely: Tripsdrill is surrounded by vineyards and the park gives the opportunity to taste some of the region’s best wines. And as if the wines didn’t give you enough reasons to visit Tripsdrill, the park also boasts a very interesting collection of roller coasters.

ROLLER COASTERS

Coaster enthusiasts have adored Tripsdrill and its quirky theming for many years. The park’s popularity got a serious boost in 2020, the year in which Volldampf and Hals-über-Kopf were opened. These intertwining Vekoma coasters have been built in a new area of the park and they’re stunning to look at. During my 2020 visit, theming was still nonexistent. Tripsdrill has the habit of building its major rides in two stages. The park often opens a ride in the first year and then adds theming in the second year.

One year later, we noticed that Hals-über-Kopf’s boarding station was finally completed and it looked just as German as the rest of the park. A typical Tripsdrill ride is full of unexpected gags and the same is true for the ride’s brand-new station. Besides, Hals-über-Kopf is simply one of the best thrill coasters in Europe. This is Vekoma’s modern take on its Suspended Looping Coaster and it’s incredibly good. The ride is super smooth, they integrated some intense curves and the near misses with Volldampf are great. By the way: Volldampf is a Family Boomerang and it’s more than okay. I’m usually not that fond of Family Boomerangs, but it’s guaranteed to become a crowd pleaser in this family-oriented park.

Although Tripsdrill has been around since 1929, the first roller coaster wasn’t installed until 1986. I’m talking about Rasender Tausendfüßler, a Tivoli Large model by Zierer. It’s a very simple coaster with a standard layout, but its stunning natural surroundings add a few bonus points. Moreover, despite its advanced age, this Racing Centipede still runs incredibly smoothly. Thumbs up for the visual presentation and the maintenance carried out by Tripsdrill.

Many of Tripsdrill’s signature attractions are located in the back of the park. And although I always recommend to head to the back of an amusement park right after opening time, that doesn’t apply at Tripsdrill. The water rides and roller coasters in this section always open an hour later than the rest of the park. So there’s no point arriving here before 10.00 AM, unless you want to join some sort of pre-queue. Another practical tip: if it’s your first visit to Tripsdrill, I’d recommend getting an (online) park map. The park is compact, but there are a few dead ends and some pathways make strange detours.

Burg Rauhe Klinge is perhaps the most famous landmark at Tripsdrill. This white castle is home to two popular attractions: a log bathtub flume and G’Sengte Sau. Did you know that this was the world’s first Gerstlauer coaster? And did you know that, even after nearly 30 years, it remains a great family attraction? G’sengte Sau (a local dialect term for fast ride) was the prototype of the so-called Bobsled Coaster. That’s a rather ambiguous name, as this type of ride has absolutely nothing to do with bobsleighs. In reality, it’s more of an extended, varied Wild Mouse. These rides usually consist of fairly intense helixes and airtime-filled bunny hops. Tripsdrill finished off G’Sengte Sau with beautiful landscaping, and Burg Rauhe Klinge remains a picture-perfect sight even after all these years. What a fantastic ride!

Let’s continue with Mammut, a stunning wooden rollercoaster. Unfortunately, I had less than wonderful memories of the ride itself. During a previous visit, Mammut turned out to be brutal and rough. I therefore entered the queue with a certain amount of scepticism during my most recent trip, but guess what? In 2026, Mammut performed remarkably better. Although the ride still had the characteristic rattling of a woodie, I didn’t find it distracting at any point. Has this coaster received a much-needed renovation? I’m not sure, but Mammut has climbed a few places in my rankings again. I’d also like to mention the pleasant queue and the stunning dark ride section at the base of the lift hill.

Tripsdrill has a long-standing partnership with Gerstlauer. This Bavarian manufacturer didn’t only supply G’Sengte Sau and the trains for Mammut, but the company was also commissioned to build Karacho in 2013. From that moment on, Karacho counted as Tripsdrill’s most sensational roller coaster. I actually never expected a lightning-fast launch and four inversions in this cosy family park. Yet, demand is certainly there and Karacho definitely deserves its place in Tripsdrill’s high-quality coaster lineup. Gerstlauer’s thrill coasters are often characterised by odd transitions and an unnatural-feeling flow, but that’s not the case with Karacho. The launch is powerful, the trains run smoothly and the layout is quite unpredictable. Karacho even boasts one of the most interesting pieces of theming in Europe, as you’ll find a vomiting animatronic at the ride’s exit.

