Germany: Land of pyramids?

While it's not quite as ancient as the Cheops Pyramid in Egypt, this pyramid is still almost 200 years old. It stands in the center of Karlsruhe's market and is the tomb of the city's founder Karl Wilhelm von Baden-Durlach. It was built between 1823 to 1825 and is almost seven meters (22 ft) high. It's the main landmark of Karlsruhe and a popular meeting place for both locals and tourists.

This pyramid made of soil can be found in the Fürst Pückler Park Branitz near the city of Cottbus. In the mid-19th century, eccentric Prince Pückler designed this landscape garden park and intended the pyramid to be a burial place for his ex-wife and partner. In the end, however, she was buried with him, in a second pyramid in the middle of the lake.

A public library is housed in this glass pyramid in the southern German city of Ulm. It is 35 meters (114 ft) high and has nine floors, two elevators and even a spiral staircase. It opened in 2004 and has a cafe on the fifth floor with a great view of the city. Perhaps even King Tutankhamun would have liked this modern pyramid.

Two buildings, which appear to be a pyramid split in two, can be found in the Loki Schmidt Botanical Garden in Hamburg. Built in 2004, the dazzling structures are undoubtedly a highlight of the park. They were a gift from the United Arab Emirates and very fittingly stand in a desert garden. Inside, there's a small exhibition where one can learn about desert gardens.

It may look like a work in progress, but the structure is a completed tetrahedron, — a three-sided pyramid, — and is located in Bottrop in North Rhine Westfalia. Towering at 60 meters (196 feet) it serves as a lookout point. Visitors cross a suspension bridge to reach the first viewing platform at a height of 18 meters while the other two are further up and offer better views.

These are the Sauerland pyramids — some of them anyway. In total, the pyramid ensemble in the city of Lennestadt-Meggen consists of seven buildings. Three are used by a biomedical company, while the other four belong to the Galileo Park, a "knowledge and puzzle park" where visitors can explore changing exhibitions.

Do you think this black pyramid in the German city of Mainz is futuristic, threatening or a truly ideal location for your dream wedding? In fact, it's a for-rent space that could be the venue for a big event. It's advertised as having a whopping 2,600 square meters (27,987 ft) of space.

Indeed, a pyramid can also be a church on the side of a highway — like this one, the Autobahnkirche St. Christopherus located just off of the expressway at the Baden-Baden service area. The pyramid-shaped design for the church was selected during an architectural competition in 1970. In 1978, it opened its doors to worshippers.

This glass pyramid is located in the town of Döbern in the far East of Germany, which is famous for its glass manufacturing tradition. It claims to be largest glass pyramid retail store in the world — we were surprised to learn it's not the only one! The 18-meter-high (59 ft) pyramid store holds more than 10,000 unique glass works made by local and international glass artists.

Someone had a bold idea and dared to make it a reality: Build a pyramid and make a water park ride go through it. Visitors to the Belantis amusement park near Leipzig can splash through this 31-meter-high (101 ft) pyramid while riding the "Curse of the Pharaoh."