World famous brands

Famous brands and their historyFrom idea to best-seller

Do you fancy lifting the curtain on history, ever so slightly? Here we present entrepreneurs and inventors whose products have made the world more enjoyable, more comfortable and more exciting.

1. Spaghetti Ice | Eis Fontanella MannheimVanilla-flavoured pasta

Dario Fontanella was eating chestnut purée when he had the idea for spaghetti ice-cream. That was in 1969. The ice-cream maker has been credited as the inventor of this delicacy ever since. Even today, Dario makes the frozen dessert himself in the traditional way. He operates two ice-cream parlours in Mannheim, which offer more than 50 ice-cream flavours – but his spaghetti ice-cream has always been the highlight. fontanella.de

A man presses vanilla ice cream through a spaetzle press with both hands. The ice cream comes out of the bottom of the press in long strings.

On a plate lies a high mountain of vanilla ice cream in the shape of spaetzle.

Dario Fontanella created spaghetti ice cream using a traditional spätzle press in his father's ice cream parlour in Mannheim .

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2. Ritter Sport | Museum Ritter WaldenbuchThe sweet square

“Quality, chocolate, squared” – we all know the slogan and the chocolate itself. But how did it all begin? Alfred Eugen Ritter and his wife Clara established a chocolate and confectionery factory in Bad Cannstatt in 1912, but production today takes place in Waldenbuch. The Museum Ritter is right next door, where everything is a homage to the square. There is also a separate Ritter Sport Chocolate Museum.ritter-sport.com | museum-ritter.de

Exterior view of the Ritter Sport Museum in Waldenbuch. The building is modern with a white façade and has a rectangular shape. There is a large meadow in front of it.

The Ritter Museum in Waldenbuch focuses on the square shape. There's chocolate too, of course.

3. Roller Coaster | Europa-Park in RustInspired by travel

What would an amusement park be without a rollercoaster? Franz Mack (pictured) is a gifted inventor from Südbaden, and going up high and coming down fast in Europa-Park was his idea. In 1948, he took over his father’s carousel- and car-building factory in Waldkirch. Inspired by a journey to the USA, he and his son created an exhibition area for rollercoasters in Rust, and the idea for the amusement park was born. Today visitors can experience the thrill on 13 rollercoasters. europapark.de

A man stands next to a miniature roller coaster and tinkers with it. On the other side is a large silver sphere.

Europa-Park founder Franz Mack tinkering with his Eurosat roller coaster model.

4. Steiff Cuddly toys | Steiff MuseumTime for cuddles

Margarete Steiff crafted little felt elephants as pincushions for her friends. But their children loved them so much that Margarete continued to sew stuffed toys. She opened workshops in Giengen an der Brenz in 1880. The STEIFF MUSEUM has thousands of animals with the Steiff button in their ear for you to admire. steiff.com

In one room of the Steiff Museum, many cuddly toys of different sizes are displayed on a long wall.

The stuffed animal exhibition at the Steiff Museum in Giengen an der Brenz not only lights up children's eyes.

5. Hugo Boss | Outletcity MetzingenHow do you get to (be) Boss?

Every year, more than 4 million fashion fans shop in Outletcity Metzingen’s over 100 shops. Its origins were modest. Hugo Ferdinand Boss opened a clothing factory in the Swabian Alb in 1924, and by 1970 it had a factory shop. Outletcity Metzingen still has a (Hugo) Boss Outlet Store today. outletcity.com

There are many designer stores in a shopping mile. The stores are brightly colored and modern.

Hugo Boss launches the first factory outlet in Metzingen. Today, all big designer brands are present in OutletCity Metzingen.

6. Märklin model railway | Märklineum GöppingenTin and glory

Even if you aren’t a model railway fan, you’ll know the name of Märklin. It’s a byword for (tin) toys and all the associated memories. Theodor Friedrich Wilhelm Märklin founded his company in Göppingen as early as 1859. The Märklineum opened in the production rooms of the 1950s and shows the living history of model railways – a thrilling experience. maerklineum.de/en

A locomotive is displayed in a showcase in an interior room of the Märklin Museum.

The Märklineum in Göppingen presents a model railway installation covering more than 100 square meters. A time travel through 160 years of company history.