MINI-EUROPE

Description

Essentials about Mini-Europe in brief

Those who do not have time to travel through all the countries of the European Union have the opportunity in Brussels to make this journey in fast forward. At the foot of the Atomium is the Mini-Europa model park, which covers an area of 24,000 square meters and features 350 important buildings from all the EU member states in 1:25 miniature format. Mini-Europa is known above all for the quality and richness of detail of its models. At the end of the tour of the park is the interactive exhibition “Spirit of Europe”, where the European Union is presented through a series of interactive games.

The construction of Mini-Europe

Covering an area of 24,000 square meters, Mini-Europe has been presenting 350 significant buildings from around 80 different locations within the European Union on a scale of 1:25 since 1989. The models were selected for their special architecture and symbolic power within Europe.

Most of the monuments were produced by a casting process. The parts are created from different materials. Then, through a casting process, a copy is made of silicone. The last copy is made of epoxy resin and of polyester. Three monuments were made of stone (including the Leaning Tower of Pisa made of marble). For two models, a new computer milling technique was used.

Finally, the models are painted. Once completed, the monuments are installed on site and the environment and lighting are adjusted. Some of the building miniatures are so elaborately designed that more than 20,000 working hours were needed to complete them, and the costs added up to more than 300,000 euros.

The models in Mini-Europe

In Mini-Europe, all 27 member states of the European Union are represented with at least one model. Of course, most of the architectural, historical and tourist highlights can also be seen here in miniature, such as the Acropolis in Athens, the Eiffel Tower, the Arc de Triomphe and the Sacré-Cœur Basilica in Paris, the Doge’s Palace in Venice, the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, the canals in Amsterdam, the El Escorial monastery near Madrid, the Belém Tower in Lisbon and the Old Town Hall in Prague. Of course, the image of the Grand Place with the Town Hall and the Guild Houses must not be missing in Brussels. And the European Union is also inevitably represented in Mini-Europe, with the Berlaymont Building, the seat of the European Commission.

Germany, by the way, is represented by nine models in Mini-Europe. These are: The Holsten Gate in Lübeck, the Brandenburg Gate in Berlin, Speyer Cathedral, the Millennium Tower in Magdeburg, the Osthofentor in Soest, the Beethoven House in Bonn, the Porta Nigra in Trier, Eltz Castle and the pilgrimage church in Wies.

Some of the models in Mini-Europe are particularly exciting because they have an interactive component. For example, the volcano Vesuvius in Italy erupts regularly, while an express train rushes across France and an Ariane rocket launches into space.

The Spirit of Europe

At the end of the tour through the model park there is an area called “Spirit of Europe”, which is dedicated to the European Union. Here, visitors young and old are introduced to the idea of a united Europe in the form of games. In a time tunnel, the most important stages in the history of the European Union and its predecessor institutions are shown. It is explained which problems and resistances had to be solved or overcome on the way to a united continent. The 24 official languages of the EU are as much a part of the Spirit of Europe as the euro as a common currency and the functioning of the European institutions.