Miniatur Wunderland

The largest model railway in the world, Miniatur Wunderland features more than 12,000 meters of track and almost 900 different trains, set within Hamburg’s historic warehouse district of Speicherstadt. It includes areas dedicated to railways of the United States and Scandinavia, as well as different regions across Germany. In addition to its railways and trains, Miniatur Wunderland also features meticulously recreated airports, planes, buildings and humans, all of which are illuminated by more than 300,000 lights.

Miniatur Wunderland was designed by twin brothers Frederick and Gerrit Braun, with the mountainous German region of the Harz the first section to be created. Today more than 130 trains traverse this section, with illuminated carnival rides, fields ignited by sunflowers and even an open-air theatre where a Shakespeare classic is being performed.

Want to see the sights of Hamburg in miniature? Miniatur Wunderland also features a section dedicated to its hometown, complete with trains traveling to and from the Hamburg Hauptbahnhof. St. Michael’s Church and the Hagenbecks Zoo are among the many attractions that have been recreated, together with a game between fierce rivals Hamburger SV and St. Pauli at the HSH Nordbank Arena.

Watch as trains travel from the bright lights of Las Vegas to the idyllic islands of the Florida Keys and the spectacular landscapes of the Grand Canyon in the American section. One of the largest sections at Miniatur Wunderland is inspired by Scandinavia, with autopilot ships seen sailing the Northeast Sea and a miniature recreation of Denmark’s iconic Egeskov Castle.