Miniature Wonderland, Hamburg (must see)

Miniature Wonderland is home to the world’s largest model railway. The layout includes 16,491 meters of track operated by more than 1,230 digitally controlled trains. A sophisticated lighting system creates realistic day-and-night cycles across the entire model world. Visitors move through a sequence of interconnected rooms, each dedicated to a different region or theme.

The fictional town of Knuffingen, known for its fully functioning road system with moving cars, forms a playful centerpiece. Surrounding it are detailed landscapes representing Germany, including the Harz Mountains and parts of central and southern Germany, as well as Austria and the Alps, Switzerland, Italy, Scandinavia, the United States, South America, Hamburg, and Hamburg Airport. The Austrian Alps feature dramatic mountain scenery and a multi-level helix, while the Swiss Alps rise several meters high.

In the Scandinavian section, ships navigate real water basins, with tidal changes that shift regularly to recreate coastal conditions. The Hamburg section is the largest city model in the exhibition, recreating the harbor, bridges, and major landmarks in dense detail, with hundreds of trains moving through the miniature city each day. Nearby, Knuffingen Airport showcases one of Miniature Wonderland’s most complex technical achievements, with aircraft taxiing, taking off, and landing under automated control.

The United States section includes Las Vegas, illuminated by tens of thousands of lights, alongside scenes inspired by Cape Canaveral, the Florida Keys, the Grand Canyon, Mount Rushmore, and Yosemite National Park. Italy features Rome and Tuscany, with Mount Vesuvius periodically erupting, and an especially elaborate Venice, where gondolas glide beneath dozens of bridges through finely recreated canals. The recently completed Monaco & Provence section introduces a highly complex Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit. The exhibition continues to expand, with new large-scale landscapes and environments regularly added.

Tips: Backstage tours offer insight into the technology behind the scenes. Visiting on weekdays is recommended to avoid the largest crowds.