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Overview of Swissminiatur Photo by Andres Passwirth

Top 10 Interesting Facts about Swissminiatur

Swissminiatur is a museum that shows famous buildings in Switzerland presented in miniature form located in Melide, a municipality in the district of Lugano in the canton of Ticino in Switzerland. The village lies very close to the mountain Monte San Salvatore and is directly on the Lake of Lugano. 

It is Switzerland’s largest open-air miniature museum. The park is surrounded by majestic mountains including Monte Generoso, San Salvatore and also San Giorgio, which has been declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.Let’s take a look at some of the most interesting facts about it;

1.It is home to 129 models of Switzerland’s most famous buildings and monuments

Swissminiatur Photo sourced from

It is home to 129 models of Switzerland’s most famous buildings, monuments and means of transport in the unusual 1:25 scale. The miniatures on display include meticulously faithful reproductions of Rapperswil Castle, Chillon Castle and the Castles of Bellinzona, the Parliament Building in Bern and the Piazza Grande in Locarno.

Swiss railway history in miniature: a 3,560 m miniature railway network winds its way around the park, with eighteen trains running on the tracks. Admire the funicular railways and cableways that travel up and down the mountains, the boats that plough through the lakes and the cars speeding along the motorway and also see the planes getting ready to take off from Zurich-Kloten airport in miniature. 

2.Traditional methods and innovative processes have been combined

Traditional methods and innovative processes have been combined to create some real masterpieces in miniature. Appreciate the painstaking handiwork, which stays true to the original and is carried out with great passion.

Swissminiatur park opened in 1959 and visits here are recalled with great fondness by young and old alike.The practical experience developed by our workers over the years is an invaluable treasure and their skills have been handed down for decades. See models of trains, funicular railways, boats and cableways in a tranquil natural setting. 

3.The Swissminiatur also has a shop 

Whether you’re looking for a little something to take home or a small gift for your friends and acquaintances, the Swissminiatur shop has just what you’re looking for, it sells some wonderful cuddly Rudy mascots, T-shirts and caps. The shop also stock gift items, such as keyrings, magnets, mugs, badges and stuffed toys, as well as many other articles you would struggle to find elsewhere.

The shop also has very tasty titbits, sweets and confectionary, lollipops, traditional biscuits and mouth-watering Swiss chocolate: a real assortment of sweet treats of every kind. And on hot summer days you certainly shouldn’t miss out on a delicious ice cream or refreshing drink.

4.The models are surrounded by thousands of flowers

Overview of Swissminiatur Photo by Andres Passwirth

The models have been recreated authentically – with great attention to detail – and are surrounded by thousands of plants and flowers.Swiss Miniature is also a visual delight, since its models are surrounded by 15,000 flower species and over 1,500 trees.

A playground for children as well as a self-service restaurant complement the offerings, you can admire the Swiss Confederation’s most representative monuments and places: castles, historic buildings, churches, cathedrals, squares, rustic houses, railways, mountains and lakes.

5.At the beginning there were less models and they numbers grew over the years 

At the beginning there were less models and they numbers grew over the years , in 1959 there were 10-12 models and the visitors were mostly Italian tourists coming to Switzerland to shop. Little by little, the offer grew and by the 1980s there were already around 100 models.

Today, we are equipped with 128 miniature modes, a thick railway network, lakes, bridges, freeways, cable cars and funiculars. A precision manual work, faithful to the original and carried out with great passion in the Swissminiatur laboratories. 

6.The park is surrounded by mountains 

Swissminiatur and the mountains Photo sourcedfrom

Located in the Italian speaking part of Switzerland, It is among the famous places to visit in Switzerland. The park is surrounded by mountains like Monte Generoso, Monte San Salvatore and Monte San Giorgio, which has been declared UNESCO World Natural Heritage Site. 

Visitors can admire more than 120 models which represent the most important buildings, monuments and forms of transport in Switzerland.The park is an exciting place and a must see attraction for everyone visiting Switzerland.

7.The park also has the Milan Cathedral which is the only non-Swiss miniature building

Among the fascinating models true to the original are such well-known places and buildings as the Heidi village in Maienfeld, the castles of Rapperswil, Burgdorf and Chillon, the Federal Parliament building in Bern, the bobsleigh run in St.

In 2003, the Milan Cathedral was also immortalised in the Swissminiatur-Park and is the only non-Swiss miniature building that refers to the former connection between Ticino and the Duchy of Milan. The cathedral is the only building in the exhibition that can also be visited from the inside.

8.The park also has 18 model trains 

Swissminiatur train model Photo sourced from

Railway fans will be thrilled by the 18 model trains that run on a 3.5 km long rail network through the park landscape, over bridges and through stations where they sometimes stop. Various cogwheel, suspension and cable railways, as well as several model ships that sail around the small lakes, bring the world of Swissminiatur to life.

Remarkable is Swissminiatur’s own workshop, where real masterpieces are created in small format using traditional methods as well as innovative processes. A great playground for children and a grottino round off the varied offer.

9.There are several hotels and restaurants near the park

There are several hotels and restaurants near the park including ;Hotel Al Boccalino which is 0.32 miles away, Hotel Riviera (0.35 mi), Hotel Campione (1.02 mi), Lac Hotel (0.38 mi) Lac Hotel and Casa Melide Seeblick NL which is 0.08 miles away. 

The restaurants include; Il Grande Fratello Ristorante which is 0.02 miles away, Bar Felice (0.08 mi), Baja Ristorante & Lounge Bar (0.11 mi), Ristorante Nuvola Blu (0.16 mi) and Al Boccalino which is 0.32 miles away from the park.  

10.Every year, over 120,000 guests from all over the world visit Swissminiatur 

Every year, over 120,000 guests from all over the world visit Swissminiatur at the Ceresio. Swissminiatur offers a charming day out for the young and young at heart. This model village near the lakeside town of Melide features delightful scale models of some of the most famous sights in Switzerland, as well as moving models of cable cars and trains such as the Glacier Express.

Swissminiatur is in the town of Melide, which you can reach by rail or boat from Lugano centre. The rail journey takes less than 10 minutes, but we recommend taking a leisurely lake cruise (around an hour depending on the stops) as a great way to enjoy the fabulous lakes and mountains scenery en route.The model village is very close to the railway station and is a short walk from the boat station.