Swissminiatur is an open-air miniature park in Lugano with tiny replicas of well-known sites in Switzerland. Miniature cathedrals, lakes, mountains, and famous buildings are all in this park, and they’re absolutely wonderful to see.
How to get to the park, when to visit, and what to see there are just some of the things covered in this detailed guide. Keep reading to get all the information you need on the Swiss Miniature Park in Melide, and start planning your visit!
Table of Contents
How to Reach Swiss Miniature, Lugano
Swissminiatur park is easily accessible by train from Lugano. From the main train station in Lugano, it’s less than 10 minutes by train to Melide, which is the third stop. Then it’s just a 5-minute walk to the park. The train from Lugano to Melide is free for all travelers who have the Swiss Travel Pass.
You can ride both the S10 and S90 trains. They run every 15 minutes and stop at the same stations, so it really doesn’t matter which train you board. Train tickets are around 5 Euros in each direction for second-class seats. First-class tickets are a little more expensive, and honestly a waste of money since this is a 10-minute train ride.
Although this makes a great day trip from Lugano, not everyone will be in the city itself. If you’re not staying in Lugano, it will take a little longer to reach the park, but it’s still possible to do it by train from all the nearby towns, including Como and Varese in Italy.
Ticket Prices
Tickets for the Swissminiatur Park are a little pricey, but you can get various discounts on them. For one, there’s a 10% discount on all tickets purchased online, so you can save money if you just buy tickets at their website instead of directly at the park. There’s also a special discount for students, seniors, and families.
Regular ticket prices are 21 CHF for adults, 14 CHF for children, and 17 CHF for students and seniors. Also, if you have the Swiss Travel Pass you’re eligible for a 30% discount, but I’m not sure if you can redeem that discount online or if it’s valid only for purchases on the spot.
Another thing to note is that tickets are valid for a year and you don’t have to specify when you want to visit the park. So, if you stumble upon any awesome discounts, you can buy the tickets and then use them later in the year.
Opening Hours
The Swiss Miniature Park in Lugano is open from March to November. The opening hours of the park during this season are 9 AM to 6 PM, and the entrance closes at 5:30 PM. Although they’ll let you into the park if you get there half an hour before closing time, I recommend going earlier in the day because 30 minutes is not enough time to properly tour the park.
This open-air museum is closed during the winter. It doesn’t close on the exact same dates every year, but it usually closes in early November and opens again in mid or late March.
What to Expect When Visiting Swissminiatur
Want To Save This For Later?
We'll email this post to you, so you can come back to it later!
Expect to see some very detailed and authentic models of the most famous landmarks in Switzerland, plus the spectacular Duomo di Milano. And by that, I mean both natural and man-made landmarks. In addition to tiny versions of the most important Swiss buildings, the park also boasts scaled-down iterations of lakes, mountains, and other natural landmarks.
There’s even a miniature railway, tiny cable cars and funiculars, and even a miniature version of an airport complete with tiny planes. Visitors can opt to walk between the different attractions in the park or they can ride the train through the park. The train is very popular among kids and adults can ride it as well.
Another thing to note is that there’s no shade at this park, and that will be an issue if you’re visiting on a hot and sunny day. Bring sunglasses and a hat, and don’t forget to put on SPF before you leave for the park. The park also boasts a playground, a self-service restaurant, and a gift shop. The entire park is wheelchair accessible.
Things to See At Swissminiatur
The park features scaled-down versions of all the most famous buildings and landmarks in the country, so it’s like a speedy tour of Switzerland’s highlights. The details on the models are truly amazing, especially on the replicas of miniature trains and buildings. The mini Glacier Express even has the same panoramic windows in the first class as the real train!
There’s also a replica of the Milan Cathedral at the park, which caught me off guard. I didn’t expect to see the most famous Duomo from Italy here! Lombardy played a big role in the history of Ticino, which is the main reason why the iconic cathedral was added to this park back in 2003.
Attractions Near Swissminiatur
The miniature park is situated in southern Switzerland, close to some very popular tourist destinations. It’s maybe 10 minutes away from Lugano, which is known for beautiful views, a fabulous beach, and great museums.
Montagnola, Maroggia, and Morcote are all Swiss towns close to Melide that you could spend hours exploring. Locarno is another beautiful town less than an hour from Melide and well worth your time. Also, you’re only some 45 minutes away by train from Como and Varese, both stunning Italian cities worth visiting.
Monte San Grigio and Monte San Salvatore are two famous mountain peaks in the area, which offer spectacular panoramic views of Lake Lugano from the top. They’re accessible by cable cars, inclined railways, and hiking trails. Here’s a guide to Monte San Salvatore funicular.
Overall, there is plenty of things to do in the park’s surroundings, so it doesn’t matter if you’re visiting it on a day trip or spending a few days in the region – you certainly won’t be bored.
Is Swissminiatur worth visiting?
If you haven’t done much traveling through Switzerland, it really is. It’s like a preview of the country’s top attractions, so you can see the best landmarks of Zurich, Neuchâtel, and Basel (among other places) without actually traveling to those destinations.
This is certainly a unique attraction in Switzerland, and it’s worth visiting if you’re in the area. But if you’re nowhere near Melide and you’d have to travel for hours just to get here, it’s not really worth the hassle.
