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The World's Largest Miniature Airport

How many of you miss playing with your toys? It's so sad that adults forget about the joy of flying plastic airplanes and making "whoosh" sounds as you swoop near the ground. Most grownups wait until they have children before experiencing it again. But not German twins, Frederik and Gerrit Braun - they are as imaginative as ever.

The pair has built what is surely the most awesome miniature airport in the world. They've taken the entire 5 700 000m2 of Hamburg Airport, and made a functioning 150m2 replica - in other words shrunk it down to a 38 000th of its real size.


The model airport has all the makings of a real one. The entire system is run by six computers that co-ordinate the movements of the vehicles, planes and people. Passengers mill about and complain about body scanners (ok, that last part may be our imagination). Planes take-off and land with the aid of tiny wires. Even the car park has little cars jockeying for space.

The cost of this enterprise? Only £3.5 million, 7 years, 150 000 work hours and plenty of imagination. The exhibition is among many others at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg. Their miniature train set is the longest in the world at 14.51 metres - the equivalent of about 8 people long.

This is a must-visit delight for children (and trapped little 'inner children') everywhere. The exhibition can be seen at Miniatur Wunderland in Hamburg, Germany. The entrance fee for adults is €12. The behind-the-scenes tour is an additional €15. For more information, see www.miniatur-wunderland.com for details.

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Clayton Truscott

Clayton Truscott

Clayton is a comfortable traveller, having grown up in a small city that was far away from everything. He spent lots of time in the car as a child, driving up and down the coast of South Africa on surfing trips with his family. After studying abroad in the United States and spending a year working in London, he moved to Cape Town, where he completed a Master's Degree in Creative Writing. He now works as a freelance writer for various travel, surfing and action sports publications.