Aussichtsturm and Thaolon: from panorama to the realm of dwarfs

A ride built to reveal the landscape

Aussichtsturm opened in 2007 in a Bayern-Park that already covered a very large area. The ascent was deliberately calm, gradually lifting riders away from paths and trees to reveal attractions, meadows and enclosures from an open viewpoint. The tower therefore used the scale of the grounds as its main subject. It did not seek a rapid drop or spectacular rotation, but provided a vertical pause that helped visitors understand the park’s layout. After the 2013 season, this use of the site disappeared. The area was about to undergo one of the strongest contrasts in its history, as daylight, horizon and distant views gave way to an enclosed, dark building filled with scenes.

Thaolon turns the view into a story

Thaolon opened in 2014 alongside Steinwirbel in the new Thalonien area. The black building leads visitors through a maze of mirrors, pictures and dim passages before boarding. The family gondola climbs to around eleven metres, descends in stages, rises again and rotates so that several levels of scenery can be observed. Dwarfs work inside their mines while music gives the journey its mysterious identity. The replacement therefore involved more than installing a different machine. The site changed its visual language: the old tower displayed the real Bayern-Park, whereas Thaolon hides the outside world to tell an indoor story. This opposition makes the transition especially interesting within the park’s chronology.