Tropical Islands Resort sits inside the Aerium, a colossal former airship hangar in Krausnick, Brandenburg, about 50 kilometers south of Berlin. Built by CargoLifter AG and completed in November 2000, the hangar became the world’s largest free-standing hall without interior support pillars before CargoLifter’s 2002 bankruptcy left the structure searching for a new purpose. Malaysian corporation Tanjong bought it in 2003 for €17.5 million and reopened it as an indoor tropical resort on December 19, 2004.
Today, under Spanish operator Parques Reunidos, it’s the world’s largest indoor water park — and one of the easiest big day trips from Berlin, provided you know when it’s open, what a ticket actually costs, how to get there without a car, and what to budget for parking, towels, and lockers once you arrive.
Quick Answer
Tropical Islands is a climate-controlled indoor water park and rainforest built inside a former airship hangar in Krausnick, Germany, about an hour from Berlin by car or train. The park is effectively open year-round with 24/7 pool access, day tickets to the Tropical World area start around €35 online in low season and climb well past €60 on peak weekends and holidays, and the easiest car-free route is the RE2 or RE7 train to Brand Tropical Islands station followed by a free shuttle bus. Check the official Tropical Islands website for exact hours and prices on your travel date, since both shift by season and day of week.
Hours: When Is Tropical Islands Open
Tropical Islands markets itself as open 365 days a year, including public holidays, and the pool area is available around the clock: the resort operates on a 24/7 basis for guests staying inside the dome, with the two main pool zones staggered for cleaning so there’s always water to swim in overnight.
Day-visitor hours are narrower and change by date — the Tropical World dome and outdoor AMAZONIA area typically open in the morning and run into the late evening, while individual attractions (the sauna and spa, specific slides, restaurants, OHANA Town) each keep their own schedule that can vary day to day and by season. Because of that variation, always check the live hours calendar on the official prices and hours page for your specific visit date before you plan the day, especially if you’re arriving late or want to catch every slide.
Tickets & Prices: What a Day Costs
Tropical Islands sells several tiers of day ticket rather than one flat admission. A “Pure Tropics” ticket covers the Tropical World dome and outdoor AMAZONIA area; a “Tropics & Sauna” ticket adds the clothing-optional sauna and spa zone for a higher price, and a fitness-club add-on is available on top of either. As of this writing, online Pure Tropics adult pricing spans roughly €34.90 on the cheapest weekdays up to around €69 on the highest-demand dates, with Tropics & Sauna running higher; teens, children (roughly ages 4–12), and seniors/students pay reduced rates, and children under 4 enter free.
Pricing is dynamic: expect the lowest rates on ordinary weekdays and noticeably higher “peak” and “special day” pricing on weekends, school holidays, and dates like Easter, summer Saturdays, and the Christmas–New Year stretch. There’s also a discounted Evening ticket for entry from around 6 p.m., a Family ticket bundling two adults with up to three kids, and annual passes for repeat visitors. Because these tiers and euro amounts shift with the season, buy directly through the official ticket and pricing page, where online prices also run cheaper than paying at the door.
Getting There from Berlin: Train, Shuttle & Driving
By car, take the A13 autobahn south from Berlin to the Staakow exit, then follow signage for the last few kilometers — the drive from central Berlin runs about 50–60 minutes. Without a car, take a Regional Express train (RE2 or RE7) from Berlin Hauptbahnhof or other central stations to Brand Tropical Islands station, a ride of roughly 45 minutes; a free shuttle bus timed to arriving trains covers the short final stretch to the dome entrance.
Note that Tropical Islands sits outside Berlin’s standard ABC transit zones, so a normal Berlin public transport day ticket won’t cover the full journey — you’ll need a ticket that extends into the Brandenburg zone or a dedicated regional fare, which you can buy at any Deutsche Bahn machine or app alongside your Berlin ticket. Full timetables and route maps are on the official arrival page.
Parking, Lockers & What to Bring
If you drive, on-site parking is a paid day fee collected at the lot: the closest lot to the dome entrance (P1) runs about €8 per 24 hours, while the further P2 and P3 lots cost about €6 per 24 hours, each charged from your time of entry — confirm current rates on the official arrival page linked above before you go.
Bring your own towel and swimwear if you want to skip a rental fee; day guests can rent a towel or a bathrobe on-site for a few euros plus a refundable deposit, while overnight guests typically get towels included. A basic locker is free with your entrance ticket and fits a bag, shoes, and light valuables, though large suitcases are better left at reception. Because the park generally runs as a cashless, wristband-linked system once you’re inside, load your wristband at a top-up station rather than carrying cash to the pools.
