On Location
MYSTERY PARK
No answers - but a lot of questions
by The Doc (text) and Mäkka (dry remarks and pictures)

THE MYSTERY PARK WEBSITE (ENGLISH / GERMAN)

THE OFFICIAL ERICH VON DÄNIKEN WEBSITE (ENGLISH / GERMAN)

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VIMANA - space shuttles for the ancient Indians?
ORIENT - the great pyramid of Gizeh
MAYA - were they astronomers?
MEGASTONES - Stonehenge, its meaning and its purpose
CONTACT - culture shock or inspiration?
NAZCA - pictograms for the gods?
CHALLENGE - are we alone in space?
"Vimanas" is the name used in the literature of ancient India for mysterious "flying machines", and in this part of the Mystery Park, the question will be asked what these Vimanas were, where they came from and who created them.
Also if scientists still argue over the consequences to be drawn from the fact, they at least agree that even with today's tools it would be an undertaking of enormous planning and precision to build a monument like the great pyramid of Gizeh, not to talk with the tools available in ancient Egypt.

Who were the architects? Who was the engineer? How could these giant masses of stone have been moved in so short a time? Of all the mysteries our world offers, this must be one of the greatest, especially since modern archaeology has re-examined several formerly labelled "object for cult services" and found them to be of quite a different purpose - primitive batteries, for example.

Now what in Ra's name would the Egyptians have need batteries for if they had no electricity?
Stargate fans will have a field day with this pavillion, where we learn about the great mystery of the mayan calendar.

Situated in a pyramid, you will be shown a specially produced short movie (projected on a very Stargatey looking screen!) which re-tells a Mayan legend about visitors from another planet, and how they changed the fate of the Maya.

The movie is quite nicely done, so is the pyramid, and in the basement, you will find additional information as well as a small exhibition with reproductions of relevant artefacts, for example the famous crystal skull.
OK - do NOT start your trip here. You might get a wrong impression, and could easily feel like you incidentally stumbled across an old set used for "Star Trek", the original series, situated in the auditorium room of Junior High.

The campy first impression fades once the laser show starts, projecting some of the theories about Stonehenge's history and purpose. However, I'd wished a little more effort had been made to make "Stonehenge" look a little less like something created for a school project.
Here you will learn about the development of the various "Cargo" cults on our planet. When the US Air Force took camp on New Guinea in 1945, the soldiers gave small gifts to the locals, like canned food, chocolate and so on. These gifts the locals called "cargo". After a while, fake landing strips were created and airports imitated, to invite the silvery flying objects to land directly in the tribes' own territory rather than in their neighbours.

This phenomenon can be found all over the world and all through the milennia, and one has to ask the question why, what worked back in 1945, shouldn't have worked many centuries ago ...
If you'd hop on the space shuttle and flew into orbit, you would still be able to very clearly see the pictograms of Nazca, stretching over miles in an arid area south of Lima, Peru. Some look like landing strips, others show animals. But one thing they have all in common - you need to be in the air to see them. How were the people able to make such accurate images without seeing them? And, even more importantly, WHO was supposed to see them?
Space - the final frontier. The more technologically advanced we get, the more we reach for the stars, the more we ask ourselves: are we alone? Isn't there somebody else out there in the endless universe? And if there is - would they be friends? Enemies? Would we look like silly children to them, or like dangerous agressors? The SETI project was set up to make contact. If there is somebody out there, we want to hear from them. (Or maybe not ... I shouldn't have watched "Mars Attacks" yesterday. "Nice Planet. We take it."

Entering the challenge pavillion, you will see the "Robotic Man" (see picture), a very interesting looking robot. Entering the main room, you will be equiped with hideous 3-D glasses which will immediately make you look like a bufoon, but without them, the following 3-D movie, simulating a flight through space to a planet far, far away would lose its excitement.

The movie is well done, the effect is quite impressing, but gets dimmed once you are led through a "worm hole" (= door framed with black and yellow duct tape) and make your way over the surface of the above mentioned planet far, far away. Another serious "Star Trek: The Original Series" deja-vu - you almost expect Kirk to jump from behind one of the "stones" and tear off his shirt.
I guess you must be Swiss to fully appreciate the opening of Erich von Däniken's "Mystery Park" in Interlaken (Bernese Highlands), Switzerland, in the beginning of May 2003.

