Mini-Europe

= Mini-Europem = = Brussels = What if I told you there was a way to see all of Europe’s most beloved monuments and witness the most famous moments in just a few hours? Witness the eruption of Vesuvius, hear the chimes of Big Ben, watch the fall of the Berlin Wall, and more. I regret to inform you that you won’t see the originals, but through Mini-Europe you will see all of these and more, though on a much smaller scale. Mini-Europe is at the foot of the Atomium in Brussels, Belgium. This is the best miniature park in Europe, home to live action models using cable cars, trains, mills, and models of some of the greatest monuments from all over the continent.

Mini-Europe was built in 1989, representing 80 cities and 350 buildings. The initial investment of 10 million Euros was given by Prince Philip of Belgium in 1989. Monuments and events that were decided to be depicted were chosen for the quality of their architecture or their European symbolism. It is an animated tour with visual and sound effects, including 350 models and animations. Most monuments were built using moulds, the final copy used to be cast from epoxy resin but now polyester is used. Three monuments are made of stone, the tower of Pisa being one. The park has attracted many tourists from the day it opened.

The gondolas and mandolins from Venice, Thalys from Paris, bullfights in Seville, are all beautiful models to see throughout the park, and some of the many reasons why so many people have come to see it. It receives 350,000 visitors every year bringing in a revenue of four million euros. That is quite a lot, but Prince Philip still hasn’t earned back the investment he put down! At the end of the visit in the park, there is the “Spirit of Europe” exhibition which gives an interactive overview of the European Union in the form of multimedia games. Overall, this park is beautiful with plants, bonsais, grafted trees and dwarf trees (appropriate I know), covering the floor, and it definitely worth the visit. It is open from March-October, and a place one does not want to miss visiting.