Hamburg Royal: Miniatur Wunderland opens Monaco with new Formula 1 track

‘Everyone knows the panorama of Monaco from the sea,’ says Frederik Braun, who is the founder of Miniatur Wunderland together with his brother Gerrit. ‘Monaco is a myth. I grew up in the days of Grace Kelly, Prince Rainier and death-defying racing drivers. That naturally shaped my childhood image. Monaco certainly fulfils many clichés and the construction has taught us once again that the truth and the cliché are not always congruent. But sometimes they do.’ In Monaco-Ville, the historic centre of the dwarf state, there is still little sign of the hustle and bustle of the Formula 1 race. The houses are lined up close together, from the famous Ozeaneum to St Nicolas Cathedral and the Prince's Palace. Scenes decorated with loving attention to detail show everyday life along the Mediterranean coast. Along the water's edge, guests can watch the racing action of the Grand Prix. From the start and finish straight, up to 14 racing cars race around tight bends, past the Café de Paris, the city's casino and through the Congress Centre tunnel.

‘I always thought it was impossible to have Formula 1 cars driving in a realistic race in Wunderland in continuous operation, and that's exactly what made the idea so appealing. We tried it out for several years and didn't know whether it would ever be successful. It really is a miracle that it actually works today,’ reports Gerrit Braun.

In contrast to the glamorous principality, including various parties on the city's rooftop terraces and the lush engine noise surrounding the Formula 1 race, is the subsequent model section of Provence. In this rugged yet charming landscape, time seems to have stood still and evokes nostalgic memories.

Monaco's Prince Albert II and his wife Charlene open new theme world

Prince Albert II and Charlene of Monaco travelled from the Principality with their twins Jaques and Gabriella for the opening of the new theme world and were the first people to take a look at the small world of the Principality on a scale of 1:87. At the touch of a button, they and their children started the first Formula 1 race in Wunderland.

Hamburg's biggest tourist attraction

Miniatur Wunderland is not only the largest model railway in the world, it is also Hamburg's biggest tourist attraction with well over 20 million visitors. Together with Neuschwanstein Castle and Europapark Rust, the layout in the Speicherstadt warehouse district has been one of the top 3 German visitor magnets for years and is particularly popular with foreign visitors.

In addition to Hamburg, 11 sections now represent cities and regions from all over the world: 1,600 square metres of model area, 16,000 metres of track, 1,160 trains and 10,600 carriages, 4,670 buildings and 52 aircraft transport visitors to a veritable wonderland. Monaco and Provence will be followed by the rainforest section with the Amazon and Andes at the turn of the year 2025/2026 and the Caribbean in 2027. Parts of Asia are then planned.

Attractive package deal: take the ICE to Hamburg and experience Miniatur Wunderland live in colour

If you want to experience the Miniature Monaco live, you should definitely visit Hamburg's Speicherstadt warehouse district. From just 175 euros per person, you can travel to Hamburg by ICE train, get a ticket and stay overnight in a selected hotel. A harbour tour and the Hamburg CARD for free travel on buses and trains are also included.

Hamburg Tourismus also sells admission-only tickets for 20 euros per person. Further information and booking at www.hamburg-tourism.de/buchen/reisepakete/mit-dem-ice-ins-wunderland/.