Wolfsburg: Insider Tips from a Local

Tips and Info for a Trip to Wolfsburg

Before we get to our interview, here’s the most important information you need before a city trip to Wolfsburg.

Where is Wolfsburg located in Germany?

Wolfsburg sits in the east of Lower Saxony, right in the heart of Germany.

That makes it super easy to reach — whether you’re coming by car, train, or plane.

The nearest major cities are Braunschweig (26 km), Hanover (64 km), and Magdeburg (74 km).

From Wolfsburg, a day trip to the Harz National Park, about 100 kilometers away, is also really worth your time.

Our Hotel Recommendations for Wolfsburg

Finding the right place to stay makes all the difference. Here are our top hotel picks in Wolfsburg for every budget:

Travel Guides for Wolfsburg

Want to dive even deeper into the city and the region? These books are a great starting point:

111 Places in Wolfsburg You Shouldn’t Miss: This guide highlights 111 places in and around Wolfsburg that are genuinely worth discovering.

365 Tips for a Great Day in Braunschweig, Wolfsburg, Wolfenbüttel and the Surrounding Area: A wonderful overview of all the highlights in Wolfsburg and the surrounding region.
Wolfsburg (Color Photo Book): The most beautiful corners of Wolfsburg captured in stunning photos — each one with extra context and background information.

Interview with a Local: The Best Insider Tips for Wolfsburg

1. Who are you and why are you an expert on Wolfsburg?

I’m Lena, a student who worked here at 22places as a part-time team member.

Wolfsburg is my hometown — I was born and raised here and have spent almost my entire life here, with just a few short exceptions.

Through my work at 22places, I rediscovered my passion for photography.

And because of that, I’m getting to know Wolfsburg in a completely new way.

2. If you had to describe Wolfsburg in three words, what would they be?

Green, young, versatile.

3. Why should everyone visit Wolfsburg at least once?

The city is simply one of a kind. Wolfsburg was built as a residential area for Volkswagen factory workers. To this day, the factory grounds take up a huge chunk of the city and are part of its skyline — car enthusiasts will absolutely feel right at home here!

But there’s plenty to see beyond that too. Even if you couldn’t care less about cars, you’ll find countless other attractions and activities — more on that below.

4. What does Wolfsburg have that you can’t find anywhere else?

The first thing that comes to mind is the Autostadt. It’s an immersive experiential world built around the Volkswagen Group.

Alongside various brand pavilions, there’s a huge park and some seriously good restaurants. Even though I’m barely interested in cars, I keep coming back — there’s always something new to discover.

For car lovers, the individual brand pavilions — Audi, Seat, Lamborghini and more, each with rotating exhibitions — are probably the most exciting part.

If you want a quick overview of automotive history, the Zeithaus is the perfect spot. You travel through the history of the automobile across multiple floors.

There’s also loads for kids. They can earn their own junior driver’s license, join workshops, or burn off energy on the various playgrounds.

Events happen almost year-round — from a themed Christmas market in winter to open-air festivals in summer. And the food scene at the Autostadt is genuinely impressive. The restaurants serve delicious organic dishes, with plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. My absolute favorite? The stone-ground ice cream — you have to try it!

Things to Do in Wolfsburg: Attractions and Activities

5. What sights in Wolfsburg are absolutely not to be missed?

You definitely shouldn’t skip a visit to the Autostadt (as mentioned in #4). With its wide variety of offerings, there’s genuinely something for every kind of visitor.

My tip: Before your visit, check the Autostadt’s website to see if any events are on. They always come up with amazing programming — water shows, acrobatics in a giant circus tent, open-air concerts — and these are usually included in the regular admission price.

I also really recommend the Allerpark. The area around the swimming lake has a large leisure and water park, an ice rink, a bowling center, restaurants, a climbing park, a skate park, and a wake park with a small beach bar.

In summer, you can relax by the water or get active yourself. I personally love sitting at the wake park and watching the mix of seasoned pros and total beginners on the water.

