Preview: The World Is Your Oyster At: "Miniatur Wunderland" - Northern Germany's No 1 Tourist Attraction

18 Jun 2013

The World Is Your Oyster At: "Miniatur Wunderland" - Northern Germany's No 1 Tourist Attraction

Want to visit seven countries with the family this summer? All in just one day? Then head for Hamburg's astonishing "Miniatur Wunderland" (www.miniatur-wunderland.com). Created by twin brothers more than a decade ago, the city's No 1 tourist attraction offers a slice of life in 8 countries as far apart as Germany, Switzerland, and the USA. With 1.3 million visitors, "Miniatur Wunderland" is Germany's No 2 tourist attraction, right behind Schloss Neuschwanstein.

Forget the idea that model railways and miniature villages are just for kids. This really is the best example of life under the microscope, and, in 2012, was recognised as having the "World's Largest Miniature Railway" by the Guinness Book of World Records.

But the cities and churches, Alps and Grand Canyon, 228,000 trees and 3,700 houses are just a backdrop for an extraordinary array of action scenes. Listen to an outdoor rock concert, with an audience of 21,000 tiny people, including TV technicians with cameras. (Get the kids to spot the fans, who climbed in illegally!). All human life is here, from a funeral to an armed robbery. And Wunderland's 215,000 citizens are all individually handmade!

And running round, through, and under "Miniatur Wunderland" are the 1,000 trains pulling 15,000 carriages along eight miles of track. The trains never stop running and the roads are always busy, with more than 89,000 vehicles on the move. Fire engines are constantly on the lookout for a blaze. When they do find one, the pumps roar into action to put out the fire.

Most awesome for British visitors? Some say Knuffingen Airport, where Concorde is just one of the planes that takes off - complete with real sound effects! Others tell us that it is watching the model makers at work on the newest creation: Italy. Due to open in 2015, the newest country will cost between 4 and 5 million Euros to build and will boast St Peter's, Rome, St Mark's, Venice, Pompeii, and Vesuvius - spouting smoke, of course!

In Wunderland, each "day" lasts 15 minutes; at dusk and through the "night", the LED lights sparkle. Although you never see the 230 backroom staff operating the 46 computers, one great appeal is that "Miniatur Wunderland" is also inter-active, with 150 push-button action sequences. Just press a button and you could start a tractor-pulling contest!

One of the most visited cities in Europe, Hamburg itself is crammed with hip museums, creative pop culture, and a lively nightlife - and almost everybody speaks English! All in all, a great place to take the family - and see seven countries in a day! And, at 12 € for adults and 6 € for children under 16, it's so affordable!

Travel:

It's quick and easy to fly from the United Kingdom to Hamburg Airport. Lufthansa, British Airways, easyJet and bmi offer daily flights from airports in and near London, Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh and Bristol.

Packages:

Hamburg Tourismus (+49 40 300 51 701; www.hamburg-tourism.de/en) offers two great packages for experiencing "Miniatur Wunderland".

"A holiday for the whole family": a great 4-day/3-night package for families, this includes a Hamburg CARD, harbour tour, and, of course, a visit to "Miniatur Wunderland", with VIP entry and a scavenger hunt. From 349 € pp.
"Miniatur Wunderland at its Best": a special 2-day/2-night family package for two adults and one child, including a "Miniatur Wunderland" VIP ticket (good for jumping the queues). From 239 € pp.

Full details at: www.hamburg-travel.com/search-booking/packages/overview-packages

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