Wolfsburg
Introduction
Wolfsburg sits in Lower Saxony on the river Aller, roughly midway between Hanover to the west and Berlin to the far east. It is one of the larger cities in the state, and its position on the Aller places it within easy reach of both cities by road or rail.
Use the city as a base for exploring this part of northern Germany, with Hanover and Berlin as the obvious urban anchors on either side. The river itself gives the city its setting and a natural orientation point as you get your bearings.
Before you go
Wolfsburg is a company town in the truest sense: it was founded in the 1930s to house workers for the Volkswagen factory, which still dominates the scenery and the local economy. The city is a rare example of a German town founded in the 20th century, and it is often dismissed as bland and without history. That reputation is only partly fair. The suburb of Fallersleben, once an independent town, is the birthplace of Hoffmann von Fallersleben, author of Germany's national anthem, and its castle gave Wolfsburg its name. Several of the annexed suburbs predate the city proper by centuries and still hold medieval and early modern buildings. The Mittellandkanal and the railway line, both of which existed before the town, cut roughly through the city, with the plant mostly to the north and the city mostly to the south.
The city's Italian immigrant community, which arrived in the 1950s and 1960s, remains visible today, and some Italian quarters carry the nickname Castellupo. Note that Wolfsburg has no truly major airport, though corporate flights use a nearby airfield, and its Autobahn connections are less developed than you might expect for a centre of car manufacturing. German partition also cut off much of the city's eastern hinterland. The town's fortunes have revived since the 1990s, when Volkswagen and the city government jointly founded Wolfsburg AG to combat decline, so expect a place that is growing again rather than the slump-era image it once had.
Getting there
Wolfsburg is easy to reach by road and rail. The main station, Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof on Willy-Brandt-Platz, has regular services to many destinations, including direct ICE trains to and from Berlin — the route is quick enough that some people commute on it daily. For many other connections you'll need to change trains in Brunswick and/or Hanover. Flixtrain also serves the city. Large parking lots sit next to the station, so you can leave your car there for several days.
By road, take junction 5 off the A39 and head towards Wolfsburg-Morse. There is an airport close by, but it is mostly used by VW, so for most flights you'll fly into Hanover or Hamburg; Frankfurt is also often worth considering. Regiojet serves Wolfsburg by bus, while Flixbus does not — though it does serve many surrounding cities that have public transit connections onward to Wolfsburg.
Getting around
For a city built on and for the automobile, walking is often your best bet in Wolfsburg. The main attractions and central amenities sit close together, and the downtown core is largely pedestrianized, so you can cover the main sights on foot. The Autostadt, the Phaeno Science Center, the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, the Ritz-Carlton hotel and the water show are all part of the same central complex, making it easy to stroll between them. Base yourself centrally if you can.
Beyond the walkable centre, a public bus system reaches most suburbs and outlying parts of town. There is no light rail, tram or metro, so don't expect an urban rail network. Regular rail service, however, stops in Fallersleben — part of Wolfsburg but much older — and in several other places, so the train can double as a way of reaching outlying districts. Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof on Willy-Brandt-Platz has regular services to many destinations, including direct ICE service to and from Berlin; for many other connections you will need to change trains in Brunswick and/or Hanover. Flixtrain also serves the city, and Regiojet serves Wolfsburg while Flixbus does not. If you arrive by car, large parking lots beside the main station let you leave your vehicle for several days.
Where to stay
Most of Wolfsburg's accommodation clusters in the centre or close to the Volkswagen factory. The Leonardo Hotel on Rathausstraße puts you right in the middle of the city; the building is in need of refurbishment but the service is good and the minibar comes free, and a large extension is being built alongside the original. The Global Inn on Kleiststraße offers quality rooms and sits close to the main VW plant, while the Innside by Meliá on Heinrich-Nordhoff-Straße and the Tryp on Willy Brandt Platz give you two more central mid-range options.
