Filmpark Babelsberg: Lights, camera, disappointment

As part of my rushing around to see everything I can in the eight weeks I've got left, we took a trip out to Filmpark Babelsberg near Potsdam yesterday. It was the centre of German film-making with films like Der Blaue Engel starring Marlene Dietrich being made here. Since the Wall came down it has re-invented itself as a bit of a theme park. I have wanted to visit it since I got my very first Berlin guide book and saw a picture of some little higgeldy-piggedly houses that caught my eye. Finally made it: oh, just 2 and a half years later...

And you know what? I'd be willing to give this place a good review, because in fairness we did have a good time and it was all very nice and everything. We saw a stunt show which Hamish thought was amazingly cool as it had fast cars, punching, fire, explosions, people falling from high towers, blah, blah...possibly a little bit hammy for more grown-up tastes. We went on a little boat ride which had a waterway lined with large furry animals most of which seemed to look like they were um... pleasuring themselves. We did some other stuff and it was good like the 4d cinema, but what prevents me from being over-enthusiastic about it was that they charged us over 50 Euros to get in. Plus another 3 to park. All far too much for what it was. Universal Studios it aint.So that kind of coloured our trip to be honest. That plus the fact that Stevie couldn't stop looking at the map and going "but there must be more to it than this!"

But sadly not. That was it. If I were you I wouldn't be in a massive rush to go there unless you are a real German cinema and tv enthusiast. Leave it approx. 2.5 years, and maybe you'll be less disappointed (or they'll have dropped their prices, maybe. Or maybe not).