The best tiny villages...
Whilst the situation over the last year has been incredibly difficult and life changing for us all, we must hold onto the thought that the future will be much brighter. When the pandemic has passed and travel is hot on peoples list again, why not visit a few of these wonderful miniature villages and displays… they may not be ones you have heard of before...
Mini Siam
Mini Siam is Thailand's famous miniature park, which proudly invites you to experience the world, ‘not in 80 days - more like 80 minutes'. From the Statue of Liberty to the stunning domes of the Church of the Savior on Blood in St. Petersburg, there are nearly 100 1/25th scale replicas of landmark sites on display. The park is split by a small stream into two zones - Mini Siam and Mini Europe - with the former displaying the many breathtaking, iconic locations of Thailand. If this wasn't enough, it is all set within beautiful grounds too.
Miniatur Wunderland
With its home in Hamburg, Miniatur Wunderland offers an incredible 13 Theme Worlds, allowing you to ‘Dream big in small Venice', and even head ‘High above in the Alps of Austria'.
Spanning 125m², the Knuffingen Airport took nearly six years to create and is considered the most technically fascinating section of them all. Then comes Miniatur Wunderland's oldest landscape, Central Germany, which has impressively become ‘an important milestone in the renaissance of model building' since its completion in 2001.
“…experience the world, ‘not in 80 days - more like 80 minutes’”
Miniature World
Being open for 48 years with over 85 miniature dioramas, Miniature World has become a very popular attraction in Victoria, Canada, in which they ensure your visit ‘will be a memorable experience for years to come.' From the World's Smallest Operational Sawmill to the World's Largest Model Railways, Miniature World also has two of the World's Largest Dolls Houses on display - that have over 50 beautifully decorated and delicately furnished rooms. If this perhaps is not for you, you can take a stroll through several of Europe's incredible castles, relive your childhood by visiting the circus, experience the World of Dickens… or even travel to 2201 AD! A little cliche to say the least, but there truly is something for everyone at Miniature World.
The Ave Maria Grotto
Quite different to the usual miniature displays is The Ave Maria Grotto at St. Bernard Abbey, Alabama. People have travelled from worldwide since 1934, to experience the work of Benedictine monk Brother Joseph Zoettl, which ‘consists of a landscaped hillside of 125 small stone and cement structures.' When not in prayer or working at the Abbey, Joseph gave time to building the miniatures - which includes replicas of St. Peter's Basilica, a Tower of Babel and scenes of ancient Jerusalem - using stone, concrete, and unwanted donated materials, such as broken plates, costume jewellery, beads and seashells. The last piece created was the beautiful Lourdes Basilica Church, in 1958 when he was 80 years old.
Godshill Model Village
Located on the beautiful Isle of Wight, this delightful model village gives visitors a glimpse into Godshill & Shanklin Old Villages and Chine ‘as they were in yesteryear…’ All of the houses, cottages, churches and pubs of real life can be seen in this 1/10th scale version of the village, each made using original materials and methods - such as sand, cement and thatching - so they truly are just like the real thing! What’s more, Godshill Model Village has over 3,000 ornamental conifers and shrubs, making it the most detailed landscaped garden on the island, with many being coarse bonsai treated to maintain their scale with the buildings.
Cockington Green Gardens
Although in Australia, the park is named after the village of Cockington in the UK. Founded with miniature models that included the thatched roof village of Cockington, Scotland’s Baraemar Castle and even Stonehenge, an international area has slowly developed where you can experience many more of the worlds stunning locations - such as St. Mark’s Church from Croatia and the Lahore Gate and Red Fort from India. Along with the miniature park, an indoor exhibit displays a Georgian style dolls house, which has an incredible 34 rooms! With a small steam train ride, a mini train display, two acres of gardens… and even a cafe, Cockington Green Gardens is a real family day.
Swiss Miniatur – Switzerland
With its home on the shores of Lake Lugano, Swiss Miniatur is an amazing 1/25th scale representation of Switzerland. The open-air park consists of 120 replicas of houses, castles and cathedrals, such as Burgdorf Castle and Chillon Castle, in addition to a vast miniature train display that includes 11,500 feet of track and 18 moving trains.
Anglesey Model Village
This tiny world has an incredible display of models which incorporates the many landmarks and beautiful features of the island. Experience Anglesey in one place through the impressive castle in Beaumaris to the legendary story of St Dwynwen, the St Valentine of Wales, not to mention the rural and urban lives of the model villagers too. Do not forget the fantastic model railway and the famous train station at Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch!
Situated in an area of outstanding natural beauty - with gardens, wildlife and play area - the model village is also a wonderful place to relax and experience the breathtaking views of Snowdonia and the North Wales landscape. It truly is a wonderful day out.
The Mini Time Machine
The imagination and commitment of Patricia and Walter Arnell has resulted in 'the mini time machine' in which they wanted visitors to be ‘seemingly transported to different eras by the stories and history of the pieces in the collection.'The impressive collection at The Mini Time Machine Museum of Miniatures is a permanent display of more than 500 dolls houses and room boxes, each one complete with hundreds of delicate miniature objects. With the museum dedicated to all who engage in the world of miniatures, all proceeds go back towards funding the display.
Lyon’s Musée Miniature et Cinéma
Another quite different experience is the museum of founder Dan Ohlmann's two passions - the magic of film special effects and the art of miniatures! Being the only one of its kind in Europe, Lyon's Musée Miniature et Cinéma displays the largest collection of miniatures in France, consisting of a collection of miniature scenes - such as the famous ‘Maxim's-de-Paris Restaurant' and the Natural History Museum - each created by Dan, along with work from more than 30 worldwide miniaturists. With more than 120 realistic reproductions and dioramas of everyday spaces, the museum also includes over 1000 miniature objects, that showcase an incredible variety of the world's professions. One can't forget the special effects in films aspect, which shows the tricks and techniques of film production before digital kicked in.