LONDON

January TRAVEL
AUTOSTADT.
CLOSEUP LOOK AT THE
WORLD OF MOBILITY
Fly to
Berlin
with airBaltic
from
€29
one way
Autostadt, or Car City, is a very appropriate name
for the automotive experiences that await visitors to
this facility. Opened in 2000 in the city of Wolfsburg by
Volkswagen AG, Autostadt occupies 28 hectares and its
buildings are a veritable showcase of modern architecture.
Car history buffs should make their first stop at
the Zeithaus, or Time House, which houses a fantastic
collection of 260 cars from 60 different brands, revealing
a great deal about the development of the automotive
industry. The KonzernForum pavilion, for its part, is like a
trampoline from the past into the future. It demonstrates
the steps that are taken in manufacturing an automobile
and addresses the topic of sustainability.
Interactive expositions, a panorama cinema and
other attractions will make the day go by quickly. The
MobiVersum section is particularly suitable for families
with kids, featuring workshop areas, a driving school,
children’s movies and even cooking classes.
Volkswagen Group manufactures approximately
10 million vehicles per year by various brands, including, of
course, Volkswagen, as well as Audi, Lamborghini, Porsche,
Seat and Škoda – each of which has its own pavilion on
site. The Premium Clubhouse, for its part, showcases top
range Bugatti and Bentley cars.
Although each building at the Autostadt complex is
a masterpiece in itself, two 48-metre-high glass-walled
towers draw the most attention. Each day, about 800 new
cars are put on sale there. The purchase of automobiles
directly from the factory, so to speak, is growing in
popularity, with about 500 vehicles per day being driven out
of the client centre by proud new owners. Some of the latest
models can even be test-driven before you buy them.
Those who can afford it might consider staying at the
opulent Ritz-Carlton hotel, which is just a stone’s throw
away. The icing on the cake is an excursion to the adjacent
Volkswagen car manufacturing plant, where you can see brandnew
automobiles being assembled before your very eyes.
Although Wolfsburg is a bit more than 200 km from Berlin,
the trip from the German capital to Autostadt is worth taking.
The Car City greets visitors 363 days per year and is open from
9 AM to 6 PM.
autostadt.de
64 | AIRBALTIC.COM