A Hangar Reborn
The building’s backstory is as striking as anything inside it. CargoLifter AG raised the Aerium in the late 1990s to assemble giant cargo airships, and its pillar-free interior remains among the largest of its kind in the world by volume, holding roughly 5.5 million cubic meters of space. When CargoLifter collapsed financially in 2002, the empty hangar risked becoming a stranded industrial relic on the site of a former Soviet-era military airfield. Instead, Tanjong’s 2003 purchase and subsequent redevelopment turned the shell into a climate-controlled tropical world.
Visitors pass through what still looks like an aircraft hangar door into a landscape of palm trees, a beach lagoon, and a rainforest canopy, all lit by a translucent roof membrane that lets in natural daylight.
Slides, Lagoon & Rainforest: What’s Inside
The centerpiece Tropical Sea lagoon spans thousands of square meters and anchors a network of slides, saunas, and relaxation areas. Its water slide tower stands about 22 meters tall and holds four slides, headlined by the Double Racer — a 212-meter side-by-side racing slide that replaced the park’s old turbo slide in 2023 — alongside a large water slide, the tyre-based Crazy River, and a gentler wide-wave slide for younger riders. The Rainforest section houses tens of thousands of plants across hundreds of species, while the outdoor Amazonia area outside the dome adds camping and lodging space.
A newer addition, OHANA Town, is an entertainment and dining complex with bowling lanes, a karaoke box, darts, billiards, and a Mexican-Pacific-style restaurant and bar; it’s open to anyone visiting the resort, not just day-ticket holders inside the water park itself. The core Tropical World dome is climate-controlled and operates year-round regardless of the harsh Brandenburg winters outside, a rarity among water parks of its scale and a key reason it has kept its title as the world’s largest indoor water park — though the outdoor AMAZONIA area, with its own pools and lazy river, and much of the resort’s cabin, lodge, and camping accommodation sit outside the dome and are exposed to the weather.
Sauna & Spa: What to Know Before You Go
The Sauna & Spa zone is a separate, adults-oriented area covered only by the “Tropics & Sauna” ticket tier or its own add-on fee — it’s not included with a standard Pure Tropics day ticket. In keeping with German sauna tradition, the cabins themselves are textile-free: swimwear isn’t worn inside the sauna rooms, and guests use a towel to sit or lie on so that skin never touches the wood directly. A wrap towel or bathrobe is expected for moving between saunas, steam rooms, and relaxation loungers in the rest of the zone.
If this style of sauna is new to you, a bathrobe and towel rental (with a refundable deposit) is available on-site so you don’t need to pack your own. Because the sauna area has its own separate hours that can run shorter than the main water park, check the same-day schedule on the official hours page before you build your visit around it.
Tropical Islands Krausnick FAQs
Is Tropical Islands open in winter?
Yes. The Tropical World dome is climate-controlled and operates 365 days a year regardless of outside weather, with pool access running around the clock for overnight guests. The outdoor AMAZONIA area and some outdoor accommodations remain exposed to the weather, though AMAZONIA itself stays open year-round.
How much does a Tropical Islands ticket cost?
Online day tickets for the Pure Tropics area start at roughly €35 on the cheapest weekdays and rise above €60 on peak weekends and holidays; adding the sauna and spa zone costs more. Check the official pricing page for the exact rate on your date, since it changes by season and day of week.
How do I get to Tropical Islands from Berlin without a car?
Take the RE2 or RE7 Regional Express train from Berlin Hauptbahnhof (or other central stations) to Brand Tropical Islands station, about 45 minutes, then ride the free shuttle bus that meets arriving trains for the short final stretch to the dome.
Is there parking at Tropical Islands, and how much does it cost?
Yes, on-site parking is available and charged per 24 hours from your time of entry — the closest lot to the dome runs a few euros more than the farther lots. Confirm current rates on the official site before you drive.
Do I need to bring my own towel?
Bringing your own towel and swimwear saves a rental fee. Day guests can rent a towel or bathrobe on-site for a small charge plus a refundable deposit if they’d rather not pack one.
Is the sauna area clothing-optional?
Yes. Following German sauna custom, the sauna cabins themselves are textile-free and swimwear isn’t worn inside them, though a towel or robe is used elsewhere in the wellness zone. This area requires the Tropics & Sauna ticket or add-on, not the base Pure Tropics ticket.
Can you stay overnight at Tropical Islands?
Yes, the resort offers overnight options ranging from tents and camping pitches to lodges and hotel-style rooms inside and around the dome, and overnight guests get extended pool access as part of their stay.
Get More from Tropical Islands Krausnick
Log the coasters, stadiums, and venues you’ve experienced, rate Tropical Islands Krausnick, and see what your friends thought. Get the ThrillZing app.
Want the day’s theme park news in your inbox? Subscribe to ThrillZing Daily — free.