From Sommerrodelbahn to FirleFranz

The end of a ride tied to the park’s beginnings

Sommerrodelbahn belonged to the first generation of rides that accompanied the change from wildlife park to Bayern-Park. For more than thirty seasons, its sledges followed a metal trough, with speed controlled by the riders’ brake. 12 September 2022 was the final operating day, and the track was taken out of service the next morning to free a strategic site near the entrance. Twinbob-Rodelbahn remained elsewhere in the park, preserving a toboggan experience while allowing this historic area to change.

FirleFranz takes over the site in 2023

On 28 April 2023, the first visitors boarded FirleFranz. Gerstlauer created an Open End Family Coaster for Bayern-Park, with a track rising eleven metres before stopping in the air. A switch system allows the train to travel through parts of the layout in both directions. Open to riders from 90 centimetres under the park’s conditions, the new ride reaches a broader family audience than the former toboggan. The main photograph shows FirleFranz shortly before opening, with construction and final work still visible around the entrance.

An opening completed in two stages

FirleFranz operated from 2023, but the park continued developing the setting during the following winter. On 4 June 2024, an official ceremony marked completion of the project: a blessing, ribbon cutting, blue-and-white confetti and flame effects accompanied the train above the entrance. The gap between technical opening and full inauguration tells the story of the area’s transformation. In less than two years, a historic ride disappeared, a new coaster entered service and its surroundings gained a rural, humorous identity linked to Franz-Xaver. The site remained family-focused while both the experience and landscape were completely renewed.