Miniatur Wunderland

Twin brothers Gerrit and Frederik Braun opened the first section in 2001 and the layout has grown continuously since, now covering well over sixteen hundred square metres of model with more than sixteen kilometres of track and hundreds of thousands of figures. Sections represent Hamburg, the Alps, Scandinavia, America, Italy, Venice, Monaco and others, each on a day and night cycle every fifteen minutes. Knuffingen Airport is a working model with aircraft that taxi, accelerate and lift off, disappearing behind a screen, then return. Construction on new sections continues in view of visitors, and the layout is expected to keep expanding for years.

What you actually see

• The working airport - model aircraft that take off and land on schedule.
• The day-night cycle - lighting changing every fifteen minutes across the layout.
• The regional sections - Hamburg, the Alps, Venice, America and more.
• The ongoing build - new areas under construction in view of visitors.

When to go

Year-round; it is among Germany's most visited attractions and booking a timed slot is close to essential. Early morning and late evening slots are quieter.

Honest expectations

Without a booked slot the wait can be hours. It is crowded and noisy. Individual sections close briefly for maintenance during the day.

Nearby

The Speicherstadt surrounds it; the Elbphilharmonie is west.