Miniatur Wonderland Hamburg once again ranked as Germany’s number one tourist attraction

Hamburg, 24 August 2017 (HHT) – A tremendous honour for both Miniatur Wonderland and Hamburg / Germany: for the second consecutive year, international guests to Germany have voted Miniatur Wonderland, the world’s biggest model railway, the number one tourist attraction in Germany. The survey was conducted by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB). Europapark Rust, an adventure park, was ranked second, and Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria came third. As a new entrant to the top 100, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, which opened its gates only recently, shot in at 51st place.

“Just think about this: Miniatur Wonderland has been voted Germany’s most popular tourist attraction for the second consecutive time – ahead of iconic monuments such as Neuschwanstein Castle and the Cologne Cathedral,” says Michael Otremba, managing director of Hamburg Tourismus GmbH, in commenting on the meaning of these results for Hamburg.

The German National Tourist Board (GNTB) has been publishing its “Top 100 sights and attractions in Germany” ranking each year since 2012. International users of the GNTB website can enter the name of their favourite sight or attraction, and the results are compiled as part of the top 100 ranking. Between September 2016 and June 2017, some 32,000 users from over 60 countries took the opportunity to vote.

Miniatur Wonderland was first ranked number one in last year’s competition and is confirming its prime position yet again in 2017. The participants of the online survey voted Europapark Rust into second place, and third place went to Neuschwanstein Castle, followed by classic choices such as Lake Constance with its island of Mainau, the old town of Rothenburg ob der Tauber, the old town of Dresden and the old town of Heidelberg with its castle. The full ranking from the survey is available online at www.germany.travel/top100.

As a supporting communication activity, Deutsche Welle is producing 360° videos of the top 10 sights and attractions.

Miniatur Wunderland – a must-see in Hamburg and Germany

The operators and creators behind Miniatur Wonderland, Gerrit and Frederik Braun, are delighted to receive this honour: “The last days have been pure madness for us. On 16 August, Miniatur Wonderland celebrated its 16th anniversary, and one day later we welcomed the 16 millionth visitor. And now, after merely 16 years in operation, we have been voted the most popular sight in Germany. For us, this is a modern-day fairy tale. We are confident that even in adulthood Miniatur Wonderland will continue to have the heart of a child and make people from around the world happy with its miniature world.”

The nine themed worlds of Miniatur Wonderland depict entire countries in miniature – with more than 15 kilometres of tracks, 15,000 locomotives and waggons, 215,000 figurines and 4,000 miniature houses. The range of countries includes Austria, the Nordic countries, the United States and, most recently, Italy, and is continuously being expanded. Located in the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Miniatur Wunderland is a major attraction in Hamburg.

www.miniaturwunderland.com

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg making its premiere

For the first time, Hamburg is featured with four attractions in the top 100 ranking. In addition to Miniatur Wunderland, the Speicherstadt, which is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list, is ranked 47th, the HafenCity Hamburg district and the St Pauli Fischmarkt hold the 62nd position. The new entrant, Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, has been ranked 51st in the list of Germany’s most popular tourist attractions.

While the Elbphilharmonie concert hall opened only a few months ago, it is already considered to be Hamburg’s new landmark. The spectacular wave-shaped glass façade towers 110 metres above the River Elbe and seems to be almost floating above the Kaispeicher, its historic redbrick base. The building includes three concert halls, a large music education area, a café and restaurant, a hotel and the Plaza – a public viewing platform at a height of 37 metres that offers a unique panoramic view of Hamburg. Within the first six months, the Plaza has attracted more than 2.5 million visitors. The official opening of the Elbphilharmonie on 11 and 12 January 2017 received worldwide attention, and in the first season alone, nearly 500,000 people enjoyed some 300 top-class concerts from various music genres. www.elbphilharmonie.de

Even at this stage, the Elbphilharmonie provides strong impetus for Hamburg’s tourism sector. According to data from the Northern Germany Statistical Office, Hamburg recorded 6.5 million overnight stays in the first half of 2017 – an increase of 5 percent or 325,000 overnight stays compared with the same period last year.

Further information from Hamburg Tourist Board

More Hamburg:

Many more Hamburg tips for download or online at the following Websites:

HHT website: www.hamburg-travel.com

Hamburg CARD: www.hamburg-tourismus.de/card

Calendar of events: www.hamburg-travel.com/experience/events/highlights

Event app: www.hamburg-travel.com/events

Hamburg App: www.hamburg-travel.com/hamburg-app

Media service:

More information on Miniatur Wunderland: presse.miniatur-wunderland.de

Online newsroom for Hamburg-related information: www.mediarelations.hamburg.de

Hamburg-related pictures and footage: www.mediaserver.hamburg.de