How does a restaurant become a playground? That sounds like the beginning to a riddle or a joke. In fact, it's something that actually happened. Ai Pioppi was opened as a food stand in Battaglia, in the region of Veneto. Armed with some jugs of wine and sausages, a man named Bruno set out to establish a business in 1969 that has become something he could never have imagined. The stand first became a family restaurant and then, after an encounter with a blacksmith that lead to Bruno learning to weld, a very unique playground was born. Established as something extra to draw customers to his restaurant, it has developed into an entity with a life of its own. If you want to visit this astonishing place for yourself, find a holiday rental in Veneto and stop by.
As you drive through the dense woods of Battaglia, you'll notice some wooden benches in a cluster by the side of the road. This is the first glimpse that visitors have of the outdoor restaurant that is Ai Pioppi. Further on, the attractions become visible, seemingly springing from the very earth of the woods themselves, like the trees and plants.
However, they did not merely appear there. Each ride has been lovingly hand-crafted by Bruno in his little makeshift workshop nearby over the past forty years. More rides are constantly added with the playground becoming more and more elaborate. It also continues to draw crowds, particularly popular among families in the area.
Not an amusement park in the strictest sense but probably the purest, it is a place where guests can find simple child-like fun while playing on unique playground equipment from regular slides to actual roller coasters. Inspired by the movement of the forest from falling leaves to breezes, Bruno tries to recreate the motion in his self-powered rides. Not only are you bound to have fun but you'll actually undergo a bit of a workout too! Most of the rides are intended of children and tame enough but others, such as the Wheel of Death (a cage cycled right around and upside-down over a 360 degree, wheel-shaped track), are serious thrills.
With food and a rather unique adventure to offer, anyone visiting Veneto should make a point to stop by. Even if it's merely to look at something so unique in an increasingly litigious and safety-conscious world. If you're brave enough, there's plenty of fun to be had as well!
However, they did not merely appear there. Each ride has been lovingly hand-crafted by Bruno in his little makeshift workshop nearby over the past forty years. More rides are constantly added with the playground becoming more and more elaborate. It also continues to draw crowds, particularly popular among families in the area.
Not an amusement park in the strictest sense but probably the purest, it is a place where guests can find simple child-like fun while playing on unique playground equipment from regular slides to actual roller coasters. Inspired by the movement of the forest from falling leaves to breezes, Bruno tries to recreate the motion in his self-powered rides. Not only are you bound to have fun but you'll actually undergo a bit of a workout too! Most of the rides are intended of children and tame enough but others, such as the Wheel of Death (a cage cycled right around and upside-down over a 360 degree, wheel-shaped track), are serious thrills.
With food and a rather unique adventure to offer, anyone visiting Veneto should make a point to stop by. Even if it's merely to look at something so unique in an increasingly litigious and safety-conscious world. If you're brave enough, there's plenty of fun to be had as well!
