The bad weather that hit the Sottoceneri, mostly in the Melide area, during the evening of the 30th of May 2023 had severe consequences for Swissminiatur. In fact, the park suffered countless damage to models, from the oldest to the newest, from hailstones the size of ping pong balls.
A week after the evening of bad weather and hail, we tenaciously continue on the path to normalcy, ensuring the regular daily opening of the park.
Swissminiatur’s team joined forces right from the start and in the first phase carried out a quick but deep cleanup of the park by removing all windblown foliage and debris from damaged models, so as early as as Friday, the 2st of June 2023, the park regained much of its traditional splendor.
Work in progress
In the second phase of work, the priority is the repair of the power line, which allows the movement of transport vehicle models in the park. At present, boats, cable cars, gondolas, highways and 10 of the 18 trains are already operating normally, but all 3,560 meters of railway line are expected to be reactivated soon. At the same time, part of the team is already working on repairing the minor damage reported to 60% of the models, a procedure that will last throughout the summer.
Instead, the third and final phase of work will begin in September, where the most damaged models will be fixed; however, this is a very small part ( 10%).
Your support
Since the event, the park has received great support from the local area, institutions, partner companies, and also from loyal visitors, who immediately sent their suggestions for help. In fact, on Wednesday, the 7th of June, the outdoor team from Lugano Prisons, some CSIA students and a few volunteers will help us reposition the 6,000 flowers, which were also damaged by hail. Everyone’s closeness and support is really leading to a rapid recovery!
During all phases of work, the park will remain open to the public. It can bevisited daily, therefore, from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (last entrance at 5:30 p.m.).
We invite you to come and visit the park, no longer just to see the beauty of all of Switzerland on a 1:25 scale, but also to see the commitment of our staff members in restoring magic to Little Switzerland.
