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Between courage test and loss of control: With two ten-year-olds in the Hansa Park
There are sentences that a father should not say lightly. “Of course I’m going there” definitely belongs to that category. I had said it to him in the morning on the parking lot of the Hansa Park, even before I knew exactly what “there” meant. Next to me stood two ten-year-old girls who had just been sorting their backpacks peacefully and were now scanning the horizon with the eyes of professional roller coaster testers. In the distance, a huge tower rose above the park. My fate apparently already had a silhouette.
We had left Berlin early and reached Sierksdorf with that mix of anticipation, tiredness, and crumbs of travel provisions that accompanies every family outing. As soon as we started the journey from the parking lot to the entrance, the role distribution began. Girl number one explained that she basically drives everything. Girl number two said she decided spontaneously. I claimed to be completely relaxed on roller coasters. With that, we had made three statements within a few minutes that should not survive the day unscathed.
The entrance worked pleasantly quickly. No hustle and bustle, no mysterious wandering between barriers. Behind the entrance, a detailed world of historical facades, squares and themed areas opened up. The Hansa Park reminds many places more of a slightly over-the-top North German trading town than of a concrete surface filled with rides. This makes it sympathetic – and ensures that you feel well entertained even when no one is being shot through the air upside down.
Slowly at first – theoretically
Our plan was to start the day with a harmless attraction. Get a little settled in, orient ourselves, bring our nervous system up to operating temperature. This plan lasted about seven minutes.
The girls had discovered Nessie. The classic looping roller coaster is one of the landmarks of the park and looks so friendly from a distance that adults agree to ride it without updating their will beforehand. Then, suddenly, there was a very precise negotiation in the car about who sits next to whom. Of course, the braver of the two girls wanted to sit on the outside. So did the other one. I ended up in the middle and became the human safety distance.
The train started moving, climbed the first incline and gave us a brief moment to look over the park. Then it went downhill. Screaming left, screaming right, a surprisingly high tone from my own direction – and we were already racing through the loop. When we got off again, the girls were completely thrilled. Me too, but a little slower.
This clarified the hierarchy: the children wanted more, the father wanted coffee first.
But anyone who visits a theme park with two ten-year-olds must understand that breaks are just rides that don’t move. Accordingly, their popularity is low. So we went on to the Crazy Mine, a wildly curving roller coaster in a mining style. The cars sway and spin through tight turns, so you never know exactly where your body is going next. The girls laughed non-stop. Meanwhile, I tried to maintain my posture and dignity at the same time. Both were only partially successful.
The tower of truth
Above all, the Oath of Kärnan reigned supreme. The roller coaster disappears into a monumental fortress tower and makes it clear from the outside that it was not built for a leisurely ride. Now it became clear how resilient the morning announcements were.
“I drive everything,” said girl number one – this time much quieter.
“I’ll take a look first,” said girl number two – this time surprisingly determined.
Before we started, of course, we checked whether the age and height were suitable. Because in the Hansa Park, it is not self-confidence that determines participation, but the respective safety clearance. The staff checked attentively and kindly, without making a fuss about it.
The queue moved continuously despite the well-attended park. In general, the waiting times remained acceptable on the day of our visit. With the particularly popular attractions, we had to be patient, but there was no feeling of spending a significant part of the day between metal bars anywhere. Signs and signage made planning easier, the paths were understandable and the staff helped without any hassle.
Then came the Oath of Kärnan.
There are rides where you get off euphorically after the ride. And there are rides where you first have to check whether all the important components of the body are still present in roughly the original order. The oath of Kärnan belongs to the second category – followed by a lot of euphoria.
The train screwed itself into the tower, stopped, surprised us with a moment that I don’t want to spoil here, and finally crashed out onto the track. Speed, height and direction changes merged into a controlled state of exception. Next to me, one of the girls screamed with excitement, the other held on bravely and explained immediately after arrival: “I wasn’t afraid at all.” Her hands were shaking a little. Mine too. We agreed that this was due to the wind.
Getting wet is relative
After so much speed, something calmer was needed. Or at least something that looked calmer at first glance. The disturbance-free pirate cruise offered a relaxed boat tour through a staged pirate world and gave us a welcome break. Here the park showed one of its strengths: between the big adrenaline rushes are attractions that offer atmosphere instead of maximum speed. No one has to break records all day long.
This realization led us directly to Super Splash. Water slides follow a simple principle: everyone hopes that mainly the others will get wet. Before the ride, strategic seating was chosen and physical theories about splashes were developed. They were all wrong. After the steep slope, the wave hit us with that northern German thoroughness that knows no half measures. A girl remained surprisingly dry and celebrated this as a personal victory. The other looked at his soaked pants and me with a look that did not rule out legal consequences. Ten minutes later, both were standing there laughing again. Amusement parks have their own weather order: wet is not a state, but an anecdote.
French fries, Baltic Sea air and a second attempt
At some point, hunger prevailed over the urge to move. The gastronomic offer is broad enough to cater to different tastes, but it remains amusement park gastronomy: practical, family-friendly and not the reason why you drive to Sierksdorf. For that, we found a seat without much searching and were able to evaluate the previous day’s events.
The girls kept a record of courage points. Kärnan apparently brought five, Nessie three, and a repeat ride gave a bonus point. Adults did not receive any points because, in the opinion of the jury, they had to ride anyway.
Between the attractions, the location on the Baltic Sea always came into view. The fresh air, the nearby water and the wide sky give the park an atmosphere that is clearly different from many facilities in the inland. If you spend several days in Lübeck Bay, you can easily combine a visit to the park with a day at the beach. If you come from Berlin, you should rather plan an overnight stay, instead of cramming a round trip plus a roller coaster marathon into a single violent day.
In the afternoon, we were well-acquainted. We knew which attractions had to be repeated, where the next toilet was located, and that “only one ride” in the language of ten-year-olds meant at least four more. The friendly competition between the girls lost its sharpness. Sometimes one pulled the other along, sometimes they waited without much drama. Courage suddenly no longer meant having to ride everything. Sometimes it also meant honestly saying no.
When we left the park in the evening, the voices were hoarse, the hair was tousled and the step counters had arrived in regions that would otherwise only be reached by hiking holidays. It didn’t take more than 20 minutes in the car for peace to prevail on the back seat.
Who should be recommended the Hansa Park?
The Hansa Park is a particularly good choice for families with children in elementary school age and early teenage years. Ten is almost the perfect age: old enough for many larger attractions, young enough to be completely swept away by pirates, theme worlds and water battles. However, height, personal limits and the respective access rules remain decisive.
For a first visit, you should plan a full day – preferably from opening until late afternoon. If you want to arrive without time pressure, you can combine the excursion with one or two nights at the Baltic Sea. The park is well organized, varied and convincingly creates the balance between real thrills and family-friendly entertainment.