Visitors love the Miniatur Wunderland
Visitors love the Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg
The world's largest model railway can be found in Hamburg's Speicherstadt district. Through a survey by the National Tourist Board, foreign visitors voted it Germany's most popular tourist destination.
Italian moments
The "Bella Italia" section took four years to complete. Miniatur Wunderland has shrunk one of Europe’s most popular tourist destinations to just 190 square meters. Now the model trains stop in Rome, tourists gather on the Spanish Steps and the trains continue to the coastal resorts in Liguria. One highlight is the eruption of a miniature Mount Vesuvius.
How it all began
When Miniatur Wunderland opened in 2001, it first featured Austria and Central Germany. Just 200 visitors came on the first day - but now the major tourist attraction in the Speicherstadt is seen by over one million people every year.
Elbphilharmonie completed
Well, at least in miniature. But like the real thing in the Hafencity, it also suffered delays and soaring construction prices. Hamburg takes up around 200 square meters of the exhibition and you can see all the city's major landmarks.
American dream
Model trains and cars pass through eight nations at Miniatur Wunderland. One of them is the US, and features include Grand Canyon and Las Vegas. When night falls, which is every 15 minutes at Miniatur Wunderland, the model version of the city is illuminated. By the way, the exhibition has a total of 385,000 LEDs.
Swiss mountains
The Alps are also a great attraction in miniature form. The Swiss section of Miniatur Wunderland is two floors high. Visitors can enjoy the view from one of the highest peaks, the Matterhorn.
Scandinavian snowscapes
Miniatur Wunderland included the far north of Europe in its list of attractions in 2005. It is one of its largest sections. The exhibits include three penguins with luggage and a husky. They all wait in vain for a train to arrive at platform three on Kiruna station.
Technical masterpiece
Over 1,000 model trains pass through the different landscapes every day. There are also ships and cars to be seen at Miniatur Wunderland, all controlled by 50 different computers.
Ready for take off
The exhibition also features a miniature replica of Hamburg airport. You can see the planes land and take off, both during the day and at night. The whole thing is operated by a special satellite system and is surprisingly lifelike.
Trendsetter in Hamburg’s port district
When Miniatur Wunderland opened in a former warehouse in 2001, it was one of the district's first tourist attractions. It has been expanding ever since. Future layouts will include Monaco, Britain and African nations. So another visit is always worthwhile.