Insurance for leisure parks, climbing gyms and travelling showmen in Germany
Wherever people choose to go up high, loop the loop or climb a wall, injury to guests is the central risk. A single fall from the rope can change a life and lead to a claim running into millions. On top of that come expensive rides and a short season in which every lost day counts.
Does the disclaimer on the entry ticket protect me?
Only to a very limited extent. For injuries caused by a breach of your duty of care, such as a hold that came loose, a worn rope or a missing safety briefing, you cannot validly exclude liability in your terms and conditions. That is why public liability insurance is the core of your protection, not the small print at the entrance.
What goes wrong in this trade
01
Falls from height
A carabiner clipped in wrongly, a climber lowered too early, a bad landing when bouldering: spinal and knee injuries are among the most expensive liability claims there are.
02
Machinery under load
Rides, cable cars and high ropes courses run under heavy load every day. A single material failure can hurt many guests at once.
03
Weather and season
Storms, hail or heavy rain hit outdoor installations directly. If the park has to close in high summer, a large share of the year's turnover is gone.
04
Other people's property
Showmen stand on council fairgrounds, and climbing gyms are often in rented industrial halls. Damage to the rented property or the site is on your bill.
05
Crowds in tight spaces
A crush at the entrance, slippery paths, a parasol that blows over: with high visitor numbers even small accidents become frequent.
06
Staff working at height
Route setters, instructors and technicians work on ladders, lifting platforms and ropes themselves. Accidents at work with long absences are not unusual here.
For online ticketing, the till system and member data, which can be down for days after an attack.
What it costs: example prices
Premiums depend heavily on turnover, visitor numbers and the type of attraction. A bouldering gym is rated differently from a high ropes course or a carousel. Differences of several hundred per cent between quotes are not unusual in this sector.
Insurance
Example
Typical range
Business liability
Climbing or bouldering gym with turnover up to about 360,000 euros, 5 million euros cover
about 550 to 1,200 euros a year
Business liability
Showman with one children's carousel, cover above the regulation's minimum
about 500 to 1,500 euros a year
Business interruption
Climbing gym with 300,000 euros of contents and 300,000 euros business interruption, 24 month indemnity period
from about 1,000 euros a year
Machinery breakdown
Ride or cable car with a replacement value of 250,000 euros
about 1,500 to 4,000 euros a year
Business liability
Leisure park or high ropes course with over 100,000 visitors a year
usually from about 3,000 euros a year, on request only
For comparison: Public liability for a small bouldering gym costs about as much a year as two or three annual passes for your regulars.
Guide figures excluding insurance tax, as of September 2026.
The climbing gym figures come from published sector schemes;
the others are cautious guide figures from our own quoting experience.
Six things that really happen at parks, halls and fairgrounds, all on a single day in the school holidays. Tap through the day and see who pays.
Damage so far€172,500
During top rope climbing a member of staff lowers a guest too fast. A broken heel bone, long rehabilitation and loss of earnings.
€65,000 · Paid by: Business liability
The gearbox of the chair swing ride fails. Repairs and special parts from abroad.
€32,000 · Paid by: Machinery breakdown
The ride stands still for twelve days, right in the middle of the summer holidays.
€48,000 · Paid by: Business interruption
A child falls on a crash mat that has slipped out of place and breaks a wrist.
€7,500 · Paid by: Business liability
A thunderstorm tears the roof off the snack stand and damages the till and the refrigeration.
€11,000 · Paid by: Business contents
The ticketing system is encrypted by hackers; the next morning neither online tickets nor annual passes work.
€9,000 · Paid by: Cyber insurance
Which package would you have had?
Paid by insurance: €0
Out of your own pocket: €172,500
Illustrative amounts before any excess.
What is paid depends on the policy terms.
Practical tips from your broker
Choose at least 5 million euros of cover for bodily injury; for rides and high ropes courses rather 10 million.
Make sure courses, children's parties, hire equipment and guests belaying themselves are expressly named in the policy.
Showmen should always carry proof of insurance: the authorities may ask to see it on the fairground.
Have damage to the rented hall and fairground included; the limits for this in standard policies are often low.
Set the indemnity period for business interruption to 24 months if spare parts for your rides have long delivery times.
Record daily visual checks and safety briefings: after a claim this is your most important evidence that you met your duty of care.
Why NAMMERT for your business
Injury claims are part of our daily work
In boat insurance we handle claims ourselves, including injuries on board. We know how assessors, lawyers and insurers negotiate after a serious accident.
We get several quotes
Quotes in this sector vary widely. As a broker we approach several insurers and compare the exclusions, not just the price.
One contact for business and family
Your park, your vehicles, the living wagon on the road and your private cover are all handled in one place.
Family business since 1989
Many showmen's businesses and parks are family firms. So are we, and we remain the same contacts for years.
Frequently asked questions
Questions and answers
Do showmen need compulsory insurance?
Yes.
Anyone who runs rides, shooting galleries,
animal shows or pony rides as a travelling business needs liability cover under the showmen's
liability regulation of at least 1 million euros for bodily injury and 150,000 euros for property
damage per claim.
The higher injury sum applies to rides; for the others it is 500,000 euros.
Does a climbing gym have to be insured?
Not by law, but in practice yes: landlords, banks and partners want proof,
and a single serious accident can quickly exceed all your equity.
Are guests at a climbing gym covered by accident insurance?
No.
Guests climb at their own risk and have no statutory accident cover.
They have claims against the gym if a mistake by the business caused the accident;
then public liability pays.
What does insurance for a bouldering gym cost?
Public liability for smaller gyms is roughly between 550 and 1,200 euros a year.
With contents and business interruption it is usually 2,000 to 4,500 euros.
Does insurance pay if we close because of bad weather?
Only if insured physical damage forces the closure, such as storm damage to the site.
Closing just because of a weather warning, with no damage, is usually not insured.
Are route setters and instructors covered by the gym's insurance?
Employees are, through public liability and the Berufsgenossenschaft.
Self-employed route setters and freelance instructors need their own professional liability cover.
NAMMERT insurance broker
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