Swissminiatur
An open-air miniature park on the shore of Lake Lugano, laid out with scale models of Swiss buildings, mountains and landmarks. Model trains, boats and cable cars move through the gardens between the miniature towns.
- Where
- Melide, Ticino, Switzerland
- Grade
- Local gem
- Worth
- 10 points collected on site
- Coordinates
- 45.9535, 8.9508
Get the Swissminiatur stamp
Open LOQAH when you are at Swissminiatur. It checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp is yours: confirmed on site in gold and struck with the date. It goes into your Ticino volume with your photos and a note.
Near Swissminiatur
Monte San Giorgio 4.1 km
A wooded mountain of the Lugano Prealps above Lake Lugano, close to the Italian border. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site for its fossils of ancient marine life, some of which are shown in the small museum at Meride.
Monte Generoso 5.9 km
A mountain of the Lugano Prealps standing on the border with Italy, between Lake Lugano and Lake Como. A rack railway climbs up from Capolago, and the summit looks over the lakes to the Alps and the plain of Lombardy.
Lake Lugano 6.4 km
A glacial lake on the border of Switzerland and Italy, lying between Lake Como and Lago Maggiore. First recorded in 590 as Ceresio, a name said to come from the Latin for cherry, after the cherry trees that once lined its shores.
Villa del Balbianello 19 km
A villa on the tip of the small wooded Dosso d'Avedo peninsula, on the western shore of Lake Como. It is best known for its terraced gardens dropping to the water, and has been a film location, including for Casino Royale and Star Wars: Attack of the Clones.
Villa Carlotta 22 km
A lakeside villa completed in 1745 by an architect whose name is not known. It is now a museum with sculpture by Antonio Canova and Bertel Thorvaldsen and paintings by Francesco Hayez, set in a botanical garden along the shore of Lake Como.
Lake Maggiore 24 km
A long Alpine lake running about 64 kilometres from Locarno in Ticino south to Arona in Italy, shared between the two countries. It is the largest lake in southern Switzerland, and its northern shore around Locarno and Ascona is the warm, Italian-speaking end of the country.
Lake Como 25 km
A Y-shaped glacial lake in the foothills of the Alps, carved into three long arms by the ancient Adda glacier. It is the third-largest lake in Italy and more than 400 metres deep, with villas and villages along its steep green shores.
Verzasca Dam 28 km
An arch dam across the Verzasca river, built between 1961 and 1965 and holding back Lago di Vogorno just above Lake Maggiore. It is the fourth tallest dam in Switzerland and famous for the bungee jump off its crest seen in the James Bond film GoldenEye.
More hidden gems in Ticino
Questions
Where is Swissminiatur?
Swissminiatur is in Melide, Ticino, Switzerland. The nearest other LOQAH stamps are Monte San Giorgio (4.1 km), Monte Generoso (5.9 km), Lake Lugano (6.4 km).
How do I get the Swissminiatur stamp?
Open LOQAH when you are at Swissminiatur and get its stamp. The app checks where you are once, at that moment, and the stamp goes into your Ticino volume, confirmed on site, with the date.
I have been to Swissminiatur before. Can I still have the stamp?
Yes. Add it from Earlier trips in your Ticino volume, with the date if you know it, or import your Google Timeline and LOQAH matches the places you were.
Collect your first stamp.
LOQAH is free on iPhone and Android, in India and 20 more countries, with more countries on the way. Stand at a place, collect its stamp, and keep every trip in a passport that grows.