MAYBE it’s because we love them oversized and flashy. Or maybe it’s because we love nothing better than to fill up our garages. Whatever the reason, Americans have a rep as the world’s biggest car fanatics.
Clearly, whoever started this rumor has never been to Germany. That country’s long-standing love affair with the automobile – at least, with its Volkswagens – is so strong, that some Germans prefer to pick up their new car at its birthplace, rather than the dealership where they placed the order.
Crazy? It gets better. To pick up their VW, Germans travel to Autostadt, literally Car City, a humongous theme park built around VW’s headquarters and factory in Wolfsburg, outside of Berlin.
Autostadt has rides and sells souvenirs, but it’s no Disneyland. For one, it costs a relatively cheap $15 to get in ($7 for kids). Plus, there’s barely a logo in sight, and no costumed creatures roam the grounds. Gift shops sell car mats and automotive memorabilia (and it’s a safe bet your kids won’t be clamoring for those).
But Autostadt is far from boring. The complex includes a selection of restaurants, ranging from an inexpensive cafeteria (think IKEA) to stellar four-star gourmet.
As for the lodgings, this is definitely the only car factory in the world with a Ritz-Carlton on the grounds.
The hotel is a beaut, designed in the same open, airy architectural style as Autostadt.
Rooms overlook the historic red brick 1930s VW factory, part of which has been reborn as Mondo Club, a throbbing disco-style nightclub that can hold up to 5,000 revelers.
American dealerships could learn a thing or two from this place.
Autostadt also houses the museums belonging to VW brands and partners, with each museum showcasing, well, whatever it wants.
Bentley, for instance, displays a half-dozen sleek and historic models. The Czech brand Skoda features an IMAX-like history of Bohemia and its artwork. The Lamborghini building has a car hanging down the side of the brand’s black, cube-shaped building.
The main VW displays -while entertaining – are primarily educational. You can design cars, or walk into a crash dummy’s motion-sensor field and see him go.
But that stuff’s lame compared to the off-road course, which those with a valid driver’s license can attack. Drive up and down a set of stairs, cross a sandy mini-desert or test your luck at crossing through a shallow pond.
Basically, you’ll feel, and look, a lot like the people on those cheesy, slick car commercials.
The lowdown
Go: You can access Autostadt by train from Berlin. The trip takes about 1 hour (bahn.de).
Stay: The golf package at the Ritz-Carlton, from $338, includes golf, breakfast, spa use, and more (ritzcarlton.com).
Info: autostadt.de. For more travel info, visit cometogermany.com.