For the second year in a row, Hamburg’s Miniatur Wunderland has been voted as Germany’s number one tourist spot by international visitors.

The biggest model railway in the world, it was voted number one by some 32 000 users from over 60 countries, reports Hamburg News:

Europapark Rust, an adventure park, followed in second place and Neuschwanstein Castle in Bavaria came third, according to a survey by the German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

As a new entrant to the top 100, the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, which only opened its doors in January, soared to 51st place.

The annual rankings have been released every year since 2012 by The German National Tourist Board (GNTB).

For those of you who don’t know much about the model railway yet, Miniatur Wunderland made this video just for you:

See how it’s not just a railway.

Operators and creators of Miniatur Wunderland, the delighted brothers Gerrit and Frederik Braun [top], commented on win:

“The last days have been pure madness for us. On 16 August, Miniatur Wunderland 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 fairytale. We are confident that even in adulthood, Miniatur Wunderland will continue to have the heart of a child and make people from around the world happy with its miniature world.”

Any numerologists on the significant of 16? Something about love and loving.

The miniature includes nine themed worlds, with more than “15 kilometres of tracks, 15 000 locomotives and carriages, 215 000 figurines and 4 000 miniature houses”:

The depicted countries include Austria, the Nordic countries, the United States and most recently, Italy, and are continuously being expanded. Located in the historic Speicherstadt warehouse district, a UNESCO World Heritage site, Miniatur Wunderland is a major attraction in Hamburg.

What have you done in the past 16 years?

[source:hamburg]