The World’s Largest Barrels
Thursday, 4th December 2008 by James Turnbull
Over the years we've featured hundreds of sights claiming to be the "World's Largest Something", and when we featured the World's Largest Dump Truck last week, I wondered if we were finally running out. However our loyal readers came through with some classic "World's Largest" material - replete with the usual controversy of course!
Yes, we're truly scraping the bottom of the "World's Largest" barrel - because it's time for the World's Largest Barrel!
Bad Dürkheim in Germany is home to the World's largest wine festival - the sausagey-sounding "Wurstmarkt" - and it's also the location of this absolutely giant barrel, which has a claimed capacity of 1,700,000 litres. Unfortunately they decided to fill it with a restaurant instead of booze.
But does this barrel-restaurant really count, or is it just a building that looks like a barrel?
If we exclude it, then the title may fall to the 220,000 litre Heidelberg Tun: the World's largest barrel which is actually used as a barrel. Also in Germany, it's sadly kept in the basement of Heidelberg Castle.
Wikipedia's article on the World's largest roadside attractions claims that the world's largest barrel is neither of these, but is instead found at McWilliams Wines, in Hanwood, NSW, Australia. However I don't believe the Big Hanwood Barrel was constructed using traditional barrel-making techniques, and anyway doesn't look nearly big enough...
You'll be glad to know that the "World's largest roadside attractions" Wikipedia article has enough silly "World's Largest" sights to keep us going for another few years at least!
Thanks to Izzy and Flümo.
Hey, thanks for getting the “ü” right 🙂
Is the Hanwood Barrel even a complete barrel? There seems to be just one ground-level image available online, showing only about 3/4 of a barrel above ground – I’m not sure if the part underground even exists. Also, that barrel has no heads. I don’t think that should count 😉
The wine producing city of Bento Gonçalves, Brazil has the entrance of the city and one church in the shape of a barrel. I bet the restaurant as a barrel would fit in the same category of those.
The barrel in the entrance used to be made of wood, but it got blown off by the wind a few times, until they decided to make it in cement. The cars drive through the barrel to enter the city.
The church: View Placemark
The city entrance: View Placemark
I wonder where the world’s largest collection of online “world’s largest”-trivia is.
@koen – I feel a new strapline coming on!
Google Sightseeing – “The World’s Largest Collection of Online “World’s Largest” Trivia!”
“Why bother seeing the world for real” is a bit better though. But a Guiness Book of World Records entry would be quite nice. 🙂
Is thjis wiki-list of largests in any way official or like that? Just curious, since it doesn’t seem to accurate. Just by browsing thru it I found two “world’s largest” sundials, for example. If they are not exactly the same big, it’s impossible to have two, right.?
Or is it enough if the creator/owner declares it “the world’s biggest”?
Anyway, it’s a strange topic – see, here, in Europe it’s a completely non-existing thing – erecting huge objects for the passengers to see.
Although, coming to think of it – if I had to choose: would I want my hometown be famous for having the “world’s largest Artichoke” (which Castroville, California proudly claims) or not be famous at all – I’d very probably go with the latter 🙂
The world’s largest wine barrel is, in fact, the one in Bad Durkheim and it was constructed by a coopersmith according to strict wine-barrel making rules. It was certified to be a legitimate wine barrel after construction and it’s capacity is 1.7 million liters. No, it hasn’t been used as a wine barrel, it is a 3-level restaurant inside. I’ve seen it and the one in Heidelberg that was actually used to store wine. Both are very impressive. The king who ruled there a few centuries ago had a dance floor built over the barrel in the Heidelberg castle so he wouldn’t have to wait for servants to bring wine from the basement! That barrel holds about 240,000 liters. If you come to Germany, check them both out, great fun.