How to Find A Miniature World Full of Iconic Swiss Treats that make you Smile

If you have ever been to the Rheinfalls you will know how impressive they are. A huge amount of water gushes and roars along the river then plunges over huge rocks, whirling and swirling to the next level. The fairytale castle – Schloss Laufen, observes from above. These waterfalls and the dramatic forested landscape can be seen up close and personal from a walkway, a huge rock in the middle of the Rhine, or a boat. Every now and then a train chugs across the solid Rheinbrücke bei Laufen bridge into a tunnel under the castle, before stopping at the Schloss Laufen train station. This is definitely a very cool place to visit.

However, the Rheinfalls is understandably very popular with tourists – they flock to the area to get a view of the roaring waterfall, filling the boats, and walkways. For this reason and also when the weather is cold and rainy, it is nice to have another option close by.

Smilestones is an Indoor Miniature world. It is found opposite the castle on the other side of the Rhine in a large warehouse. It offers a chance to experience not only the Rheinfall attractions but some of the most iconic and better-known Swiss sights. (I went here recently and definitely recommend it).

Swiss Milestones (Smilestones)

From Smilestones indoor arena, it is possible to look down on the Rheinfalls from above, distancing yourself from the crowds and the tiny boats below. The whole Rheinfalls area is shown in great detail including the forested hills, railway bridge, tunnel and castle. From here you can make your way to Schaffhausen’s old town and towers, then visit a miniature Appenzell with its colourful houses and Alpstein mountains – cable cars move up and down at the push of a button. You can then stop and look closely at the people (23,000) enjoying their day on restaurant terraces, in the villages, or watch as they bike, hike, dance and celebrate. It is then possible to observe all this at night when the lights go on (a total of 8,000). This short night cycle is every 15 minutes, giving just enough time to look into windows of buildings or see the whole exhibit lit up like a Christmas tree.

When wandering past the sweeping views of life in Switzerland all kinds of trains snake past. They make their way through the towns, into tunnels, and past stations. If you follow them you will eventually end up in the Bernese Oberland. When here they chug past alpine villages perched on mountainsides, waterfalls, industry and holiday resorts. You will see the snow-covered Jungfrau, Mönch, Eiger and the iconic Matterhorn in miniature – still looking very impressive.

It is possible to stop and peer into a cheese dairy, the Lindt & Sprüngli chocolate factory and a watch factory. At the chocolate factory it pays to push the green glowing button, you may be rewarded with chocolate. It happened to me.

This place is lots of fun. It does feel like you are a giant – peering into the everyday lives of the Swiss. You can even get a magnifying glass to see the details – some funny and some thought-provoking.

There is a saying in Swiss German – Häsch xeh? Meaning “Did you see that”? This is the promotional phrase used by Smilestones. I think it fits well with the exhibit since the more you look, the more you see – whether it is the antics of the people or what is seen inside buildings, under the water, or hanging from the side of a mountain… In fact, some things may confuse you. This is because the Swiss have their inside jokes, traditional songs and tales which anyone outside the country may not get. This is when you will need to ask “Why”?

I’m sure you could ask a friendly Swiss person standing close to you. It may be a good opportunity to get a real insight into Swiss culture.

My favourites displays:

• The vehicles driving along, then held up by annoying roadworks. The use of blinkers to turn corners and the sing song horn noise as the Post buses go around the switchback roads.
• People dancing, being told off by police and biking around a lake (actually peddling).
• The lights on in the houses, trains and streetlamps at night.
• Cable cars and funiculars
• Funny little events to make you stop, really look and smile – there are plenty of these.
• Buttons to interact with the displays.
• Mountains
• Trains, trains and more trains.
• Discovering how it all works – it is also possible to do a behind the scenes tour.