It was very easy to like the annual GTI Meet at Wörthsee. It had been running since the early ‘80s, and its growth was entirely organic. Initially it was just a few people meeting up by a lake to enjoy their shared appreciation of the newfangled Golf GTI (something that everyone reading this can certainly relate to). Four decades later, it was one of the most well-attended car enthusiast events anywhere in the world, attracting up to 200,000 visitors at its peak. Then the pandemic hit. Then in its wake, the local government (likely encouraged by local residents) decided that an enormous automotive event could not be reconciled with its environmental targets. So it spiked the whole enterprise last year.
Unsurprisingly, VW stepped up to fill the void almost immediately and said it would happily host the gathering in Wolfsburg, its spiritual (and physical) home city. And what it lacks in picturesque views of a lake, Wolfsburg makes up for with facilities - not least the space in and around the Volkswagen Arena stadium, which is a stone’s throw from both VW’s sprawling factory and its (very impressive) Autostadt museum. In other words, it’s worth a visit on a normal weekend in July - but doubly so when VW has put its giant shoulder into making it live up to the price of a ticket.
These have just gone on sale, with a one-day pass costing €19.76 (or around £17), although you’ll almost certainly want the one that includes parking, which is €35 (around £30) or €85 (around £72) for the whole weekend. Alternatively, if you’re a super-fan looking to make the most of the experience, a three-day VIP ticket is €119.76 (around £102) and there’s even a limited ‘Ehra Experience’ (for €221) that will bus you to VW’s giant test track for what’s described as a ‘150-minute driving experience in a series of performance Volkswagen models’. Which sounds appealing, albeit expensive.
Factor in the idea that this year marks the 50th anniversary of the Golf and the theme is said to be ‘Icons Coming Home’, and it feels like a can’t-miss occasion. Especially as a) it takes place on July 26th to 28th and therefore doesn’t clash with the PH Annual Service the following month and b) admission is free for under-18s. So while the eight-hour drive from Calais is likely to test the patience of anyone assigned to the back seat for the duration, it has all the hallmarks of a memorable weekend. Assuming you own a Volkswagen, obviously.
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