Forsthof at Schloss Dankern

Forsthof is a new 5,000 sqm themed area at Schloss Dankern in Germany and the first experience of its kind, featuring ABC Rides’ groundbreaking autonomous-driving tractor ride. The area seamlessly blends this cutting-edge ride technology with authentic local heritage, creating an immersive, multi-generational experience designed to engage everyone from 9 months to 99 years old.

At the heart of Forsthof is Trecker Tour, the world’s first installation of a Tractor Ride AGV, developed and produced by ABC Rides Switzerland. Months of engineering and prototyping brought this pioneering autonomous-driving-tractor technology to life in a new setting: the theme park. With that came a new challenge for CSB: how to introduce state-of-the-art technology into a family environment without allowing it to overpower the experience.

ABC Rides rose to the challenge, delivering a remarkable technological achievement, while Schloss Dankern proved the ideal partner—willing to take risks, embrace innovation and stay a step ahead in guest engagement, discovery and enjoyment.

The challenges of Forsthof proved to be a highly complex prototype ride, with an already demanding six-month timeline to complete development, prototyping, installation and testing. A harsh, snowy winter further complicated construction, bringing work on the entire area to a standstill for three weeks. Despite these setbacks, CSB and the project teams delivered Forsthof as planned on March 20, with Trecker Tour following on June 26.

While the engineering and construction presented significant challenges, equal care was give to the story families would experience once they entered Forsthof. The journey to Trecker Tour begins in the halls of the farmer’s barn, built in the region’s traditional Fachwerk style and filled with real family photographs from the Schloss Dankern family. Along the way, they glimpse his hobby workshop, where he whittles wooden shoes and birdhouses in his free time. Looking up to the towering roof, guests discover furniture and fishing nets stored in the attic, alongside vegetables hanging from the rafters to dry. Every corner is inhabited by the farmer’s story and the traditions of regional life, creating an environment that feels authentic, personal and lived-in.

The ride careens through a farmer’s yard, weaving past his beekeeping area, handmade birdhouses and tractor workshop. Guests have the illusion of steering the wheel, accelerating and choosing their journey as they navigate the track. Along the way, they drive over logs, splash through a puddle and pass beneath the supports of a Discovery Trail, where curious guests can watch the tractor action from above. The ride delivers small thrills and big laughs for friends and families of all ages.

The wider Forsthof area draws on the crafts, forestry, agriculture and moorland industries that have shaped Emsland for generations. Local color palettes, materials and even regional dialect informed the design, creating an experience that is playful and engaging for children while feeling instantly recognisable and nostalgic to adults familiar with the region.

A further innovation lies in the integration and reinterpretation of existing attractions. The Pferdebahn ride now takes guests through themed stables, with sculpted wooden horse heads appearing along the route. The Torfbahn steam train has been incorporated into the story as a working transport system, inspired by the trains that once carried peat from the fields into local towns. The car workshop invites children to use fuel pumps and drive newly repaired cars.

These rides are complemented by the Kammerjäger interactive shooting game, a Motorik Trail, a Rabbit Hutch climbing area, a discovery trail and a pavilion of rotating mirrors. Together, they provide different levels of physical, imaginative and interactive play for children and adults.

Forsthof fits the Family category because it was designed as a shared experience rather than a collection of isolated children’s attractions. Families can ride together, explore together and engage with the area at different levels. Young guests experience tractors, animals, workshops and physical play, while older visitors discover references to regional history and working life.

Its innovation comes from the combination of a world-first ride system, authentic place-based storytelling and the creative reuse of existing attractions. Forsthof demonstrates how new technology can strengthen, rather than overpower, a locally rooted family experience.