| - Dutch harbour, polder and recreation area - Madurodam is a miniature city on a 1:25 scale, composed of typical Dutch buildings and landmarks. This major tourist attraction is located in Scheveningen, The Hague, in the Netherlands. It was built in 1952, and has an area of 18.000 m2. All the models, railway lines and decorations are manufactured by Madurodam itself. Madurodam is the largest railroad model in the Netherlands with a length of about four kilometers. A lot of work goes into readying a model. For example, the model of Amsterdam Airport Schiphol took two years and four months to complete. Madurodam staff calculate the scaled down dimensions from architectural drawings and use detailed photographs of the real building. The plastic (it used to be wood) is cut to the right shape and dimensions using a moulding cutter. Then the decorators and technicians finish the building. The models receive regular maintenance because they have to spend an average of 30 years outside. Madurodam primarily uses small-leafed trees and shrubs. Frequent pruning is the only way to keep threm down. The miniature city was named after George Maduro, a law student from Curaçao who fought the Nazi occupation forces as a member of the Dutch resistance and died at Dachau concentration camp in 1945. His parents donated the money to start the Madurodam project. This attraction was the inspiration for Storybook Land, in Disneyland. April 7, 2010 |
