EN 
DE 
From Henry Berndt
The navigation system leaves no questions unanswered: "Turn left onto Erdbeerstraße", it tells you the direction. On this Saturday morning, the first Saxon Karls opens in Döbeln. Even before the gates of the amusement park open, it is clear that the feared mass rush and traffic chaos will not materialize - probably not least because of the weather: rain, cold, nasty wind.
For the grand opening of the Strawberry Land with Prime Minister Michael Kretschmer At 9 a.m. on the dot, around a third of the parking lot is full. Only between 200 and 300 early risers have gathered in front of the entrance. Julia and Christian from Leipzig are right at the front. Christian's black T-shirt reads "Coaster Hunter". He and his wife collect roller coasters. He claims to have ridden around 500 around the world, Julia around 300. The two of them went to Döbeln on the opening day of Karl's Adventure Village to be among the first to try out the new attraction - and to be able to tick another roller coaster off their list.
Together with Kretschmer and Döbeln's mayor Sven Liebhauser, Karls boss Robert Dahl cuts the ribbon. Kretschmer says that the Karls jam is his favorite after his wife's. Then golden streamers shoot into the sky. The Milkau shawm band marches towards the entrance playing music. Now there is no stopping them. Excited children drag their parents behind them. Everything is radiant, only the firework displayers look a little dazed. The fog fountains on the roof have failed. They have probably got wet.
However, this should not detract from the good atmosphere at the start, just like the rain and minor technical teething problems at the attractions. At first, the tickets at the "Flying Chocolate Bar" cannot be scanned, then the power goes out for a while. Staff and guests remain cool. That's just the way it is at a premiere.
Right up to the last day, the team worked flat out to complete the sixth Karls in Germany on time after a year of construction. Almost nothing here now resembles a building site, apart from the corn maze, which is not due to open until the summer anyway.
Rollercoaster hunters Christian and Julia haven't even had breakfast at home this morning. They make up for it at Karls, where they buy sliced pork and scrambled eggs. At this time of day, there is still plenty of room at the tables in the main building. Spoiler: That's about to change.
Anyone familiar with the other Karls locations in the north will find a lot here familiar: the caterpillar rollercoaster, the tractors, the climbing strawberries, the countless stalls and the normal strawberry madness. But there are also new attractions such as the corn barn, where four-year-old Matteo is having fun wallowing in a pool filled with 30 tons of corn, much to the delight of his mom and grandma Gabi. "We come from Döbeln and are practically playing at home here," says mom Maria. "We're thrilled and will definitely be getting an annual pass."
After an hour at the latest, visitors here, whether young or old, only have strawberry jam on their minds anyway. Nobody came here to relax. The motto is: have fun, eat sweets and buy a five-pack of strawberry-shaped coat hooks. If the 500 romping children in the indoor play world aren't loud enough for you, you'll be delighted when the shawm band plays "Ich will Spaß" by Markus. The waiting moms nod to the beat. Not a trace of tiredness.
Not even for Kerstin, the jam cook. She has been working at Karls for twelve years and has come to Döbeln this week from Zirkow on the island of Rügen to help out. With her calmness and experience, she can support the many new employees. "The most important thing is to breathe, I always say."
Within the first few hours after the opening, the rain gets heavier and heavier. The mustard slide in Bockwurstland has to remain closed. The bouncy mountains and playgrounds outside are also largely deserted. At the same time, more and more visitors stream onto the site and soon crowd into the halls. The crowds push their way through the aisles between the shelves, filling their shopping carts as the hosts had hoped. Soon there are more people queuing at the cash desks than at the attractions.
Lio is also delighted that he can try out the "flying chocolate bar" without queuing. Beaming, the eight-year-old takes a seat and pulls down the safety bar. His mom Laura watches from outside. "It's nothing for me," she says. Dad, who would normally stand by Lio, has come home from the night shift in the morning and is already asleep. But the two of them also get on well together. After all, they have already visited all the previous Karls locations and are therefore real experts.
For roller coaster collectors Julia and Christian, the supposed highlight is now on the agenda: the Döbeln caterpillar roller coaster. Thanks to the rain, the two of them can walk through the area where the queue might otherwise snake through without having to wait. Lower the bars and off they go. The caterpillar chugs along the tracks at a rather leisurely pace for two laps. Nobody expects a Huracan like the one at Belantis, but it could be a little faster. "In a positive sense, you can tell that it's new," Christian remains positive.
When it comes to strawberries, nobody can be in a bad mood - apart from the little boy who calls for his mommy barefoot and in tears. Two Karls employees are with him immediately, take him to the information desk and have him called out. It won't be the only time that day.
Throughout the day, mascot Karlchen is hogged for photos, while parents constantly stow strawberry sweets, strawberry cookies and strawberry caps in their bags and pockets. Meanwhile, the Döbeln-City Allstars sing and rap their Döbeln anthem "Die Perle meiner Heimat" on a small stage outside.
At lunchtime, even the staff at the strawberry burger stand at the entrance start to sweat. Beef between halves of a strawberry bun garnished with a strawberry mousse - nobody is surprised by this anymore. And the 9.50 euros? What the heck, we're in strawberry paradise!