6. What can you do in Wolfsburg when it’s raining?

When the weather turns, I’d head straight to the Designer Outlet Center for a shopping session. You’ll find plenty of well-known brands across various price ranges — Ralph Lauren, Abercrombie & Fitch, Esprit — plus homeware shops like WMF and Le Creuset.

My absolute highlight, and probably the most popular stop in the whole outlet, is Lindt. That irresistible smell of chocolate as you walk past makes stopping in basically unavoidable. In winter, there’s even a Lindt pop-up store dedicated entirely to Christmas chocolates!

7. What can you do with kids in Wolfsburg?

With kids, I’d head straight to the phaeno — a science center with an enormous hands-on experimentation landscape. Despite its museum format, touching everything here is explicitly encouraged!

Kids (and honestly, adults too) can run experiments to their heart’s content or join themed workshops. Who can make it through the tilted house without getting dizzy?

The Allerpark from #5 is also fantastic for a family outing. The wave pool and the slides at the Badeland water park promise a seriously fun day.

8. When you feel the urge to get out of the city, where do you go?

Since Wolfsburg is pretty compact and has so many green spaces to unwind in, I rarely feel the need to leave.

But when I do want a change of scenery and have a bit more time, I head to the Harz, about an hour and a half away. In the Harz National Park, you can go hiking, stroll along the treetop walkway, or visit the lynx enclosure.

9. What spot would you recommend for unwinding and just letting your mind wander?

To truly switch off, I love spending time in nature. Since you’re never more than five minutes from the nearest forest or green space in Wolfsburg, there are plenty of spots to just breathe.

My favorite is the Hasselbachtal. This forested area sits right on the edge of the city and is super easy to reach. I love going for walks or bike rides there in every season — it’s also popular with joggers.

There are plenty of ponds to linger by, and if you get thirsty, you can drink fresh water straight from one of the many springs or fountains along the way. There’s even a spring trail hike you can follow just by looking out for the signposts.

The castle park is another wonderful spot to unwind. Since Wolfsburg hosted the Lower Saxony State Garden Show in 2004, there are still some beautiful “remnants” of the exhibition in the castle park and the adjoining Allerpark. It’s genuinely idyllic and peaceful — and you always have a lovely view of the castle.

10. What is the most beautiful viewpoint in Wolfsburg?

For me, it’s the Klieversberg. From up here, you get a stunning panorama of the city and the towers of the old power plant. The vibe there is especially magical in the late afternoon and at sunset.

You can reach the viewpoint via a path near the hospital — there’s parking almost at the top — or start at the theater and walk a forest path all the way up. Since the viewpoint is only at 110 meters elevation, I’d recommend the short walk through the woods. It’s totally worth it.

11. A hobby photographer asks you about cool spots in your city to photograph that they’d never find in a travel guide. Where do you send them?

It’s probably not a secret anymore, but I’d still send any photographer straight to the phaeno. Thanks to its futuristic architecture, you can get genuinely incredible shots here — whether it’s the building itself or using it as a backdrop. That vast expanse of concrete looks fantastic in photos. In the evening, the building lights up in various colors, which adds a whole other dimension.

Another spot that immediately comes to mind is one of the “remnants” of the State Garden Show in the castle park. There’s a mirrored rose garden there that makes a perfect photography subject.

12. What is the craziest activity you can do in your city?

I haven’t done it myself yet, but for me it has to be a ride up into the delivery towers of the Autostadt.

These are two 48-meter-tall towers where up to 800 vehicles wait to be delivered to customers. You’re carried up in a small cabin fitted with car seats and a panoramic view — and treated to a breathtaking vista. And of course, looking at all those brand-new cars stacked inside the towers is pretty spectacular too.

13. What is the best event of the year? What makes it worth coming to Wolfsburg for?

The Autostadt’s summer event is absolutely worth planning a visit around. The entire park transforms — depending on the theme — into a circus grounds (2018) or a festival grounds (2019) with a large stage.

Every summer, a floating Cool Summer Island is also built on the canal — a beach club with a sandy beach, lounge area, and boat rentals. There’s plenty for kids too, with climbing walls, slides, and giant bounce houses.

