6 Best Things to Do in Wolfsburg, Germany
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Written by Kyle Kroeger
Heading north to Wolfsburg and don’t know what to expect? You’re lucky because Wolfsburg is a lovely city that holds several wonderful landscapes and is filled with must-see tourist attractions.
The wonders in Wolfsburg are truly amazing, with its nature, sceneries, great city ambiance, and many spots to discover. Visiting Wolfsburg and its hidden gems offers tons of great, memorable outdoor and indoor adventures to keep.
Reaching one of the best cities in Germany adds to a great travel experience. To do so, check out this list of Wolfsburg’s best attractions and places to add to your travel itinerary.
Things to Do in Wolfsburg, Germany
1. Wolfsburg Castle
Address: Schloßstraße 8, 38448 Wolfsburg, Germany
The Wolfsburg Castle is a lowland castle situated in North Germany. Like the city, its name, “Wolfsburg,” is translated to mean “castle of wolves.” The name was given or coined from the heraldic beast crafted on the owners’ coat of arms, not necessarily because the castle was made for wolves or a large population around the area.
There is no exact record of the year the castle was erected. What is known is that it was first mentioned in 1302, making it one of the finest destinations to visit in the region. The castle, however, has long since been converted to resemble a Renaissance palace.
The von Bartenslebens built the castle for the ministerial families of the nobility. In 1742, it was inherited or claimed by the counts of Schulerbey when the family’s line all died flat.
The Thirty Years’ War didn’t ruin the castle. The castle is a four-sided structure with a courtyard in between. Each side is named according to the point of the compass. In the west wing is the Bergfried.
The bergfried wasn’t initially constructed with the building; it was later integrated into the building and made to be 23 meters long. The fortification-like walls quite differ from the castle’s upper outline, the beautiful cross-gables on it, the Lucerne, and the roofs of the wall towers.
Three other towers could be found in the several corners of the castle, each one corner. These outer towers are called Hausmannsturm, Unlenturm, and Wendelstein.
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2. Autostadt
Address: Stadtbrücke, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
Autostadt is German for “Automobile City.” As the name implies, the Autostadt is an automobile complex with exhibits of such kind. Henn GmbH modeled the building in the mid-1900s. The complex is situated adjacent to the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany.
The museum was birthed out of the necessity of documenting the collection of stages involved in the production of Volkswagen. There are pavilions where several models of Autosadt Volkswagen cars are sampled. This is such a beautiful sight to behold. There are up to seven pavilions in total. The main pavilion was opened sometime in May 2020. In it, many very advanced car models were locked in a crate.
Its area is beautifully patterned with water and vegetation. Visitors are very well allowed access to the complex; however, they must present their driver’s license cards before driving any of the cars along the track.
Also, it is necessary to point out here that the visitors are not alone in the car; they are watched closely as they drive by a surveillance guide who is a member of the complex’s staff.
The track along which visitors who can drive are permitted to drive has a hill angled at 21 degrees and another hill angled at the side. Mounds along the track also help elevate one wheel of the vehicles off the ground.
There are two cinemas (small ones, though) in Autostadt and two 60-meter-long glass silos used to preserve new Volkswagen products. The computer room in the complex allows visitors to create their vehicles through software. The nearby hotel to book is Courtyard by Marriott Wolfsburg.
What are you waiting for? Get a skip-the-line admission ticket now.
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3. Allerpark in Wolfsburg
Address: Allerpark 4, 38448 Wolfsburg, Germany
The public leisure park is neighbored by the Wolfsburg-Reislingen, Wolfsburg Vorsfelde, Wolfsburg Nordstadt, and Wolfsburg Stadtmitte districts. It’s one of the best places to visit to get outside and enjoy summer weather.
The idea of constantly developing the park occasionally is to bring it to the level where it becomes unbeatable by any attraction sites in Germany.
The park’s latest development is the stadium’s opening (AOK Stadium) in 2015. The stadium, which had taken two years to construct, happens to be a haven the women’s and youth football teams run to have their footballing skills practiced.
