To most car crazy people on the planet, the Volkswagen gathering in Wörthersee, Austria probably needs no further introduction. People from all over Europe and beyond gather for a full week of cars, babes and beer in the picturesque mountain town.

Lake Wörthersee is the place to be in the month of May. The actual car show itself lasts three days, but most of the attendees meet up the week before in numerous little towns and surrounding areas. Chatting on the roadsides, cruising and showing off their cars are the main activities, though hiking, boating and a little bit of partying are also seen from time to time.

The alpine passes make the area ideal for both cruising and for cars with lots of horsepower to stretch their legs and attract lots of attention. It’s not uncommon to see 600hp hatches burning some rubber on the mountain tarmac, and for unknown cars to become local legends overnight.

There are a few places in town where big groups of people congregate and meet up. The most famous is the Shell station in Velden. It’s the place to see and be seen, and if you haven’t been there, you haven’t been to Wörthersee. For many, Worthersee is the place where cars that have been worked on all winter make their world debut, a place to see what the new heavy hitters in the Volkswagen/Audi Group tuning scene have been up to. It’s also a very relaxed, party-like atmosphere in a beautiful mountain setting. What better way to start the European show season?

  Photos by Tom Van Meersche; Words by Tom Van Meersche & Dave Hoffheins