- Berchtesgaden is setting a monument to the series "Watzmann detects"
ARD's hit series "Watzmann Investigates" is becoming an increasingly popular tourist attraction in its filming location of Berchtesgaden. A life-sized photo statue of the TV detectives now stands in the 8,000-resident town's park, allowing fans to pose for photos, as announced in a production press release. It features Katharina Leonore Goebel (Commissioner Sophia Strasser) with her fellow actors Andreas Giebel (Chief Commissioner Benedikt Beissl) and Peter Marton (Commissioner Jerry Paulsen).
Fans can solve a case via an app on a tour of filming locations
Visitors to the small monument can find a QR code for their phone, leading to a 90-minute tour of the filming locations. As amateur detectives, they solve tasks at the original sites using the specially developed "On the Trail of Watzmann Investigates - Filming Locations Tour" app. Successful detective work is rewarded at the tourist center.
The app is hosted by actress Goebel. "I want to test it with Peter Marton on location in the next two weeks after the current filming ends," she said. "Let's see if we can solve the case in the app."
Actress Goebel thinks of "We Are Heroes" song
Upon her first encounter with her own cardboard cutout in the park, Goebel was both fascinated and embarrassed: "It's quite strange that the three of us are now standing as cardboard cutouts in the park. The song 'Monument' from 'We Are Heroes' came to mind: 'Get the sledgehammer - they've built us a monument.' Goebel laughed, "I'm just waiting for someone to draw a mustache on me. But if they do, I hope it's a nice and creative one."
"Nobody would have expected five years ago, when the series started, that it would be such a hit," said the responsible editor at Bayerischer Rundfunk, Antje Schlüter. Not many filming locations are so successful "that they are given a filming location discovery tour."
The series "Watzmann Investigates" is one of the biggest hits on ARD's prime-time lineup. The last season averaged around three million viewers and a 13.6% market share. This made the BR production the second most successful prime-time series in the ARD in 2023. Repeats are currently airing Wednesdays at 6:50 PM on the first channel.
Fans can engage with their favorite characters even further by interacting with the "Cardboard Cutout Challenge" near the statue, where they can pose alongside the life-sized figures of commissioners Sophia Strasser, Benedikt Beissl, and Jerry Paulsen. The popularity of the show has led to this uniquely mixed experience, combining real-life and virtual detective work.
The success of "Watzmann Investigates" has resulted in a range of unique fan experiences, such as the app-guided tour and the cardboard cutout challenge, making it a standout among ARD's hit shows.
