The Origins of German Cars - Visits to BMW, Porsche, Mercedes Benz, VW Volkswagen factories, museums and showroom exhibits in different parts of Germany

Germany automobile industry has created world wide loyal fans and followers based on decades of their high quality built German cars. During my European road trips in 2013 and 2015, my friends and I visited BMW Welt World Exhibit in Munich, Mercedes Benz and Porsche museums in Stuttgart, and Volkswagen Autostadt visitor attraction exhibit and Auto Museum of Volkswagen in Wolfsburg, I am dedicating this blog article to share my Autobahn road trip experiences of visiting these world famous German car factories, museums and exhibit in different parts of Germany.

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- To learn about why Germany is a must visit country in Europe, visit: Why not Germany? Top Reasons Why you should visit Germany
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BMW WELT/WORLD (BAVARIAN MOTOR WORKS) - MUNICH

During our European road trip in July 2013, my friends and I spent a day at the BMW Welt exhibit complex and the nearby Olympia park. Since we did not make any prior reservation, we explored the exhibit facility and the Olympic park rather than touring the actual factory. While BMW Museum costs about 10 Euro for admission, BMW Welt was free of charge. The exhibit complex is dedicated to showcase the latest and best BMW related products, mainly BMW automobiles, motorcycles, and Mini Cooper.  




Visitors were allowed to experience sitting in the driver's, passenger's and back seats in many of the BMW automobiles on display, including their latest M and Active Hybrid series. Test drives were available for guests who reserve online or in person.




BMW engines were on display for savvy visitors who know what they are looking at.




Visitors were also welcomed to look under the hood to inspect the interiors of BMW car.




BMW Motorcycles were on display on the second floor of the show room building.




I remember seeing their concept electric car on display on the second floor. These electric car series later become available in the rest of the world a few years after my visit in 2013.




Nearby Olympiapark or Olympic Park Munich offers a relaxing environment for family strolls. Olympiaturm or Olympic Tower offers commanding view of the Olympia Park and the nearby BMW Welt Exhibit.

USEFUL INFORMATION

NEARBY REASONABLE HOTELS: 
*Ruby Lilly Hotel
*Hotel Cristal München
*mk hotel münchen city, Munich

ACCESS: 
Munich "Olympiazentrum" station station on U-Bahn U3 line of Munich rapid transit railway system

*BMW Welt

Am Olympiapark 1, 80809 München, Germany
TEL: +49 89 125016001

*Olympiapark
Spiridon-Louis-Ring 21, 80809 München, Germany
TEL: +49 89 30670

PORSCHE MUSEUM/FACTORY - STUTTGART

During our European road trip in July 2013, we stopped by the German city of Stuttgart to visit Porsche Museum, which is located nearby the original Porsche factory in Germany. The area was crowded as the entire factory seemed to be commemorating "50 Years of Porsche 911" Entrance was about 4-8 Euro or $5-$10 USD.




Since this venue was a museum more than a showroom, there was a prototype of one of the original Porsche models at the entrance.




Special guided tours were available for visitors who make prior reservations. A knowledgeable guide in suit will kindly explain about certain car models for the guests.




There were full of classic and modern Porsche automobiles in the museum.




Many of the historic award/race winning race supercars were also on display.




Seeing 50 years of evolving designs of Porsche 911 was an amazing experience. This particular Porsche venue in Stuttgart also offers drive experience for a fee for those who wants to test drive different models, including their Porsche 911.