If you want to be out of town, the Seehotel am Tankumsee in Isenbüttel has good-sized rooms, a reasonable breakfast and a good restaurant that runs a little expensive — but you will need a car. At the top end, the Parkhotel on Unter den Eichen has great facilities and is on the pricey side, while the modern Ritz-Carlton on Parkstraße forms part of the Autostadt and has a three-Michelin-star restaurant; guests in the upper room categories can use the Club Level lounge.
Food & drink
Wolfsburg has the food scene you'd expect for a city of its size, with one clear strength: a sizable Italian-descended population means Italian restaurants and pizzerias are cheap, plentiful and often of excellent quality. For a casual meal, try La Rotonda, a small, cosy Italian spot with reasonably priced, tasty food, or Trattoria Incontri, a solid pizzeria. BellaItallia, a street-food-style cart in the parking lot of the Edeka, may not look like much, but its pizza is made to order with Italian ingredients the owner imports himself. If you want a splurge, Restaurant Aqua offers gourmet food from multi-Michelin-star chefs at the Ritz-Carlton, and you should expect to pay handsomely for the experience. For something different, Sausalitos is a Mexican chain restaurant and cocktail bar.
Wolfsburg is not a university town, so nightlife is nothing to write home about. There are a few bars, including Café & Bar Celona and the Irish Pub WOB, but for the most part Braunschweig is where the party's at.
What to see and do
Wolfsburg is a modern city, built largely from 1938 to house workers for the Volkswagen factory, but its castle dates from around 1600 and now holds the Stadtmuseum, which traces the city's history from the founding of the VW plant to the present. There is also a small regional history museum and two art galleries with rotating exhibitions. The Kunstmuseum is the city's main art collection, while the castle itself is worth a look for the contrast with the surrounding modern town.
The biggest draw is Autostadt, the Volkswagen complex that works as a destination in its own right, with entertainment, dining, tours and driving, plus the Zeithaus car museum covering VW and other marques. A separate Volkswagen AutoMuseum sits farther from the main complex. The Phaeno Science Centre, a Zaha Hadid building opposite Autostadt, is a striking space where you can explore phenomena from fire tornadoes to brain waves, and it suits both children and adults. The Planetarium has an unusual origin: it was built with optical equipment from Jena delivered as part of a German-German trade deal. For active pursuits, the Allersee is an artificial lake used for bathing and swimming, with the BadeLand indoor pool nearby, and the Eis Arena hosts the local ice hockey team. You can also take a factory tour, though these run only on working days and should be booked in advance, or join the Maritime PanoramaTour, a canal boat trip past the power plant and factory buildings.
When to go
Wolfsburg sees little precipitation over the course of the year, so rain is rarely a defining feature of a visit. April stands out as the driest month, making it a good choice if you want the best odds of dry conditions and prefer to plan outdoor time without much concern for showers.
July is the warmest month, but it is also one of the two wettest, so warm days can arrive alongside rain — pack for both heat and showers. August shares that wetter stretch with July and remains part of the warmer period of the year, so if you visit then, keep rain gear on hand while dressing for mild to warm weather.
Three days in Wolfsburg
Day one: Start in the centre of Wolfsburg, using the Hauptbahnhof as your arrival point if you come by ICE from Berlin or Hanover, or by Flixtrain, Regiojet or Flixbus from Hamburg, Frankfurt or Brunswick. From there, head for the Autostadt, the Volkswagen attraction beside the Mittellandkanal, and give it a good share of your day. In the evening, stay in the city and eat Italian.
Day two: Take the short trip to Fallersleben, the old town within Wolfsburg, and spend the morning wandering its streets. Return to the centre for the afternoon and use the time to explore the shops and spaces around Willy-Brandt-Platz. Note that the Autobahn makes the wider region easy to reach, with Hanover and Brunswick close by.
Day three: Use the morning for anything you missed in the centre, then head out along the Aller or the Mittellandkanal for a quieter end to your stay. If you are leaving by train, the Hauptbahnhof connects you onward to Berlin, Hanover and Hamburg.