The summer event sometimes overlaps with the Movimentos Festival Weeks — a festival for contemporary dance that brings artists from all over the world to perform a wide range of dance styles.

14. Is there a museum in Wolfsburg that you absolutely shouldn’t miss?

I’d recommend a visit to the Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg. It hosts rotating exhibitions on modern and contemporary art, and regularly puts on interesting events and workshops too.

15. Which neighborhood do you most enjoy strolling through and why?

Wolfsburg doesn’t really have distinct neighborhoods the way you’d find in Berlin or Hamburg — the city is simply too compact for that. But my favorite place to wander is the old quarter of Fallersleben. Alongside great ice cream, there are some charming independent shops and a park that’s perfect for a leisurely stroll.

Food and Drink in Wolfsburg

16. What culinary specialty do you absolutely have to try in Wolfsburg?

The famous Volkswagen Currywurst, obviously! It’s typically served with fries and VW’s own curry ketchup. Since the sausage is an official original part from Volkswagen, it even has its own part number.

In some years, more sausages were sold than cars. Wild, right? It’s no wonder though — you can order a Currywurst starting as early as 8 in the morning, for example at the Tachometer restaurant.

And great news: there’s now even a vegan version of the famous sausage.

17. What are your three favorite restaurants and what should you definitely try there?

My favorite place to eat is Aroy Aroy. The Thai food here is seriously delicious. The restaurant is fairly new and beautifully decorated — modern furnishings mixed with traditional wallpaper and lots of light wood. A great bonus: all dishes can be made vegan. I especially recommend item No. 44: fresh stir-fried vegetables with cashews, mushrooms, and soy sauce, with your choice of tofu.

If you’re in the mood for tapas, Taparazzi is the place to go. The menu rotates monthly with seasonal specialties, so I can’t pin down a single dish to recommend. Your best bet is to go with a group and order a bit of everything.

My third pick is Creasian, serving Asian fusion cuisine. It’s super centrally located between the main train station, the Autostadt, the phaeno, and the Outlet Center — making it a perfect pit stop. It’s hard to go wrong with your order; the dishes are delicious and beautifully presented. That said, I’d particularly recommend the sushi.

18. Where can you find the best burger in town?

The best vegetarian burger goes to Eat – Grill & Bar. I can’t speak to the meat burgers personally, but they’re probably just as good.

Beyond burgers, the salads, sandwiches, and desserts are all worth trying. And don’t leave without ordering the house-made lemonade or iced tea!

19. Where can you find the best ice cream in town?

The best ice cream is a little outside the city center, in the Fallersleben neighborhood at Eiscafé S. Marco. You can enjoy delicious homemade ice cream here until 10:30 PM. The selection is classic but solid — alongside some vegan fruit flavors, there’s also vegan chocolate and hazelnut ice cream. The friendly staff will happily make any sundae in a vegan version on request.

Bonus tip: right behind the ice cream café there’s a lovely park that’s perfect for a short stroll after your scoop.

20. Where is the best place to have breakfast?

The Atelier Café has a wonderful breakfast buffet. The granola and cereal selection alone is impressive, and alongside the classics there are little special touches like lavender jelly. I’d especially recommend going when the weather is nice — you can sit outside in the garden in front of a beautiful half-timbered house. It’s a real treat.

One more thing: the VW Currywurst is also on the menu at the Atelier Café at lunchtime, if you haven’t had your fix yet.

21. Where is the best place to go out in the evening?

If you’re in the mood for cocktails, check out the Kaufhof area — a small strip of bars with a few different options to choose from.

For something with a slightly more upscale feel, Superleggera is worth a visit. This café in the heart of Wolfsburg’s city center transforms into a cozy bar come evening.

Where to Stay in Wolfsburg

22. Which hotel do you recommend for visitors to Wolfsburg?

I’d go with the Parkhotel in the Steimker Berg neighborhood. The hotel sits a little outside the center, surrounded by greenery, but a walk into the city center past a lake takes just 20 minutes. This four-star hotel has a really welcoming, family feel and a wonderful restaurant with a conservatory and terrace overlooking the park.