With 830 hp the giant armored Leopard 1 makes a lot of noise in the mud. This particular heavy vehicle is not used in war, but in an amusement park in Brandenburg. Knut Meller steers it around obstacles such as steep slopes and anti-tank ditches with great ease. “I served in the Bundeswehr 35 years ago, but I haven’t forgotten it,” says the 55-year-old from Schleswig-Holstein.

His wife bought him a ticket for a ride on the armored car as a birthday present. The car mechanic from Kiel is this weekend one of the many visitors to the park who will eventually leave with mud-stained clothes.

Sixty kilometers east of Berlin is the chariot obstacle course. Even further east, the war in Ukraine is raging, but that doesn’t seem to concern anyone. This strange driving school even promises that visitors will forget their daily worries and stress for a while. Families with children, groups of men but also a group of women from Frankfurt are here this Saturday.

Birthday present…

The women gave a colleague the tank tour as a gift for her 60th birthday. “We wanted something different, not just to go bowling,” they say. So after a glass of champagne, the adventure begins with the BMP-1 armored personnel carrier. It’s not just a simple walk. At some point the driver will develop a high speed and the adrenaline will rise.

“Our guests come with a smile and leave with a smile,” says school founder Axel Heise, who has been running the business for 17 years. The war in Ukraine had no negative consequences. Customers aren’t interested in war games, he argues. After all, tanks don’t carry weapons. Only technology interests people, says the founder of the school. And Knut Meller, who served thirty years ago in the German army, emphasizes for his part that no one wants a military confrontation.

Dealing with the armored car takes about half an hour. A tank driving instructor is present on every drive. Tank enthusiasts can also visit other areas of Germany to drive these beasts, mainly in the eastern states. Visitors come from all walks of life. Workers, teachers, doctors…

There are also obstacles in the operation of the schools

On the internet one can find many offers for such tours and driving experiences. However, these companies are also affected by the economic crisis because “there is a shortage of spare parts, there are always new laws and regulations, fuel has become more expensive and the coronavirus pandemic has also destroyed some things,” says Axel Heise.

Tank driving as entertainment is also offered in other countries. Before the war, it was also available in Ukraine. The Adventure company, for example, in addition to trips to Chernobyl or shooting with Kalashnikovs, also offered tank rides. But now the company is posting on social media photos of war and destruction and urging those interested to wait a while until things calm down.