Beautiful Cities Near Wolfsburg (Wait, Why Wolfsburg?)

I totally understand if you find it strange that a Singaporean girl has chosen to focus on Wolfsburg, not big cities like Berlin, Frankfurt, or Munich. So, this is how the story goes … During my overseas student exchange trip a couple of years back, I was enrolled in the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences (Faculty of Business). The campus is located in Wolfsburg, and that’s how I learnt that Wolfsburg is the 5th largest city in the German state of Lower Saxony. This city is world-famous as it houses the Volkswagen Group’s headquarters, and the world’s biggest car plant.

If you are aspiring to work in the automobile industry, you can consider studying at the Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences, and apply for an internship with the Volkswagen Group in Wolfsburg. As you all know, student life can get pretty boring. Hence, this resulted in me taking spontaneous day trips to neighbouring cities. At that point of time, all students were given a student card which entitled me to free bus rides in Wolfsburg, and free rides on all regional trains in Lower Saxony. The pass was not valid with IC or ICE travel, but it did help me save a good sum of money while travelling!

Wolfsburg

Before I share which interesting cities are worth visiting, I shall introduce all of you to Wolfsburg! Don’t be mistaken – the name Wolfsburg (literally ‘Wolf Castle’) does not mean that there is a large number of wolves around the region of the Vorsfelder Werder in which the castle is located at. The wolf that gave its name to the castle is a heraldic beast on the coat of arms of the von Bartensleben family who built the edifice. You can visit this Renaissance schloss, and its Baroque garden in Wolfsburg.

The other two major attractions I recommend are The Autostadt, an open-air museum-theme park dedicated to automobiles owned and operated by Volkswagen, and the Phæno Science Centre. For those interested in shopping, there is an outlet mall and a City-Gallerie shopping centre. The Pedestrian area is also very nice to walk around in, and has everything from banks, to groceries, to pharmacies, to clothing shops, to bakeries, and more. Do note that most shops are closed on Sundays, so you can live like the locals and head to the park to enjoy the outdoors.

You can also hop onto the regional trains which depart from Wolfsburg Hauptbahnhof and explore the cities located near Wolfsburg. These are the 4 cities which I frequently visited when I was a student in Wolfsburg.

Braunschweig

Braunschweig, also called Brunswick in English, is just 20 minutes by train from Wolfsburg. The city was a member of the Hanseatic League from the 13th until the 17th century. It was a powerful and influential centre of commerce in medieval Germany. Today, Braunschweig is the 2nd largest city in Lower Saxony, and a major centre of scientific research and development.

While making your way from Braunschweig Hauptbahnhof to the city centre, you’ll come across many interesting German traditional architecture. Some of the main attractions include the Old Town Hall, the Gewandhaus, and the Church of St. Martin. You can relax at the botanical garden too.

Wolfenbüttel

This little town situated an hour away from Wolfsburg is best known for the internationally renowned Herzog August Library, and for having the largest concentration of timber-framed buildings in Germany. Photography is not allowed in the library, but you should definitely check out the collections of ancient books in the world. I felt as though I was at The Hogwarts Library portrayed in the Harry Potter movies. Wolfenbüttel is smaller than the neighbouring cities of Braunschweig, Salzgitter, and Wolfsburg, but, because it was largely undamaged by the war, its downtown is rich in half-timber buildings, many dating several centuries back, and still retain their historical character.

Salzgitter-Bad

Who would have thought of stepping foot into this small town with a population of about 20,000? I only chanced upon it because I alighted at the wrong train station. However, I came to fall in love with this non-touristy town. Located about an hour away from Wolfsburg, Salzgitter-Bad is the 2nd biggest quarter of the German city, Salzgitter, in Lower Saxony (the city that I wanted to visit originally).

To be honest, there isn’t much to do in Salzgitter-Bad, but if you want to experience how laidback Germans can be, this is the place for you. Forget about cinemas, bars, and even huge department stores as you’ll only find small-scale supermarkets and boutique shops here. You can take a stroll in the park, and sometimes, the friendly elderly grandmothers will try initiating a conversation with you.

Hannover

Having lived in Singapore for twenty odd years, I’m a total urbanite, so I’ll always be drawn to big cities. I like to disconnect, relax, and recharge in small towns for a little while, but I don’t think I’ll be able to live there for long. Hannover is the capital and the largest city of Lower Saxony, and it only takes about 30 minutes by IC or ICE train. If you happen to visit Hannover during the Oktoberfest, be sure not to miss this second largest festival of its kind in Germany.

There are many sights, museums, and galleries you can visit in Hannover. What’s more, for ladies visiting from the neighbouring towns, you can shop till you drop in Hannover!

Sometimes, discovering places that are off the beaten track can be very interesting! If you want to avoid touristy spots in Lower Saxony in Germany, or are a student with lots of free time on hand, you might want to consider visiting the quaint little towns that I have recommended. However, if you are pressed for time, you should prolly just stick to the major cities.