Walkable 'roller coaster' opens in Germany

It looks like a roller-coaster ride, but may earn the reputation of being a "stroller-coaster." Since November 13, the new large-scale sculpture dubbed “Tiger and Turtle - Magic Mountain" was opened in Duisburg, Germany, after a year of construction. The sculpture, which has a 220-meter track and is made of zinc-plated steel and grates, gives tourists an impressive view over the Rhine, according to German artists Heike Mutter and Ulrich Genth. Visitors climb steep steps on the roller-coaster-sculpture on foot, getting a sense of "promise and disappointment, mobility and standstill." LED lights are integrated in the handrails and highlight the flight of stairs so the sculpture is accessible at night, they added. 'Stroller-coaster' UK's The Daily Mail dubbed the sculpture the "Stroller coaster," which it said "gives walkers the pleasure of a fairground ride without the pace." The sculpture was built on top of a mining waste tip at the Heinrich-Hildebrand-Height in the Angerpark, which opened in 2008. "Visitors can climb on the curved sculpture and walk around, taking in the surrounding views from the spiral walkways - but not at the breakneck speed usually associated with roller coasters," it said. On the other hand, tech site Gizmodo noted the sculpture was built at a cost of $2.7 million. Gizmodo said the sculpture aims to contrast the sense of speed usually associated with thrill rides (the tiger) with the slow, methodical steps (the turtle) needed to complete its 722-foot of coasterless track. — TJD, GMA News