Photos of the Classic Car Graveyard at the Neanderthal in Germany
The "Auto-Skulpturen-Park in the Neandertal" (German name) is a classic car graveyard in Germany you can visit legally. So I consider it an urbex tour. I've been there in September 2025. In this blog post you'll see some photos I took during my visit and get a few tips if you plan to visit this classic car graveyard, too.
- Know before you go
- Photos of the classic car graveyard
- Photo tips for this car Graveyard in Germany
- Summary: It's worth visiting the classic car graveyard in Germany
Know before you go
The car graveyard is on a private property. They're open to the public each Sunday between 1pm and 4pm. The entrance fee was 10 EUR for non-photographers and 20 EUR for photographers when I visited, and it's worth each cent. Compared to other urbex tours, it's quite cheap, too.
As the car graveyard opens at 1pm, I recommend combining it with a visit to the Neanderthal museum, which is just a 5-minute walk. The museum opens at 10. So you have more than two hours there. Moreover, you can use the parking lots of the museum, as there is no parking opportunity right next to the car graveyard.
At "Auto-Skulpturen-Park" you'll find about 50 classic cars of well known brands on site that were built between the late 1930s and early 1950s.
Just one tip I want to repeat here, though I've mentioned it in my urbex rules guide. Wear sturdy shoes like hiking shoes there. You'll walk in first and need to climb a few small hills to get good perspectives of the cars.
Lastly, I've used Google Gemini to help me to identify the cars I've photographed there. So if there are any inaccuracies, sound off in the comments, but be specific: a note like "wrong" is not enough.
Photos of the classic car graveyard
The classic cars at the graveyard are not just lined up in a row. They're placed deliberately, and that makes photographing them so rewarding.
The white Jaguar XK120
The first photo shows what's left of a Jaguar XK120 sports car. I don't know exactly when the model in the photo was built, but it's placed on something that looks like an artificial racing track. So I assume that the Jaguar XK120 was also a famous racing car.
Remains of a white Jaguar XK120
In this photo you'll see the first tip for taking photos at the car graveyard: don't be afraid to crop the cars. Usually it's the front that gives a car its iconic look. Moreover, if you crop the frame, make sure to place the subject (the car) diagonally. That makes it much more appealing.
The Oldsmobile 88 and Moskvitch 400-420
The cars at the graveyard are placed in specific groups and ways, like the Oldsmobile 88 and the Moskvitch 400-420. Both look like they had a major accident, especially the Moskvitch in the background.
Two classic cars with major accidents: an Oldsmobile 88 (left) and a Moskvitch 400-420 (right)
Try to find these groups of cars and place them in a single photo instead of just photographing each classic car individually.
The Chevrolet Fleetline
You won't miss that car. Its yellow body makes it visible from everywhere in the graveyard. Its placement on a small hill makes a great photo spot.
A Chevrolet Fleetline at the car graveyard in Germany
Some of the cars are placed on small hills, like the Chevrolet in the photo above. Use that when taking photos. Don't try to straighten it in the frame. Again, using the car as a diagonal line makes a much more appealing picture.
The Chevrolet Styleline
Either you'll find the doors of many cars at the graveyard to be open, or the windows are smashed. The Chevrolet Styleline is one example of such a wreck
Open door and smashed window of a Chevrolet Styleline
Use the open doors or smashed windows to photograph inside the cars. But under no circumstances try to open the doors a little bit more. They'll probably fall off and right onto your toes.
Moreover, urban exploration is about just taking photos and leaving nothing but footprints. It's not about moving things or staging photos. A true urban explorer photographs subjects in lost places as they are.
The Citroen Traction Avant
A quite iconic classic car from France due to its front. Built between the 1930s and 1950s, one of the cars found its last parking spot at the "Auto-Skulpturen-Platz" in the Neanderthal.
Citroen Traction Avant at its final parking position at the classic car graveyard in Germany
This is another example of a photo tip I mentioned previously. Don't be afraid to crop your image even if the car is only visible partially.
A Ford Pickup Truck
This Ford pickup truck is probably one of the most decayed classic cars in the entire graveyard.
A Ford pickup decaying
I rarely photographed the cars from the front. But this one is an exception, as it's already so decayed. The open door and the engine cover that looks like it will slide off to the left any minute makes it a great perspective and photo spot.
The Porsche 356
The Porsche 356 is another sports car. It was produced between the late 1940s and 1960s. If you visit this place, you'll find it right behind the Jaguar XK120 I mentioned at the beginning. It looks like they're on a racing track.
Porsche 356 at the classic car graveyard “Auto-Skulpturen-Park, Neanderthal”
Photo tips for this car graveyard in Germany
The car graveyard is located in a very dense forest. Thus you'll have a little bit less available light. But my iPhone 16 Pro Max was able to handle that perfectly. I took all photos using the ProCamera app, which is one of my recommended camera apps for iPhone. You can read a regularly updated ProCamera Camera App review earlier in my blog.
When it comes to photo accessories, I recommend thinking of a monopod. You can hold this up in the air and get drone-like shots. I've used a simple monopod that I can extend to a total length of 9.8 inches (3 meters). As I use a cage when shooting, I simply can screw the phone in its cage to the monopod and use my Apple Watch as a viewfinder and shutter release.
As for the lenses, you'll be able to capture most photos here using the 1x lens of your iPhone. To capture groups of cars, you may need to switch to the 0.5x ultra-wide-angle lens. There's not much space there to zoom out with your feed.
Summary: It's worth visiting the classic car graveyard in Germany
I've been to several dozen lost places you can visit legally. But this classic car graveyard is impressive.
First, you'll find more than 50 classic vehicles that are great photo spots. Second, the cars look like they've been placed carefully and with intention. This makes the photographing here even more interesting. Lastly, you can combine a visit with the Neanderthal museum. So you have two great things to visit within a single day.
To visit this classic car graveyard, check their Google My Business profile for their exact location and opening hours. At the time of writing, they didn't have a website.
