Bavaria Filmstadt

Defiant Gauls, a luck-dragon, a gay starship and a doomed submarine. What’s the common denominator here?

BURNING MAN: Things heat up during the stunt show. Pic: Bavaria Fimstadt

They all feature on a tour of Bavaria Filmstadt, Munich’s own “mini-Hollywood”.
The studio centre churns out dozens of productions annually for Germany’s television and cinema-going audience.

Some films made here like The NeverEnding Story and The Boat have cracked it big internationally.

You can go behind the scenes on a 90min guided tour through the studios. What I liked about this tour was its interactivity – volunteers can perform in a few short skits which are cut into a mini-film and shown at the end of circuit.

On top of that there’s a 4D “Erlebniskino” – experience cinema, essentially a 3D cinema with added wind and water effects.

The highlight, though, has got to be the stunt show, which lasts for about 45min and takes place in a big hall opposite the on-site McDonald's. There’s a car chase, people catching on fire and even a flimsy plot about New York City cops chasing down a couple of gangsters.

Get set for the tour

REACH THE STARS: On board Falkor the luck-dragon. Pic: Bavaria Fimstadt

Many sets from the tour won’t ring bells unless you’re into German TV and cinema, but they’re still fun to check out.

Included are sets from:
* The Boat (German: Das Boot) (1981): The gritty story of a World War Two U-Boat crew, often considered the best German film ever made.
You can see several models of the submarine and walk through the cramped passageway where the interior shots were done.

*The NeverEndingStory (1984): Kids who are way too young to remember this movie can jump aboard Falkor the luck-dragon and see themselves on a zooming through the air thanks to the magic of blue screen. FYI, a remake of this film is scheduled for 2012.

GREY SUBMARINE: Me in front of a model of Das Boot (top), and inside the submarine set (below).

*Asterix and Obelix vs Caesar (1999) – Based on the classic comics, this film packed 'em in cinemas all over Europe. You can walk through the Gauls' village and see an arena-style set.

*(T)Raumschiff Surprise – Periode 1 (2004) – A Star Trek send-up featuring a trio of camp crew members. Tour volunteers can recreate the comic scenes.

*The Baader Meinhof Komplex (2008) – A bloody big-screen recount of West Germany’s Red Army Faction (RAF) terrorist group.

* Sets from soapies Sturm der Liebe (Storm of Love) and Marienhof. These are the German-language equivalents of Days of Our Lives and the like.

The Bavaria Filmstadt is all rather pricey, but I recommend this one for film buffs and people travelling with kids.

Munich City and Bavaria Film Studio Tour Cost: from €25 Duration: About three hours This bus tour combines a sightseeing jaunt through Munich with a guided tour through Bavaria Filmstadt. A great idea since the Filmstadt isn’t so easy to get to by public transport!   (Read more about the tour)

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