
(photograph © Kiwidutch)
One of the surprises laid on during a special weekend laid on by good friends of ours is a visit to Miniworld in Rotterdam.
We go inside and whilst it is not obvious at first, we then round a corner to find a massive area divided into sections that are laid out with a huge model railway display.
As you adjust to the enormity of what is in front of you, your eyes start to take in detail after detail after detail.
The buildings are scale models of buildings from all around The Netherlands, entire areas have been reconstructed on a minute level, and even more amazing it is not just the trains that run, also automated are some things like busses, windmill sails, vehicles of all sorts, lights turn on, even the tiniest of chickens in the farmyard flock are automated to make pecking motions at the ground.
There are many information boards around, they read:
“Floods are a part of the Netherlands. Many Dutch people still remember the disastrous flood of 1953 like it was yesterday. Through the years many floods took place, sculpting and changing the country into what it is today.
For protection against floods, dikes and dunes were built. Without dunes a big part of the country would be under water.
A good example of 1000 years of water management is Kinderdijk: 19 world-renowned windmills that contributed impressively to the technology to control water in The Netherlands .
Via an ingenious three-step system, all water is pumped out of the polders and into the river through ditches, sluices, bosoms, canals pumping stations, 19 windmills and a discharge sluice that is situated inside the dike.
Because of this we keep our feet dry in the polders enabling us to live in an area situated below sea-level.
Sluishoek is a typical Dutch polder village. Old homes can be found on both side of a canal and it has a nostalgic drawbridge. Sluishoek was among others, inspired by the existing village Schipluiden in the Westland.
Of course a classic village in the polder has to have windmills. Since 1180 the Dutch have been using windmills not only for pumping water but also for grinding grain and as sawmills.
The lowest point is indicated by “the monument lowest point of the Netherlands”, of which the base corresponds with the level of the lowest point.
NAP stands for the Normaal Amsterdams Peil (Amsterdam Ordnance Datum) that is used in The Netherlands, Germany, Norway, Sweden and Finland as reference for height measurements. The lowest polderwater level is also locate in the Zuidplaspolder and is 7,10 under NAP.
Almost half of The Netherlands is below sea level. Without sand dunes, dikes and all of the water systems, the water would rise one and a half meters (1.6 feet) here at Miniworld!
The lowest point of The Netherlands is located in a grassland in the Zuidplaspolder, on a height of 6,76 under NAP.
Conversly the hightest point in The Netherlands on the Vaalserberg in Limburg, 323 meters above sea level.
It’s interesting to see that there has been a huge amount of humour installed here too, for instance the person standing on one of the rooftops appears to be waving a pink dress, and there are lots of “accidents” , doubtless put in for the enjoyment of boys like Little Mr. who was quick to pick up on every last one of them and to revel in the “emergancy services” in attendance. Naturally the presence of fire engines and police cars gave the designers a chance to install more flashing lights… it’s clear not just the kids having a lot of fun here!

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)

(photograph © Kiwidutch)
Miniworld Rotterdam