Virtual Tour of The Autostadt: Volkswagen Factory in Wolfsburg, Germany

Lauren Fix’s Narrated Photo Gallery Tour of The Autostadt

 The Autostadt, a visitor attraction center adjacent to the Volkswagen factory in Wolfsburg, Germany, celebrates some of the greatest achievements in automotive history. This incredible facility is a destination unto itself, positioned between the factory and the city of Wolfsburg city via a bridge.

The Autostadt features a museum, pavilions for principal automobile brands in the Volkswagen Group and a customer center where customers can pick up new cars. Main attraction are grand tours through the enormous factory, a guides through the evolution of roads, and a cinema in a large sphere. It is also home to the largest glass doors in the world and the longest printed line. The line starts from outside Wolfsburg and travels through Autostadt to a point on a farm, about 4 miles long altogether.

Most people spend two days absorbing this destination and customers from Germany, Austria and the Netherlands take delivery of over 600 VW vehicles per day. In June 2000, Volkswagen opened the Autostadt to the public – an entire city of cars built alongside the Volkswagen HQ in Wolfsburg. The huge complex features pavilions, waterways, bridges, lakes, parks, marketplaces, a train station, streets and lanes, entertainment, 11 organic world restaurants, and a unique competition and events center. Guests from all around the world are able to go on a fascinating journey of discovery in this world forum dedicated to the automobile.

Autostadt boasts two 200 ft tall glass silos used as storage for new Volkswagens. The two towers are connected to the Volkswagen factory by an underground tunnel. When purchasing a car from Volkswagen, it is optional to pick it up at Autostadt, which includes free entrance, meal tickets and a variety of events building up to the point where the customer takes delivery of their car with “0” on the odometer.   

The Autostadt experience exposes guests to unforgettable cars and an incredible lesson in sustainability from the moment they walk through the large glass revolving doors to main entrance, which is heated and cooled by sunlight only.

There’s a kids area with video games (ages 5-11) and kiddie driver’s licenses to allow parents to enjoy the experience. There is even a mini track for children where they can drive small electric cars in the form of Volkswagen Beetles.

The car design studio has clay modeling to show how they are used and demonstrate the important of design. There’s more to design than just surface.

You can’t forget the “green level” which covers sustainability on co2, effects of climate change, and interactive, multi-lingual with touch screens.

Then zeithaus- museum of cars from all brands that made history including the model T Ford  The Volkswagen Automuseum presents vintage Volkswagens and other cars in their former glory and offers insights into the first historic years of the 20th century’s most influential technology. These cars are all turning points in the automotive world.

This trip through memory lane is balanced by prototype and concept cars placed in glass cases just outside. These unique, unforgettable cars are a trip to heaven for any enthusiast.

The Marque Pavilions show the many faces of Volkswagen: famous brands like Audi, Seat, Skoda, Lamborghini and Bentley. Each pavilion is a world in its own.

During summer months at the Autostadt there’s the cool summer island- including a sandy beach music and boat rides. Once Germany gets colder there’s a Christmas market in the winter and fall.

The Autostadt club house features  just one ultimate luxury car, the Bugatti Veyron, and two breathtaking pieces of art. This tribute to simplicity is a worthy of the masterpieces it houses but belies the vast wealth of history, beauty and entertainment that characterize the Autostadt experience.