Wolfsburg Castle

Wolfsburg Castle (Schloss Wolfsburg) is the historic heart of Wolfsburg, the Lower Saxony city best known as the home of Volkswagen. The castle is more than 600 years older than the city, which actually took its name from it. A medieval moated castle turned Renaissance palace, it is now the city's cultural center, with an art gallery, a city museum, a baroque garden, and a large park.

History in brief

First reliably recorded in 1302, the castle was built by the Bartensleben family, whose coat of arms featured a wolf; that is where the name comes from. From 1574 it was transformed into a four-wing Renaissance palace, completed around 1620 and considered the northeasternmost example of the "Weser Renaissance" style. It later passed to the Counts von der Schulenburg. When the Volkswagen factory was built, the family lost its land and sold the castle in 1943 to the new "City of the KdF-Wagen," which renamed itself Wolfsburg after the castle in 1945.

Things to do at Wolfsburg Castle

• Admire the facades and courtyard, with Renaissance gables, stair towers, and stone knight figures at the entrance.
• See contemporary art at the Städtische Galerie (Municipal Gallery).
• Learn about the castle and city in the city museum.
• Stroll the baroque garden with its tea pavilion and sandstone figures of the four seasons.
• Relax in the castle park, which is free to enter.

Allow 90 minutes to two hours.

Tickets and opening hours

As of October 2026, according to the Municipal Gallery:

• Wednesday to Sunday: noon to 6 p.m., including public holidays
• Closed Mondays and Tuesdays, and on January 1, May 1, and December 24, 25, and 31

A day ticket for the municipal museums costs €3.50 for adults, €3 for seniors, and €2.50 for children 6 and over; a family ticket is €8. Children under 6 are free. The park and baroque garden are free.

How to get to Wolfsburg Castle

Wolfsburg is on Germany's high-speed rail network, about an hour from Berlin by ICE and around 30 minutes from Hanover, so a day trip from Berlin or Hanover is easy. From Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof, walk about 20 to 25 minutes across the Stadtbrücke, or take regional bus 160, 170, or 380 to the "Schloss" stop. City buses 201, 202, and 213 also stop there.

Is it worth visiting?

Yes, as a calm counterpoint to the city's car attractions. The castle and its gardens show a side of Wolfsburg most visitors never see, and the low admission makes it an easy add-on.

Nearby

• Autostadt, Volkswagen's car-themed park on the Mittelland Canal.
• Phaeno, a striking science center next to the main station.
• Kunstmuseum Wolfsburg, a major museum of modern and contemporary art.