USEFUL INFORMATION
NEARBY REASONABLE HOTELS:
*A&O Stuttgart City, Stuttgart
*Novum Hotel Rieker Stuttgart Hauptbahnhof
*IntercityHotel Stuttgart, Stuttgart

ACCESS: Stuttgart "Neuwirtshaus/Porscheplatz" station on the S-Bahn train S6 line of Stuttgart rapid transit railway system

*Porsche Museum, Stuttgart
Porscheplatz 1, 70435 Stuttgart, Germany
TEL: +49 711 91120911

MERCEDES BENZ MUSEUM - STUTTGART

After visiting Porsche factory/museum we stopped by Mercedes Benz Museum nearby in the same city of Stuttgart to continue our quest to visit other world famous German car display venues. Mercedes Benz museum is essentially a modern concrete building that showcases recent historical events as well as the evolution of modern automobile industry with the focus on Mercedes Benz. Entrance was about 5-10 Euro or about $6-$12 USD.




Looking up the circular building there was a huge Mercedes Benz emblem. I believe the three points in the emblem symbolizes automaker's ambition to dominate world's air, sea and land modes of transportation engines.





Near closing time, the museum staff was nice enough to let us in free of charge. We took the elevator to the top floor of the building and stroll down as we were traveling in time from the past to the present and to the future. Pictures and historical artifacts were on display along the side of the spiral path.




In the middle of the building were the showroom of the evolving classic Mercedes Benz automobiles. 





Across the street was the circular track of the testing ground of their new Mercedes models.




Some of the more advanced models Mercedes was showcasing were their electric Zero Emission cars.




Lower floors of the Mercedes Benz museum was dedicated to their most advanced designs of the automobile.

USEFUL INFORMATION
NEARBY REASONABLE HOTELS:
*Novum Hotel Rega Stuttgart
*Hotel am Wilhelmsplatz, Stuttgart
*TOP VCH hotel Wartburg

ACCESS: 
Stuttgart "Neckarpark" station on S-Bahn train S1 line of Stuttgart rapid transit railway system

*Mercedes-Benz Museum
Mercedesstraße 100, 70372 Stuttgart, Germany
TEL: +49 711 1730000

VOLKSWAGEN VW - WOLFSBURG

During our European road trip in August 2015, we stopped by the German city of Wolfsburg near Hanover on our way from Dusseldorf to Berlin. The main attraction for our stopover was the Volkswagen automobile empire that is situated in this otherwise non-touristy town. We first arrived at the Auto Museum of Volkswagen. There were tons of classic Volkswagen automobiles on display in this one-story building. Entrance was about 6 euro or $7 USD.




Many exotic looking Volkswagen Beetles were on display at the museum.




Classic Volkswagen Van/Bus were also the main theme of the museum.




My buddy later found that there was another major Volkswagen venue in town called Volkswagen Autostadt. We drove over and found out it was an enormous area of tourist attraction venue over the span of a large area of land. Each of us paid about 15-20 Euro or $18 to $24 USD for entrance. What was included in the ticket price was about 10 Euro of cash credit for dinner at the facility restaurant.




Different pavilions in this Volkswagen theme park were showcasing their proud automobile production.




Robotic arm in display demonstrate how cars are made and the real interior of the car between the metal sheets.




Staff who stood next to the newly designed models were eager to explain about their latest design and technology.




The famous Volkswagen Car Tower required prior reservation; Tickets for the Car Tower experience were sold out on the day our visit. I recommend potential visitors make reservations online a couple of weeks before arrival.





Autostadt venue felt like a water theme park when the fountains were shooting water into the Sky during the warm summer months. For families who are traveling with young kids, Volkswagen Autostadt satisfies both car loving parents and fun loving kids.

USEFUL INFOMRATION

NEARBY REASONABLE HOTELS:
*TRYP Wolfsburg Hotel
*Centro Hotel Goya
*Hotel Global Inn

*AutoMuseum Volkswagen

Dieselstraße 35, 38446 Wolfsburg, Germany
TEL: +49 5361 52071
ACCESS: 
nearby Wolfsburg Central Station 

*Volkswagen Autostadt
Stadtbrücke, 38440 Wolfsburg, Germany
TEL: +49 800 288678238

ACCESS: 
nearby Wolfsburg Central Station

***Special Thanks to RICHIRICH, my travel buddy, for providing some of the nice photographs