The park usually receives close to three million visitors in a year. It occupies about one hundred thirty hectares near the city’s heart. Attractions featured at Allerpark include a disk golf course, water sports clubs, a high rope course, the AOK stadium, the Volkswagen Arena, the VFL Football World, a water ski, the Columbia Pavilion, a bowling center, etc. Of this numerous broad spectrum of attractions, the leisure park draws important visitors and meetings it.
4. Phaeno Science Center
Address: Willy-Brandt-Platz 1, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
Phaeno is the name of the science center that exhibits a collection of physical science phenomena. The center’s futuristic architectural concept was modeled by Zaha Hadid Architects, an architectural company known for its mind-blowing designs.
The science center was opened in 2005. Phaeno, the name of the science center, in German, means “Phanomene,” and in English, it means “Phenomena.”
The building is about 290,000 square feet and is structured to resemble a spaceship. The concept of the spaceship-designed building tries to pronounce the center’s intention in the first place.
The major level of the structure strictly for the exhibition is 26 feet above ground level. The science center has about 350 exhibits, which try to delve into three fields of science: physical science, natural science, and earth science.
The exhibits are replicas of their actual forms. In the center, examples of these forms are tornados (a spot where an artificial tornado course is modeled), geysers, laser light, luminous gases, gravity, etc.
There’s usually a workshop section where visitors are prepared on the scientific discipline the center focuses on. The center also provides a laboratory, a cinema, a bistro, and a shop.
Even people with several forms of disabilities can access the center. Facilities have been put in place to assist them. Several persons have described the building as an “architectural adventure playground” or “magic box.”
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5. Foundation Auto Museum Volkswagen
Address: Dieselstraße 35, 38446 Wolfsburg, Germany
The Foundation Auto Museum Volkswagen was established in 1985, and more precisely, on the 25th of April of that year, it was opened to the public.
It is a “brother museum” to the Autostadt. By saying “brother museum,” we refer to the fact that both museums tend to document the developmental stages of the Volkswagen group.
The space that the museum occupies formally used to be a clothing factory. It was purchased by the museum partly because it was a good suit situated near the Volkswagen Werke.
The museum displays the Volkswagen model’s generational cars, from the very first model to the futuristic ones. One hundred and thirty car exhibits are sampled in the museum. On New Year’s Day of 1992, the museum was transformed into a non-profit foundation and began to be called the Volkswagen Auto Museum Foundation.
The museum was renovated in 2001, following the Volkswagen group’s sample-only products strictly. This renovation helped further beautify the museum, making it much more attractive.
The museum is usually open throughout the year, except from the 24th of December to the 1st of January, when it goes on the end-of-year break. Accessing the museum isn’t completely free, so make sure you purchase tickets in advance.
The museum provides a guided tour where a staff educates visitors on the museum’s history. As the days go by, the museum is constantly modified to fit the current age.
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6. Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg
Address: Hollerpl. 1, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg is a museum of arts located in central Wolfsburg and is a family-friendly attraction worth visiting. The museum was opened in 1994 when it began full operation. Exhibits in the museum sample both ancient and modern artworks. Kunststiftung Volkswagen financed the project.
Up to ten years after its opening, the museum was managed by its founding director, Dutchman Gijs van Tuyl. Markus Bruderlin, a Swiss historian of the arts, succeeded him. When Bruderlin died in 2014, Ralf Beib took over on February 1, 2015.
Peter Schweger and his team members designed the building. Kazuhisa Kawamura designed the Japanese Garden, modeled after the Zen Gardens in Ryoan temple, Kyoto. It is a must-visit.
The museum has a record of one hundred thirty exhibits. Collections in the museum include Minimal Art, Conceptual Art, and Arte Povera, all in the late modernism category.
There are still exhibits from a much newer generation sampled in the museum. Some artists whose works can be found in the collection include Jeff Wall, Burhan DIgancay, Andreas Gursky, Christian Boltanski, etc. Exhibits were first collected in the open year 1994. Kunstmuseum is near several iconic hotels, including The Ritz-Carlton, Wolfsburg, and Leonardo Hotel Wolfsburg City Center.
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