For an experience of how Gulliver felt like in Lilliput, head to the Swssminatur! This place is exactly what its name is: A mini version of Switzerland! And good news for tourists with limited time in Switzerland: Here, its possible to see the whole of the country in just under an hour!

Spanning 14,000m2 with over 120 replicas and models of famous Swiss landmarks, the Swiss Minatur is the lifelong project of Pierre Vuigner, who had a dream of creating a park filled with famous Swiss landmarks. He searched hard for a vast piece of land to fulfil this dream and found it in Melide, right by the shores of Lake Lugano.

We also visited the park’s in-house atelier, where all the models and replicas are painstakingly handcrafted and painted. The level of attention to detail is just incredible! We learnt that all the models are built on a scale of 1:25, and also repainted/updated regularly for maintenance.

I wasn’t able to identify all the buildings and landmarks, but some of which that caught my eye were the Chateau Chillon in canton Vaud where we live, the classic Federal Parliament in Bern, the Heidi village and also the Piazza Grande in Locarno which we’d just visited a few days back!

NOTE: There are no audio guides, you would need to download the “Swissminiatur” app on your phone ahead of your trip for detailed information (and map location) of all the miniatures. I felt that it would have been more helpful if there were phones provided onsite with the app already installed, as not every visitor would take the time to download the app.

The attraction is small and can be completed in under an hour, so I would not recommend making a big journey just to visit this place. This would work best as a daytrip from Lugano, or combined with shopping spree at Fox Town.

Directions:

From Lugano, take to Melide train station, then a short 5 minute walk. You can also take the bus.

Ticket Prices:

Adults: 17.55 CHF

Kids: 11.25 CHF

Seniors/Students: 13.95 CHF

Families: 52.20 CHF

30% discount with Ticino ticket

(Admission prices also includes a ride on the train around the park, which would be a delight for the little ones!)