Tucked away in a quiet corner of Southern Germany is the town of Bad Waldsee. It is not a place that most people would be familiar – yet it is becoming a mecca for caravanners. The reason is not hard to find. This is the location of an innovative, unusual museum devoted solely to caravanning.
Hymer is one of the great companies of the caravan world. Set up in the 1950’s by a young German engineer named Erwin Hymer he developed his first caravan, the original Troll. It proved immensely successful and over the years, Hymer have brought out numerous models including the first Hymer motorhome in 1961. Erwin Hymer’s passion for caravans and travel combined brilliantly, resulting in the development of one of the most creative caravan/motorhome manufacturers in the world. Now adjacent to the manufacturing facilities is a specially built museum, which is definitely more than just an advertisement for Hymer vehicles.
Even the architecture of the museum is designed to reflect Hymer's dual interest – caravans and travel. Its shape reflects the style of a typical caravan window, square with rounded corners bordered in red. Massive plate glass windows offer visitors tempting glimpses of the distant mountain scenery.
Opening the museum in 2011, founder Erwin Hymer commented, “For more than 15 years it was my wish to erect a museum featuring historical caravans and motorhomes. And as I see how my dream has taken shape, I am very happy. A marvelous museum, even for children, not only focusing on vehicles, but also on the concept of mobile travel.”
To go caravanning, and travel to far-flung countries, is the realization of a dream for many people. It offers freedom, and an opportunity to explore in comfort. It is this dream that acts as the main theme throughout the museum. Visitors follow ‘a dream route’, taking in the Alpine Mountains, to the sun drenched beaches of Italy, discovering spices and inspiration in India, via Moroccan deserts, Scandinavian nights and the wild Atlantic.
It is a museum which carefully mixes multi-media immersive experiences with static objects most of which come from Hymer’s personal collection. There are numerous examples of caravans across the years including a 1931 Dethleffs camper, 1963 Nagetush Brilliant from the DDR, 1969 US Airstream and a self built GDR Bogasch dating from 1986. There are also the unusual ones such as the 1953 Sportberger Land-Yacht together with a variety of vintage cars, motorbikes as well as a gas fired Tuk Tuk from Thailand.
Among the 200+ exhibits are vehicles hand built by Erwin Hymer himself. When he was just 17, he built his first Motorradle (little motorcycle), and in 1957, he built the prototype Troll caravan. A few years later in 1961, he built the prototype Caravano motorhome. All three vehicles are on display. In total there are more than 80 caravans on show illustrating the development of caravans from the early thirties onwards. It is definitely perfect for anyone wanting to find out more about the development of different types of transport, especially motor homes.
Some of the vehicles can even be entered, to experience the lifestyle involved. The aim is always to give the impression that the owner has just stepped out of the vehicle and left it for all to see. They can be found everywhere throughout the museum, scattered along the ‘dream road’.
The museum's permanent exhibition covers over 6,000 square meters with more than 80 historic caravans and motorhomes on display. [Photo/Hymer GmbH]
A life sized model of Erwin Hymer greets visitors at the entrance. Under his arm is a small motorhome, complete with a fluttering stream of holiday photo images. Walking through the departure tunnel, you find yourself at the start of a meandering, serpentine path leading up to the start of the ‘dream tour’ through the Alps.
Each new section is marked by oversized symbols representing the particular dream destination. A larger-than-life mountain panorama marks the Alpine route while the Italian route has a luminous yellow seashell. An orange turban depicts the route through India, while a blue folding kayak beckons the visitor towards the Baltic Sea. Head down into the Moroccan valley following a sand-colored pot of mocha, and further on a crimson wigwam signals the start of the North American adventure. As the tour nears it end, visitors encounter an ice-blue bobble hat as they enter the Scandinavian sector, climaxing in the pink kite fluttering over the Atlantic.
Each location incorporates various realistic scenarios, often within specific time periods as well as immersive activities designed to bring the destinations to life. For example, in the 1930’s crossing the Alps posed a challenge for drivers and their vehicles, especially the majestic Stelvio Pass. Twenty years later, Italy was the dream holiday location for many German caravanners, attracted by destinations like Rimini and Venice. Visitors are invited to sit back on a deck chair and discover the day and nighttime delights of Italy.
India takes visitors back to the sixties and seventies, when the hippy trail was a popular destination for anyone in a converted Volkswagon bus. This was the route taken by many famous musicians like the Beatles and Jimi Hendrix whose travels are highlighted here. Touch the sacrificial bowls and listen to ancient Indian music or Bollywood. Sit in a Volkswagon for some rock music, or immerse yourself in a jungle atmosphere.
Much nearer to home, the Baltic Sea was the dream destination of people within the former East Germany. As the display points out, not everyone was lucky enough to get hold of a coveted camping site card entitling them to a holiday on the Baltic Sea. Camping became an expression of individuality. Take a kayak under the sea and discover the strange creatures living there.
As the 1980’s progressed many other travelers sought out the heat and exoticism of the North African desert, attracted by the bazaars, mosques and imposing Atlas mountains. Travellers through this dream location can take the opportunity to imagine themselves within a Moroccan coffee pot, sitting back on thick, luxurious cushions and be immersed in the oriental atmosphere.
The North American dream is portrayed by the magnificent landscapes, the sheer scale of the outdoors and indigenous people who travelled with large tents. Visitors are encouraged to experience the scale and beauty of this environment by perching on western saddles within a wigwam, before flying over the Grand Canyon via a film projected onto a piece of stretched cowhide.
Technological innovations make winter camping in the cold beauty of the far north possible, attracting many travelers to explore the forests and lakes of Scandinavia. Here visitors look through a frosty caravan window to see the icy-cold polar landscape highlighted by a constantly changing skyline complete with the flickering beauty of the northern lights.
Travelling around the Atlantic coastline, often wild, rough and stormy, highlights the activities of the surfers first attracted here in the 1950’s. As you stand under the kite soaring above the thundering waves of the Atlantic, you can feel the wind blowing in your face.
Ever wondered about the people who pioneered caravan travel? Or who made those first caravans, created the developments that have revolutionized camping and caravanning since the Second World War? The Erwin Hymer Museum is the place to find out. As you travel along the dream road, you encounter ‘workshops’ which provide detail, information as well as an opportunity to see models and accessories. There are newspapers and magazines on show encouraging you to stop and admire the illustrations, read the stories of caravans from the past. If you feel curious and want to get hands on, then there are opportunities to try and solve the problems and challenges that have faced caravan and motorhome designers over the years. There are numerous multi-media puzzles to try, including interactive production line models and a mechanical chassis.
Want a permanent record of your visit around the world of Erwin Hymer’s dream? Stop off at the various photo stations placed in front of large travel related motifs complete with amusing details. Dress up in appropriate clothing and use your admission ticket to scan a photo. At the end of the tour, as you reach the stormy Atlantic section, you enter a midnight-blue globe room. On display are three gigantic 3D floating atlases which slowly rotate. As you watch, a stream of images pass along the equator. Insert your admission ticket into the terminal, and the image stream changes to include all the photos taken throughout your journey through the museum. You are truly traveling around the world!
Once in the Museum shop, you can arrange for those images to be made a permanent record of your visit. Hold the admission ticket under the scanner, and print out your own postcard. Alternatively, they can be emailed home or downloaded later.
Colorful and lively this is a museum which is guaranteed to inform and entertain. It makes a great place to stop off for a while when touring Southern Germany, Bavaria or even into Switzerland as the area borders Lake Constance. Check out the museum website before visiting as it sometimes hosts special events including vintage car rallies and markets.
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