Inside One of the Largest Water Parks in the World

If you’re looking for a tropical getaway, Germany likely doesn’t come to mind. But about 45 miles south of Berlin, you’ll find an unexpected vacation destination. Here, visitors can lounge on sandy beaches in balmy temperatures and splash about in warm waters, even in the dead of winter. The secret? It’s all indoors.

Housed inside a former airship hangar, Tropical Islands is a beach-themed water park that needs to be seen to be believed. Encompassing over 710,000 square feet of floor space, it’s hailed as one of the biggest indoor water parks in the world. The faux island escape is kept at a toasty temperature of about 79 degrees Fahrenheit and draws over a million visitors a year to enjoy its sun, surf, and sand.

From family-friendly attractions to a massive spa, here’s what awaits inside this epic park. And we haven’t even talked about the outside yet.

What to Do at Tropical Islands

With activities, accommodations, dining, shopping, and more, Tropical Islands has everything you need to recreate a trip to a breezy offshore destination. But the dome, which the park claims is the largest freestanding hall on earth, is the star of the show.

While the surrounding airfield dates back to the 1930s, when it was used as a military base by the Luftwaffe, the dome itself was built in the 1990s by the CargoLifter transport company. But now, its vast interior, which stretches 1,181 feet long, 688 feet wide, and 351 feet high, is an indoor water world, with attractions for kids and adults alike.

Inside, you can do everything from play mini golf and take dive lessons to zoom down the tallest indoor waterslide in Germany. The tropical sea, which is the size of three Olympic pools and sits under a clear roof to let in the sunshine, boasts water playgrounds and a kiddie area. On the other side of a flamingo-filled rain forest, which touts itself as the biggest indoor rain forest on the planet with around 50,000 plants, lies a smaller beach-bordered lagoon with waterfalls and slides. Within a recreated tropical village inspired by Balinese, Malaysian, and Thai architecture, you’ll find restaurants, bars, and cafes. To round it all off, there is also the Tropino Club for kids, shops (in case you forgot to pack a swimsuit or want to pick up a souvenir), a fitness center, an arcade, lounge areas, balloon rides, and a nearly 33,000-square-foot spa area with saunas and wellness treatments.

And that’s just what’s inside. Outdoors, there’s an entire spread called Amazonia with a surf simulator, a whitewater river, sunning areas, a pool with swim grottos and a lazy river, and other features. While this outdoor area is open year-round, temperatures in the Berlin area can dip down into the 20s during winter, so Amazonia may be best left for summer trips.

Where to Stay at Tropical Islands

Even though Berlin is just an hour’s drive away, Tropical Islands has a wide variety of accommodation options for overnight stays, so the fun doesn’t have to stop.

Inside the dome, you can shack up in rooms and suites dotted throughout the attractions and landscapes, allowing you to be just steps from all the action. Set in the rain forest and styled after Polynesian huts, the Waterfall Suites overlook the lagoon, while the Sky Suites are located above the indoor sea and have sunny terraces. If you don’t want to stay right in the center of the park, try the Hawaiian-themed Ohana Lodges. Built just outside the dome walls and connected by a short corridor, these comfortable properties have a range of room types for everyone from couples to families. There are also activities like billiards and bowling, and a restaurant and bar.

You can even go camping. Located both inside and outside, comfortably outfitted tents—ranging from safari-style to tepees—provide a unique alternative to traditional hotel rooms. The indoor tents sit on sandy patches nestled up against the dome walls or tucked away among the tropical foliage, while the outdoor camping areas are spread across grassy lawns.

Finally, there are also vacation rental holiday homes for families or big groups, which are located around the resort grounds for a bit more privacy and peace and quiet. Plus, you get to appreciate views of the outside of the dome from a distance.

What to Know Before You Go

Tropical Islands is open year-round 24 hours a day, but opening times for select attractions may vary to allow for cleaning. For a day pass, prices start at around $40 for adults and $35 for teens and kids; children ages three and under get free admission.