The Mercedes Museum
If you live, breathe and sweat motorsports to the exclusion of everything else, then the best way to experience the Mercedes Museum is to rapidly sprint through the first 6 floors and spend all your time on the Silver Arrows Racing History display. Depending on your interest, a pit-stop to admire the 300SL Gullwings may be appropriate.
Because the racing display is a huge tarmac-like curve decorated with the best of the best in Mercedes Racing History. Covering everything from the three generations of Silver Arrows to their more esoteric truck racing series, the collection is expansive. Extensive audio commentary explaining the car’s technological and historical importance accompanies almost every car in the 30-strong collection.
While the Silver Arrows display showcases solid German engineering, I think the best engineered part of the museum is the building itself. Spiraling through 8 different floors, it seems like exploring the museum would be a proper work out. However, the museum actually starts at the top floor. That way instead of fighting uphill, visitors just stroll down a gentle downward slope, enjoying the displays on the way.
Between the racing floor and the architecture, you’ll easily get your 10€ worth, but if you really want to get the most out of it, the other 6 floors are worth your time. In contrast to the tech focused 2nd floor, these displays weave Mercedes into each decade’s cultural timeline, appropriately reflecting the culture of a company that prides itself on being an icon of prestige, status and luxury. In addition to the historical displays, the museum also displays historical truck and cars on a parallel track, even featuring the 230G popemobile.
This cultural and historical emphasis also ensure that any friends and family not bitten by the mechanical bug will enjoy the museum just as well as you will.
