Since the earliest days of You Tube I've been watching videos about a little place in Germany called Miniatur Wunderland.
The child in me was fascinated by the intricate and detailed miniature city and its constant expansion.
In 2011, the tourist attraction added full-scale miniature airport 'Knuffingen', and that was the final straw. I had to go and see it.
The pilgrimage to Miniatur Wunderland ('Miniature Wonderland' in English) took me to Hamburg. It's a city often ignored by tourists in Germany, with most heading to Berlin.
I had no expectations for Hamburg. The plan was to arrive, spend a day at Wunderland and then leave the following day.
By the end of my short stay, I was in love with the city and wished I'd booked longer there.
On my first night I was awoken at around 2am by the noise of one of the most spectacular and intense thunderstorms I've ever experienced.
The following day was action day. I had two must see attractions in one day.
I was outside Miniatur Wunderland when the doors opened to make sure I got to see as much as I could. I thought the place would be empty.
I was wrong.
It felt like every school group and every family of four in Hamburg had descended on the brick building that houses the miniature city on the day I chose to visit.
But it was entirely worth it. The amount of work that's gone into this place is just amazing.
There's 1300 trains, over 100,000 cars and trucks, 500,000 lights and 400,000 human figurines.
Some of these miniature humans are up to no good as well. If you look for the hidden situations spread around the exhibit, you'll find prostitutes, murder scenes, even a hippy music festival complete with a shaking combi van and summer lovers having a blast.
It's a place that children will love and the child within you won't want to leave.
My only negative comment would be, don't eat at the café. It's loud, full of children and the food is school cafeteria type stuff.
What: Miniatur Wunderland
Where: Hamburg, Germany
Cost: Less than NZ$30 for an adult.
Flights: Flights into Hamburg, although less common than those to Frankfurt or Berlin, are quite frequent from the UK and across Europe. There are around eight direct flights from London Heathrow each day, costing between NZ$80 and NZ$200 dollars.