WATER RIDES

If that vomiting animatronic happens to spew the contents of its stomach all over your white T-shirt, there’s only one solution: head to the launderette. Fortunately, the launderette is just round the corner. Just follow the arrows towards Waschzuber-Rafting and you’ll find yourself in the wondrous world of washing machines and soap bubbles. This is yet another brilliant decoration idea from Tripsdrill, and they’ve used it for the rapid river. I’d like to compliment the park for the unusual theming and the excellent landscaping surrounding Waschzuber-Rafting. However, this rapid river makes a rather mediocre impression when it comes to the actual ride experience. I wouldn’t describe it as boring, but I can’t call it spectacular or thrilling either.

Badewannen-Fahrt zum Jungbrunnen delivers considerably more fun. This is the water ride that’s been integrated into Burg Rauhe Klinge and offers interaction with G’Sengte Sau. This ride often has lengthy queues on warmer days, but Badewannenfahrt is absolutely worth the wait. After all, we’re talking about one of Europe’s finest log flumes, featuring three descents and surprisingly original theming. Just have a look at the design of the boats: you won’t see any classic logs here, but passengers take their seats in full-sized bathtubs instead. And may I immediately add a warning for young and/or sensitive passengers? This ride transports you to the fountain of eternal youth, and apparently that involves a fair bit of female nudity.

OTHER EXPERIENCES

Tripsdrill is the most German theme park you’ll ever visit. This park doesn’t have a Main Street, but a Dorfstraße. And at the end of that Dorfstraße, there isn’t a fairy tale castle, but a Maibaum. It’s all so charming, so detailed and so quaint that you’ll love this park from the moment you enter. Just round the corner is the Altweibermühle. This nostalgic windmill has stood there since 1929 and is home to the park’s oldest attraction. Inside, you’ll find an old-fashioned slide. May I suggest you brace yourself for the first bend? Last time, I ended up with a painful graze. Close to this old women’s mill you’ll also find the Altmännermühle, an obstacle course that’s partly indoors and partly outdoors. The Altweibermühle and the Altmännermühle obviously aren’t the attractions that make you decide to travel to Tripsdrill, but they do offer experiences you won’t find at large, corporate theme park chains.

What’s the most intense thrill ride at Tripsdrill? If your answers are Karacho or Hals-über-Kopf, I’m afraid I’ll have to disappoint you. The most sensational attraction may actually be Donnerbalken. This tower ride isn’t particularly tall or fast, but the ride ends with such a jarring effect that you almost literally start to fear for your life. It’s hilarious and frightening at the same time. Just across the walkway, another thrill ride opened in 2024: Wilde Gautsche. This ride strikes a balance between a giant swing and a Top Spin, although it’s important to note that it doesn’t go upside down. Curious about the ride experience? Well, you don’t necessarily have to travel all the way to Tripsdrill, as similar rides can now be found in numerous other European theme parks.

If you want to tick off all the attractions at Tripsdrill, you’ll need time. Plenty of time. This is especially true if you’re interested in riding all the different ‘tour rides’ (which they usually call Rundfahrten here). You’ll find horse-drawn carriages, vintage cars and monorails that look as if they’ve been built 300 years ago. There are also soapbox races, and you can get dizzy in a soup pot or a spinning wine barrel. Furthermore, this park boasts a collection of carousels with equally diverse themes. Slippers, laundry baskets and cake tins… you name it, Tripsdrill has turned it into an attraction.

Have you ever seen a ride in which one passenger flips upside down twenty times, whilst their neighbour experiences a thoroughly boring ride? The answer to this question is ‘yes’ if you’ve ever watched a Gerstlauer Sky Fly. And the chances are high that you’re familiar with one. After all, this DIY ride is hugely popular with medium-sized European theme parks. Tripsdrill couldn’t be left behind and opened Höhenflug in 2017. As we’ve come to expect from this German park, theming is top notch. Despite the fact that Höhenflug was put right in the middle of the park, it feels as if it’s been there forever. Admittedly, the most stunning Sky Fly remains the one at Austria’s Familypark, but Tripsdrill deserves the silver medal.

WORTH A VISIT?

Yes! Yes! YES! Tripsdrill is an amazing theme park that should be on everyone’s bucket list. That isn’t only due to the wine museum or Hals-über-Kopf’s coaster perfection. No, this park is just awesome in every possible way. They’ve got some great rides, theming is splendid and most staff are very friendly. If you have plenty of time, be sure to check out Tripsdrill’s Wildlife Park and definitely consider staying in one of the park’s tree houses. And no, I’m not talking about Donnerbalken.

Is Donnerbalken the most frightening free fall tower ever created? Does Hals-über-Kopf live up to the hype? And what’s the weirdest ride at the park? Share your opinion in the comments section at the bottom of this page.

This article reflects my personal experience at Erlebnispark Tripsdrill during a visit in July 2024.