Wolfsburg’s advantageous position in the Braunschweig-
Salzgitter-Magdeburg industrial triangle, close to the
Mittellandkanal and the planned East/West transport lines of the
Autobahn put this previously little-known town on the map. In
the 1930s, Wolfsburg was planned as a model industrial town to
house the new Volkswagen plant and its workers. Impressive
though it may be, the Volkswagen plant was not the first
noteworthy structure in the area. Wolfsburg Castle, built in
1300, is considered to be one of the best-preserved medieval
keeps in Northern Germany, and remains a symbolic city center,
functioning as an art gallery, museum and historical attraction
to the city that carries its name. Even today, Volkswagen and
Wolfsburg are inseparably linked. Volkswagen’s Autostadt is
responsible for the city’s rebirth and has paved the way for
marvels such as Phaeno Science Center, which along with the
world’s largest car manufacturing plant, draws in millions of
visitors each year.