Otto Barth no longer likes to speak of a "black eye" for the Taunuswunderland amusement park when it comes to surviving the Corona crisis economically.

After all, the Barth showman family had hoped to be able to compensate to some extent for the losses during and after the first lockdown last year with a “winter wonderland” in the park and the “winter village” on Mauritiusplatz in Wiesbaden.

But as is well known, nothing came of it.

The result was long talks with the house banks to secure liquidity, because “the December aid was only paid out last week, says Barth.

Oliver Bock

Correspondent for the Rhein-Main-Zeitung for the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis and for Wiesbaden.

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    After the boom of the past few years and the investments in “Aunt Rosi's Cotton Candy Land”, “Uncle Benno's Farm” and “Grandpa Alfred's Dinotal”, Barth had imagined the 2020 season to be very different.

    But even in the first five months of this year, the five-hectare park, which is the employer for more than 150 part-time and full-time employees, could not receive any visitors.

    For the second time in a row, the lucrative Easter business was lost.

    But now the incidences in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis are falling very clearly, and the path is allowed to open again.

    According to Barth, this would have been possible two weeks earlier, but he deliberately waited to see whether the trend in incidences would stabilize in a circle.

    This gives the park, employees and visitors more security.

    Online booking is the only way to get a ticket

    The loyal annual ticket holders have exclusive access to the park as a little treat on June 1st. The next day the park opens to all visitors, but only if they have secured a ticket online for a certain day via the park's website (www.taunuswunderland.de) in good time. The booking system only allows a certain number of visitors to the park each day. Therefore, online booking is the only way to get a ticket.

    Barth does not reveal exactly how many visitors are allowed in. The restriction is the result of a "sophisticated safety and hygiene concept that has been coordinated in detail with the authorities". “We want to give our guests a safe visit,” says Barth. A mandatory test, as is currently still required for outdoor dining in the Rheingau-Taunus district, is not included according to the current regulations.

    Barth is still in talks about whether, for example, a private operator can set up a small test center in the parking lot or directly in front of the park entrance.

    That would then be intended as an additional offer for the visitors.

    Barth believes that after the weeks and months of pandemic-related restrictions, the longing for fun, adventure and relaxation in a family park in the middle of nature will be particularly great.

    This could also be favored by a changing weather situation.

    With the beginning of June, widespread warmer temperatures should also set in Hesse.

    Grill stations are open

    “We are incredibly happy that we are finally allowed to open.

    For families from all over the Rhine-Main area, the Taunus Wonderland is the perfect place to have fun and have fun after the long lockdown and to relax in nature, ”Barth recruits for customers.

    You do not have to present a negative test upon entry, but you do have to wear a medical mask or FFP2 mask in the park, at the entrance, in front of the cash registers and at the snack stations as well as in the waiting area of ​​the attractions.

    In addition, the spacing rules must be observed.

    The grill stations in the park are open and can be used free of charge.

    However, the park administration recommends that you reserve them on the website in good time before your visit.

    As a new service, the park offers visitors a “grill package”, which consists of a bucket of charcoal and soft drinks.

    Due to the restrictions, the park restaurant “Onkel Bennos Futterscheune” and the indoor attraction “Wundergleiter” will remain closed. At least for the time being, because further easing is foreseeable if the incidence continues to fall. Therefore, Barth plans to open a new ride in the summer. And possibly this year he will invite you to the symbolic groundbreaking ceremony for the long-planned and prepared, approximately 3.3-hectare expansion of the family park founded in 1968. The clearing work has long been over.