The press was trying to ridicule the idea and the farmers were waving their pitchforks (traditional Swiss way of throwing a tantrum) when first word got out about the plans for an educational theme park about the mysteries of past cultures.

"What? Here? In the mountains? No way! It will ruin the landscape! It will keep the tourists away! It will sour the milk of our cows!" (traditional Swiss arguments brought up whenever unpopular political decisions are up, for example the right for women to vote.)

One can't applaud the heads behind this project - and the involved political forces as well, for a change - enough for their willingness to fight this project through.

And so it's here now, the Mystery Park. What is it?

Well, it's easier to explain what it is NOT: do not visit this park and expect something like Disney Land, with wildwater rides and rollercoasters. This is a place to sit down, listen, consider the questions and then find your own answers, because of these, none will be given. While, of course, Erich von Däniken's theories are coming upfront, they are not forced upon you as the ultimative truth. They are just some possible explanations, and you are free to accept them or find your own.

The Mystery Park is not spectacular, and you can't expect special effects like you know them from Sci-Fi movies like "Star Wars". But if you visit this place with an open mind, your curiosity might be triggered, and the thirst for knowledge - this is the after effect the Mystery Park can have, and this is, in the long run, more valuable than cotton candy and spectacular light shows.
COSTS?
Ouch - the prices are hefty (prices in dollars are estimated and may vary): Adults CHF 48 / US$ 32, children 6 – 13 years CHF 28 / US$ 18.70, children under 6 years free of charge.

Groups (at least 20 persons) pay (adults) CHF 43.20 / US$ 28.80, children CHF 25.20 /  US$16.80
Children under 6 years free of charge. Special prices for groups will only be granted after previous reservation.

The kindergarden "Mysty Club" is available to children from 2 - 7 years and costs CHF 6 / US$ 4 per child and per hour.
In the following, we will give you a short description of the various theme pavillions which are gathered around the prominent central "silver ball" which holds the restaurant as well as the Erich von Däniken Foundation; each pavillon is dedicated to one specific Mystery of the world and decorated accordingly.

The place itself is really beautiful: light, made mainly out of glass, airy, sunny - you actually feel like you're in the open air at all times, even when it's raining outside, without the unpleasant side-effect of getting wet. The breath-taking nature of the Bernese Highlands has not been locked out, but integrated, and many lovely spots, for example beside a small pond or beneath the "Pyramid", invite you for a short rest.

Souvenir shops are availabe (Stargate fans, beware: reproductions of artefacts and Egyptian jewellery can seriously harm your credit card), the catering is very good, with a broad variety of food also for vegetarians, which is still a rare thing here in Switzerland, despite the ever-growing number of non-carnivores here. The prices are, compared to the rest of Switzerland, quite low, which was a (nice) surprise.

Heavy weight was put on the protection of the environment, which shows in every aspect.

Also very well cared for are the children, which you can leave with confidence in the hands of the capable staff at the "Mysty" club - on 300 m2, a real paradise for children has been created, and you will have a hard time to get the wee ones out of there again.

As we have visited the park with the other journalists on the day before the official opening, we couldn't access everything, but more attractions are availabe, for example the two "Nautilus", submarines which invite you for a trip into the depths of the sea, a penny arcade and much more.

A big compliment for the visitor information system: KOSY, which comes in the form of a little apparatus with earplug,  is programmed in the language of your choice, and will be handed to you right after you buy your ticket. Equipped with this system as your personal guide you can enjoy your stay while chosing your tour through the park yourself. The appropriate comment will play automatically whenever you step into an area where additional information is available.

One tip from me: if ever possible, take the English version. The German one is ... very Swiss...
SUMMARY
If you are already in the area, you should visit the park, just keep in mind that this is neither Disney World nor Europa Park, but then, it's not supposed to be in the first place. Keep an open mind. Be willing to listen.

Interlaken is, in any case, always worth a visit, the Bernese Highlands are some of the most beautiful places to see in Switzerland, and we really love tourists who spend their money here, hehe. ;-)