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Stuttgart Attractions
Many of the most remarkable structures in today's Stuttgart are progressive designs created by such architects as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Walter Gropius, Hans Scharoun, and Le Corbusier. The Liederhalle, Schloss-Strasse, constructed in 1956 of concrete, glass, and glazed brick, contains three auditoriums and is fascinating inside and out.
The town's older section is clustered around Schillerplatz and the statue of the great German poet and dramatist, Schiller. Visible only by group tour, the Neues Schloss, on Schlossplatz, was originally constructed between 1746 and 1807 and rebuilt beginning in 1958. Today, it houses state government rooms. The modern Rathaus faces the old Marktplatz, where vendors in open stalls sell flowers, fruit, and vegetables.
For the best view of Stuttgart, climb to the top of the 510m (1,670-ft.) Birkenkopf, west of the city, on a hill created from the debris of Stuttgart dumped here after World War II. After the 20-minute walk to the top, you'll be rewarded by a view of the city and the surrounding Swabian Hills, covered with vineyards and woods.
Between April and October, every day at 11am, the local tourist office organizes an English-language guided tour through the city's historic core. Beginning on the sidewalk in front of the tourist office (Königstrasse 1A; tel. 0711/22280) and lasting for 90 minutes, it costs 8€. There's no discount for students or most age groups, but children 4 and under can tag along for free.
8 Results
- Historic Site
Altes Schloss and Württembergisches Landesmuseum (Old Castle and Württemberg Regional Museum)
For many visitors, the highlight of one of Stuttgart’s oldest standing structures, a moated castle built in the 13th century and redone in the 16th century in Renaissance style, is the spectacle of two rams locking horns every hour on the hour on the clock face high above the… - Landmark
Fernsehturm
This 217m (712-ft.) tower, capped with a red-and-white transmitter, soars above a forested hillock south of Stuttgart. It was designed and built in 1956 using radically innovative applications of aluminum and prestressed reinforced concrete, and served as a prototype for larger… - Historic Site
Gottlieb Daimler Memorial
Gottlieb Daimler converted the garden house behind his villa just outside Stuttgart into a workshop and it was here that the world’s first internal-combustion engine began spinning in 1883. Daimler and his partner, Wilhelm Maybach, worked in such secrecy that a suspicious gardener,… - Museum
Kunstmuseum Stuttgart (Stuttgart Art Museum)
Yet another standout art collection, designed by Berlin architects Hascher and Jehle, is housed in a filigree glass cube surrounding a rough-hewn limestone inner core. Taking center stage are 19th- and 20th-century works by artists from southern Germany; the paintings, many depicting… - Museum
Mercedes-Benz Museum
All curves and glass, this automotive showcase designed by Dutch superstar architects Ben van Berkel and Caroline Bos is as dynamic as the automobile to which it pays homage. Among the 160 vehicles parked on nine floors are the Daimler Reitwagen from 1885, the world’s first motorized… - Museum
Porsche Museum
Bold, dynamic, eye-catching—and that’s just the architectural statement that houses 80 legendary cars that are the legacy of Ferdinand Porsche. One of Germany’s great automotive pioneers set up a factory in Zuffenhausen, an industrial suburb, in 1931, launching a business that would… - Museum
Staatsgalerie (State Gallery of Stuttgart)
A fine museum that opened as part of the royal art school in 1843 houses works spanning some 550 years. Among many early masterpieces is Hans Memlings’s “Bathsheba at Her Bath” (from around 1440), a brilliant piece of portraiture in which the artist captures beads of moisture on his… - Historic Site
Weissenhofsiedlung (Weissenhof Estate)
Architecture buffs will want to pay a visit to this housing estate built for a building exhibition in 1927. Walking through the estate you see houses created by architects such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (Am Weissenhof 14–29), Le Corbusier (Rathenaustrasse 1–3), and Hans Scharoun…
Stuttgart Shopping
Home to clothing designers Hugo Boss and Ulli Knecht, Stuttgart has its fair share of boutiques that range from interesting to elegant. Klett Passage, across from the train station, is an underground mall full of upscale shops. If you follow the Königstrasse from the station for about 1km (1/2 mile), you'll likely find anything you want in one of the retail stores that line the street. There are somewhat more expensive boutiques along the Calwer Strasse, especially in the gleaming chrome-and-glass arcade, Calwer Passage. Bargains galore can be found at the Saturday morning flea market on the Karlsplatz between the old castle and the new palace, where clothes, books, furniture, household items, art, and just about anything else are likely to turn up.
In business since 1723, Tritschler, Am Marktplatz 7 (tel. 0711/1204574; www.tritschler.com; U-Bahn: Charlottenplatz), stocks glass, porcelain, and fine china, as well as cutlery and decorative housewares. Pavillon, Eberhardstrasse 31-33 (tel. 0711/243134; www.antiquitaeten-pavillon.de; U-Bahn: Rathaus), specializes in silver from the 19th and 20th centuries, and also sells glass, crystal, Meissen porcelain, and a few paintings.
The city's largest bookstore, Wittwer, Königstrasse 30 (tel. 0711/25070; www.wittwer.de; S-Bahn: Hauptbahnhof), carries many books in English and has tables placed throughout the store so that you can comfortably scan potential purchases. For a bit of everything, head to the city's largest department store, Breuninger, Marktstrasse 1-3 (tel. 0711/2110; www.breuninger.de; U-Bahn: Charlottenplatz), where glass elevators whisk you through several floors of housewares, furnishings, and fashion.
Stuttgart Nightlife
The Performing Arts
Stuttgart is so close to Heidelberg (only 40 min. by train) that you may want to consider spending an evening at one the city’s highly regarded cultural events; listings and tickets are available from the tourist office, and the magazine “Lift,” available at newsstands, lists all the happenings around Stuttgart. Staatstheater (State Theater), Oberer Schlossgarten (📞 0711/202090; S-Bahn: Hauptbahnhof), is home to the highly regarded Stuttgart Ballet and the Staatsoper (State Opera). Classical and other concerts are given in the Liederhalle, Schloss-Strasse (📞 0711/2167110; U-Bahn: Liederhalle/Berlinerplatz), home to the Stuttgarter Philharmoniker and the Radio Symphony Orchestra.
The Bar,Cafe & Club Scene
Start your evening with a drink at Amadeus, Charlottenplatz 17 (tel. 0711/292678; www.amadeus-stuttgart.de; U-Bahn: Charlottenplatz), where students and locals gather.
For a trendier locale, and one where you're likely to meet counterculture Stuttgart (complete with purple hair and piercings in unpredictable places), head to Palast der Republik, Friedrichstrasse 27 (tel. 0711/2264887; U-Bahn: Keplerstrasse), a century-old bar that has tended to draw an arts-conscious crowd throughout its long history. DJs play funk and soul. Café Stella, Hauptstätter Strasse 57 (tel. 0711/6402583; www.cafe-stella.de; U-Bahn: Österreichischerplatz), is a see-and-be-seen kind of place that serves drinks and food; it hosts local jazz bands, on a varying schedule, several times a month. Sunday brunch is a particularly stylish venue for the hip and hipster wannabes.
