Team Spirit, Tunnels and Pizza Dough

Instead of bits and bytes, team spirit and adventure were on the agenda last week. To this end, we traveled to Zeitz, a charming little town in the south of Saxony-Anhalt. Creatively devised team games from tour operator betourt awaited us there, followed by a mysterious descent into the town's historic underworld.

The early bird catches the worm - or in our case, the spaghetto. Early in the morning, we set off for Zeitz. Our first destination there was the old pasta factory: a place that unites opposites. The halls are flooded with daylight and decorated with sleek, modern furniture, while at the same time marked by crumbling plaster and faded inscriptions that tell of the building's industrial heritage. In this special ambience, our very personal pasta Olympics started.

We competed in four teams across several disciplines: sifting pasta, kneading dough, and precision challenges like frisbee golf and soccer darts. Our highlight was the pasta water parcour. For this, we had to wear a pair of nasty goggles that simulated complete drunkenness. Equipped like this, our task was to balance pasta water in a ladle, navigating over and around obstacles, to still have enough water left to cook with at the end. It may sound funny, but it was a serious challenge. Our brainpower was also put to the test: pasta quizzes and riddles had our heads boiling until they were al dente. The winners were presented with a packet of pasta, as is only right.

After a short break and a solid lunch, we set off on our “Zeitz-seeing” tour toward the old town. Along the way, we passed several abandoned trading houses, silent witnesses to the city’s long and storied history. At our destination, we were welcomed by the medieval city center, featuring impressive landmarks like the Old Town Hall and Moritzburg Castle. But soon, our gaze shifted downward rather than upward, because beneath our feet lay the underground of Zeitz: a tunnel system reaching up to twelve meters deep. Originally used as beer cellars in the Middle Ages, the tunnels were expanded during World War II for air-raid protection. Later, tunnel enthusiasts explored and restored parts of the system, eventually opening them to the public. We dared to descend into the dark, damp underworld, feeling our way through narrow passages and listening to stories of beer brewing in the shadowy vaults.

In the evening, our focus shifted from underground to downright delicious – it was Pizzatime. Back at the old pasta factory, we chopped vegetables, rolled out dough, topped it traditionally or with wild creativity, and slid tray after tray into the oven. We sampled each other’s creations and laughed at failed pizza attempts that were quickly rebranded as calzones. To aid digestion, we played table tennis until the ball disappeared into the night.

Anyone thinking this was the grand finale of our company outing would be mistaken. For the first time, we didn’t go our separate ways in the evening – instead, we got to stay overnight in the old factory hospital of the pasta plant, where every room is a one-of-a-kind interior design gem. A big thank you to the organizing team for a fantastic day!

Sounds like a day just to your taste? Then make sure not to miss the next team event! Check out our current job openings.