A local's guide to Hamburg: "I never get bored"
Rachel Schnalzer
2 December 2024
I arrived in Hamburg on a cold January night, stepping off the train from Copenhagen into the city’s lively Hauptbanhof, the second-busiest passenger railway station in Europe.
By the next morning, I found myself admiring the soaring station hall from a strikingly different perspective.
Miniatur Wunderland’s tiny model version of Hamburg Hauptbanhof is just one infinitesimal part of what’s described as “the largest model railway in the world.”
Located in Hamburg’s red-bricked Speicherstadt, Miniatur Wunderland offers locals and visitors alike the chance to wander from Scandinavia’s snow-covered streets to the lavender fields of Provence – and far beyond.
"Miniatur Wunderland is like the whole world, downsized, with all the little scenes of daily life,” describes Niklas Weissleder, Hamburg resident and project and marketing manager at Miniatur Wunderland.
“There are moving trains, planes, cars and ships. You can discover so many funny stories in it."
Home to more than 16,000 metres of model train track and 12 vast and varied “worlds,” Miniatur Wunderland relies on its employees to keep the trains running – figuratively and literally.
“Starting with a small team of 20 people in 2000, now the Wunderland has around 400 [employees],” Niklas said.
The beloved Hamburg attraction’s worlds are ever-expanding, too, with Monaco recently welcomed as Miniatur Wunderland’s 12th section.
The first people to see the pint-sized perspective on the principality? Prince Albert II and Charlene of Monaco and their twins, Jacques and Gabriella, attended the opening and pushed a button to start a scaled-down version of a Formula 1 race, bringing Miniature Wunderland’s latest world to life.
“It doesn’t get boring working here,” said Niklas with a laugh.
On an Interrail trip to Hamburg, my colleagues and I spoke to Niklas about his work at Miniatur Wunderland, his life in Hamburg and his top recommendations for travellers visiting his city.
This interview has been condensed and edited for length and clarity.
Niklas, project and marketing manager at Miniatur Wunderland, grew up close to Hamburg, near the Baltic Sea.
Visitors to Miniatur Wunderland get a bird's eye view of Switzerland's peaks and villages.
Miniatur Wunderland includes more than 1,200 trains and 12,000 train cars.
A close-up look at Miniatur Wunderland's take on Venice, Italy
Where did the idea to build the world’s largest model railway come from?
Frederik and Gerrit, the founders of Miniatur Wunderland, used to have a nightclub here in Hamburg. Frederik joined some friends for a holiday trip to Zurich, while Gerrit stayed in Hamburg to keep the club running.
While Frederik was walking down a narrow street in Zurich, he found a little model shop, with tiny trains and houses, which made him remember his childhood dream of creating a huge model railway. That’s where he decided to build the largest model railway in the world.
He called Gerrit, who told him, “You got too much sun on your holiday.” But it didn’t take very long before Gerrit also got really into it – and that was the start of Miniatur Wunderland.
There are so many hidden details in Miniatur Wunderland. What’s one secret travellers should make sure not to miss?
In the section depicting the streets and canals of Venice,. there's a line where fresh clothes are hanging out to dry. There’s also a sloth hanging on it, just relaxing. It’s a very small detail, but I like it.
What do you love about living in Hamburg?
I really love the diversity of its districts, from the harbour to St. Pauli to the fancier areas near the River Elbe. For every mood, you have the right place to go.
What's your favourite neighbourhood in Hamburg?
I really like the Grindel district, where the Universität Hamburg is located. My favourite cinema, called the Abaton, is there as well.
Where do you recommend travellers go to meet new people and find community in Hamburg?
The Sternschanze district (also called the "Schanze") is a good place to meet people, especially in the summer, when the culture is just to be outside. I personally met lots of friends through hobbies such as sports and singing in a choir.
Do you have any parks you’d recommend travellers visit while in the city?
Planten un Blomen is a huge park in the centre. There's a botanical garden, as well as a greenhouse. It’s very beautiful, especially during the summertime.
Hamburg's riverfront includes restaurants, cafe, beaches and beyond.
Travellers can enjoy Planten un Blomen's many gardens in the warmer months — or stop by for ice skating during the winter.
Miniatur Wunderland is located in Hamburg's sprawling Speicherstadt district
If you had to pick one Hamburg restaurant to recommend to travellers, what would it be?
My favourite place to go is called ENTENWERDER 1. It’s a floating cafe on River Elbe. They have very good food, and there’s also a coffee roastery on the water. I really love spending time there.
What is your ideal train journey from Hamburg?
If you're planning a day trip, I would really recommend going to Lübeck. It’s a smaller city just one hour away on the Baltic Sea. It’s so beautiful, with a historic Old Town. And, if you want, you can get to the beach in just a few minutes.
Do you have a favourite train station in Hamburg?
Dammtor is my favourite. It’s a beautiful building and less crowded than the Hauptbanhof. I always leave the train in a good mood when I arrive there.
Fill in the blank of this sentence: “Hamburg is a place where I ___.”
I would say Hamburg is a place where I never get bored.
Meet the writer
Rachel Schnalzer is a senior writer at Eurail, based in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
Favourite moment in Hamburg
"My colleagues and I visited Hamburg as our final stop on an Interrail journey from the Netherlands to the Arctic Circle in Sweden and back again. After spending a lot of quality time on the train, it felt like a full-circle moment to explore Miniatur Wunderland together at the end of our adventure."
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