It's the middle of February, and although the year's weather has been extremely unpredictable, with one week's high of 70 degrees and the next week's high of 25 degrees, we all wish we could be somewhere tropical, sipping on margaritas poolside or going for a swim. Well, if we lived in Berlin, Germany, we could do all of that and more during the dead of winter.
Located about 60 kilometers south of Berlin lies the largest free-standing dome in the world.
Looks cold, right?
It's all an illusion. Inside of the German aircraft hangar pictured above -- stretching over 1,100 feet long -- thrives a little piece of paradise called Tropical Islands. Along with seven spa zones, each inspired by a different area of the world such as Africa or Thailand, there are 13 bars and restaurants, a beach, a lagoon, a rain forest, and a golf course.
As if that weren't enough, there is also a tropical sea, equivalent to three Olympic pools, realistically lined with sandy beaches and miniature tropical islands decorated with grass huts. There is even a huge backdrop a blue sky with clouds above the water to complete the tropical scene.
But wait, there's even more! You can go on a hot-air balloon ride over the tropical palm trees and clear water -- inside the dome.
We all love the random warm, sunny days we've been getting recently, but the temperatures don't stay at 70 degrees long enough to enjoy the beach or go for a swim. When you step inside this hangar, you transition from winter to summer instantaneously.
It's 26 degrees Celsius, or 78 degrees Fahrenheit, all year round. Plus, the floor is heated.
According to NPR, the hangar was originally built to hold a heavy-lift airship capable of carrying over 150 tons of material, but the hangar was built first, and the airship was never completed. The company went bankrupt in 2002 and left the huge, empty hangar up for grabs.
Purchased for over $22 million in 2003, the resort definitely put a dent in someone's wallet, but the revenue and profit were, and still are, enormous. If we had a resort like Tropical Islands of our own, college students would be making weekend trips, and families wouldn't have to travel to Mexico or the Bahamas to get some sun over winter break.
I think a few of these (not saying they need to be big enough to fit the Eiffel Tower inside like the Tropical Islands) sporadically placed in colder areas of the U.S. would be refreshing and profitable.
So, who's with me?
To get a full view of this year-round paradise, watch the video below:
