Stuttgart Travel Guide

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City Introduction

Stuttgart is the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and the city has a great location between soft hills, vineyards and hot springs. There are a lot of sights here, as well as recreational facilities. It is never far to lovely nature in the city center and in the immediate vicinity.

As a residential city, Stuttgart has its share of impressive and elegant castles and residences, from the old Alte Schloß to the elegant Neue Schloß from the Baroque era. You can also walk the vast historic castle gardens extending from the city center, and arrive at king Wilhelm I’s Moorish-inspired buildings in the oasis of Wilhelma.

As a big city, there are many museums, churches and other institutional buildings in Stuttgart from the times as a royal city to present day modern state capital. The main street Königstraße is also a must for a stroll, and you find some of the city’s famous sights along the street. You can also enjoy yourself year round in the warm thermal water springs, which is accessible at several spas and public pools around the Neckar river.

Stuttgart is also one of the technological strongholds in Germany and Europe. Names like Bosch, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche all come from here, and a visit to the two carmaker’s museums is something for anyone who wants to be impressed. Different technologies can be enjoyed at the city tram museum, which has a lot of equipment in the large exhibition hall.

Top Attractions

Neue Schloss Palace Square, Stuttgart

Palace Square/Schloßplatz

Schloßplatz is the large, central square in Stuttgart, and the city’s main pedestrian street, Königstraße, crosses the square’s northwest. There are many sights on and around the square such as the Neue Schloß and the Kunstgebäude.

 

The New Palace/Neue Schloß

Duke Carl Eugen commissioned the New Palace as a lavish Baroque complex inspired by French Versailles. The foundation stone was laid in 1746, and the elegant castle was completed in 1807. Today, the castle is accessible on tours.

 

Königstrasse, Stuttgart

King’s Street/Königstraße

This street is Stuttgart’s long pedestrian street. It extends from the main train station in the northwest through the entire city center to the southwest, and there are several things to see along the way. Here lies i.e. Kunstmuseum Stuttgart and the building Königsbau.

 

State Gallery/Staatsgalerie

Staatsgalerie is an art museum that has grown considerably since its opening in 1843, and today it is considered one of Germany’s foremost of its kind. You can see a large collection of paintings from the 14th century to the 19th century, and in the side building called Neue Staatsgalerie there is modern art by i.a. Picasso and Joan Miró.

 

Alte Schloss, Stuttgart

The Old Palace/Alte Schloß

The history of the Alte Schloß dates back to the first constructions around the year 950. Today, the Landesmuseum Württemberg is located in large parts of the Alte Schloß, where you can see the courtyard Arkadenhof from the mid-16th century as well.

 

Mercedes Benz Museum, Stuttgart

Mercedes-Benz Museum

Almost no matter if you are interested in cars or not, the Mercedes-Benz Museum is worth a visit. It is an impressive museum experience, where the history of the world-famous car brand is told in the best way, and you can of course see many fantastic cars.

Other Attractions

State Theater, Stuttgart

Stuttgart State Theater/Staatstheater Stuttgart

This theater is the Stuttgart Opera House. It was built 1909-1912 as the Royal Court Theater with two buildings, named The Large House/Großes Haus and The Small House/Kleines Haus. The opera house has been preserved, while the playhouse is a new building from 1959-1962.

 

Killesberg High Park/Höhenpark Killesberg

In the district of Killesberg is the Höhenpark Killesberg, which is a nice, recreational area close to the city center. The park was laid out in 1939 for the garden exhibition Reichsgartenschau, and you can i.a. see art, lakes, fountains and the Killesbergbahn mini railway.

 

Television Tower, Stuttgart

Stuttgart Television Tower/Fernsehturm Stuttgart

Fernsehturm is a transmission og viewing tower on the Bopser mountain in the outskirts of Stuttgart. The tower is 216 meters/709 feet itself and built at a level of 485 meters/1,591 feet above sea level, and there is a cafe and two observation decks here.

 

King’s Building/Königsbau

Königsbau was built 1856-1860 in classicism. The Königsbau colonnade is 135 meters/443 feet long with 34 columns, and today the Königsbau Passagen shopping center is located behind the columns.

 

Johanniskirche, Stuttgart

St John’s Church/Johanneskirche

St. John’s Church was built in 1864-1876 in a neo-Gothic style. Construction was initiated due to lack of capacity for the city’s Protestant congregation. The church was built with 1,300 seats in a very beautiful place in front of the small lake Feuersee.

 

The Rack Railway/Zahnradbahn

Stuttgart’s rack railway is commonly called Zacke, and it connects the district of Heslach and the higher-lying Degerloch. The track was opened in 1884, and on its 2.2 km/1.4 mile long track it climbs 205 meters/672 feet with the highest gradient of 17.5%.

 

Wilhelma, Stuttgart

Wilhelma

Wilhelma is a combined zoo and botanical garden, which is a great place for a walk. Historically, Wilhelma started as a small castle, and today it is one of Stuttgart’s many green oases, where you can experience interesting plants, beautiful gardens and much more.

 

Middle Garden/Mittlerer Schloßgarten

The Mittlerer Schloßgarten is the middle of the three parts of the Castle Gardens, Schloßgarten, extending from the city center to the River Neckar. In this part of the garden you can e.g. visit the city’s planetarium and see the ruin of the Neue Lusthaus building from the late Renaissance.

 

Cannstatt Mineral Baths, Stuttgart

Cannstatt Mineral Baths/Mineralbad Cannstatt

Mineralbad Cannstatt is one of Stuttgart’s thermal baths that uses the city’s abundant hot mineral water resources. There are several pools here; both indoors and outdoors.

 

Bismarck Tower/Bismarckturm

The Bismarck Tower is a tower built on the highest point in northern Stuttgart, Gähkopf, which reaches a height of 409 meters/1,342 feet. The tower is 20 meters/65 feet high and it opened in 1904. You can walk up to the top of the tower and from here there is a great panoramic view.

Shopping

Breuninger

Marktstraße 1-3
breuninger.com

 

Galeria Kaufhof

Königstraße 6, Eberhardstraße 28, Badstraße 8-12
galeria-kaufhof.de

 

Karstadt

Königstraße 27-29
karstadt.de

 

Königsbau Passagen

Königstraße 26
koenigsbaupassagen.de

 

Shopping streets

Königstraße, Schulstraße, Eberhardstraße, Calwer Straße

With Kids

Flight Museum

Albatros Flugmuseum
Stuttgarter Airport
albatros-flugmuseum.de

 

Technology

Technik Museum Sinsheim
Museumsplatz, Sinsheim
sinsheim.technik-museum.de

 

Miniature railway

Killesbergbahn
Höhenpark Killesberg
killesberg-kleinbahn.de

 

Car Museum

Mercedes-Benz Museum
Mercedes Straße 100
museum-mercedes-benz.com

 

Thermal bath

Mineralbad Leuze
In Leuzebad 2
stuttgart.de/baeder

 

Trams

Straßenbahnwelt
Veielbrunnenweg 3
strassenbahnwelt.com

 

Fire trucks

Stuttgarter Feuerwehr Museum
Murgtalstraße 60
stuttgarter-feuerwehrmuseum.de

Practical Links

Stuttgart tourism

stuttgart-tourist.de

 

Germany Tourism

germany.travel

 

Stuttgart city transport

vvs.de
imhd.sk

 

German Railways

db.de

 

Stuttgart Airport

flughafen-stuttgart.de

City History

Stuttgart’s Prehistory

Prior to present-day Stuttgart, the Romans established a fort on the banks of the River Neckar around the year 90 AD. It happened to protect the trade routes that ran together here and the fort was in the present Cannstatt. Around the fort, a village grew, and the Roman presence lasted until the twentieth century, when the Germanic Alemanner tribe began to penetrate. In 260 the Romans were forced back, with time to the opposite sides of the rivers Danube and the Rhine.

From the following centuries not much documentation or effects were found, but it is believed that the attractive location was inhabited throughout the period up to about the year 700, when a monastery was established here. Tombs from the period indicate that the population became Christian in the early 500s.

 

The city is founded and developed

Stuttgart itself is believed to be founded as a stud farm, from which the name Stuttgart was later developed. It happened in the period 926-948, but there is some uncertainty. Often, Duke Liudolf von Schwaben is credited as a founder, and that may be some years later. The location in the valley between the mountains was good for a stud farm to feed the cavalry with horses. It was on the site of today’s downtown.

Settlements near the stud grew and Field Count Hermann V formally changed the village’s status to actual town in 1219. In 1251, Stuttgart was granted dowry for Hermann V’s daughter, Mechthild, to Count Württemberg’s founder, Count Ulrich I.

In 1292 Count Eberhard I of Württemberg established a castle in Stuttgart, and from 1317 he expanded the city’s defenses and the castle so that it could become the county’s residence in the Württemberg territorial state. In the 1320s, significant ecclesiastical powers were established in Stuttgart, and thus the city had gained importance and status, replacing other buildings in the area such as Cannstatt and Esslingen.

Throughout the 1300-1400s, the city was expanded several times with new neighborhoods. This included, among others, Count Ulrich V’s Obere Vorstadt, where a central Dominican monastery was established; this is the area where Hospital Church today stands.

 

New Political Governance

With the Nürtingen Treaty of 1442, Württemberg was divided between the brothers and Countess Ludwig I and Ulrich V. Ulrich I gained the northeastern part of Stuttgart, and the city was thus a transition for only part of the region.

In 1457 the representation Württembergische Landstände was established. It served as the Württemberg Parliament, the Land Day, and except in the Napoleonic years, this institution was in operation until 1918.

Count Eberhard V was abolished in 1495 to Duke. He was now Eberhard I, Duke of Württemberg, and thereby Stuttgart was the Duke’s residence.

 

Duke Ulrich and the 16th century

The beginning of the 16th century offered many international efforts by Duke Ulrich, who at home in Württemberg had to suffer the torture of being considered extravagant and of having created a large debt. The so-called Armer Konrad in 1514 was a peasant revolt against the feudal duke. It arose as a result of increased taxes in 1513 and the introduction of smaller units of weight that gave rise to prices. Duke Ulrich turned down the rebellion with the help of the nobility, who was granted concessions against financial aid.

In 1511, Count Ulrich had married the Duke of Bavaria’s daughter, Sabina, who was also the Habsburg emperor Maximilian’s niece. The marriage was unhappy, and in 1515 Sabina fled, obtaining the support and support of the emperor, who put Ulrich in distress. After the death of the emperor, the Schwäbischer Bund state union intervened and displaced Duke Ulrich. On the same occasion, the union sold Württemberg to Emperor Karl V.

The following decades saw the Reformation, which the exiled Duke Ulrich called himself a supporter of 1523. From his exile he again sought to become Duke of Stuttgart, and with the German Peasant War 1524-1526 he seized the opportunity and invaded the city in 1525. Few weeks later, however, he was forced back into exile from which he returned the next time in 1534.

The Schwäbischer Bund had been disbanded and the Habsburg troops were weak. With the support of French King François I, Duke Ulrich was able to re-invade Stuttgart in May 1534, and a treaty was negotiated in place that formally reinstated him as Duke. The treaty maintained Austrian supremacy over Württemberg. Duke Ulrich completed the Reformation upon his return.

Under Fort Christoph, new fortifications were erected around the city, and they now included the suburbs. During the same period, the old residence castle was rebuilt into a Renaissance castle in roughly the style seen today.

 

The decline and growth

of the 1600s-1700s Since the end of the 16th century, several new plants were established in Stuttgart, which was hit by the plague in 1637. The population was halved to about 5,000 inhabitants, of which only 10% were men. However, that did not stop development during the latter part of the century, when a high school and the city’s first bookstore were founded.

In 1718, Stuttgart lost its status as a residence city when Duke Eberhard Ludwig relocated to Ludwigsburg north of Stuttgart. However, it regained the city with the then Duke, Karl Alexander, who used Stuttgart as the primary residence.

With Duke Carl Eugen declared in authority in 1744, this position was emphasized. In 1746 he laid the foundation stone for the city’s new castle, Neue Schloß, whose inspiration was to be found in Versailles.

Despite Stuttgart’s status as its capital and city of residence, it remained a modest size by the end of the 18th century. Excluding the staff of the court and the military, about 20,000 people lived here.

 

The Kingdom of Württemberg

During the Napoleonic era, the Rhine federation was formed in 1806. It consisted of a number of German states that had left the German-Roman Empire. The alliance was formed with pressure from Napoleon, and in it Württemberg was upgraded from a duchy to a kingdom, thus increasing Stuttgart’s reputation. The Vienna Congress after the Napoleonic Wars upheld the status of the state, and the kingdom remained in Württemberg until the dissolution of the German monarchs in 1918.

The beginning of the 19th century meant growth for Stuttgart, where many new buildings were established; eg Königsbau, Wilhelmpalais and Staatsgalerie. The construction and the institutions that were established gave the city new attractiveness. In 1841, King Wilhelm had a 25-year anniversary, and the celebration drew 200,000 spectators.

In 1845, the first train departed from the city. It was on the track between Cannstatt and Untertürkheim, and the following year brought the opening of Württemberg’s first railway tunnel, the Rosensteintunnel, to bring the trains all the way to Stuttgart’s first main railway station in the center of the city.

An international meeting was held in the city from 24-29. September 1857. Here the French Emperor Napoleon III met with Russia’s czar Alexander.

In 1871, the Kingdom of Württemberg entered the new German state of unity in line with other German states. At this time, there were 91,000 inhabitants in Stuttgart; a figure that doubled 30 years later.

The last decades of the 19th century were also where one of Stuttgart’s most famous products was founded today. Gottlieb Daimler established the Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft in 1887; the company is today a manufacturer of Mercedes-Benz cars.

1918 was the end of the Kingdom of Württemberg. As a result of the German November revolution that started in Kiel, Emperor Wilhelm II abdicated, and with the introduction of the Weimar Republic, the country’s many monarchies were over.

 

The interwar period to today

Stuttgart industries grew steadily throughout the early 1900s and in the Weimar Republic. Not least, the industry was further developed during the Nazi era, when Stuttgart received an honorary title that went to selected cities. Stuttgart became the city of expatriate Germans / Stadt der Auslandsdeutschen in 1936.

During World War II, Stuttgart was attacked from the air 53 times, and the majority of both buildings and industrial plants were destroyed; among others during the firestorm following the most powerful attack, which took place on September 12, 1944.

In 1946, Stuttgart became the capital of the state of Württemberg-Baden, becoming part of the Federal Republic of Germany. Together with Bonn, Kassel and Frankfurt am Main, Stuttgart was considered as a possible candidate to become the country’s capital, but that status accrued to Bonn. In 1952, Württemberg-Baden was merged with the states of Baden and Württemberg-Hohenzollern, and together they formed the state of Baden-Württemberg.

The reconstruction of the city was chosen to be a mixture of the historic buildings of the past centuries and a modern metropolis of the 20th century. Thus, several buildings were demolished to make room for wider streets and, on the whole, a school of thought to meet the needs of the times.

After a sharp decline in population during World War II, people moved to Stuttgart in a grand style from the late 1940s. After having built 266,000 in 1945, 640,000 lived in 1962. Among the successes were the German Wirtschaftswunder and the city’s big companies with Mercedes-Benz, Porsche and Bosch as examples. The world’s first concrete television tower with viewing platforms was built here, and it remains a symbol of engineering.

The city also received many prominent visits over the years. In 1962, Charles de Gaulle of France visited and three years later the English Queen Elisabeth II. In 1989, Mikhail Gorbachev came to town.

Major exhibitions and events have also been conducted; in 1993, when the big garden exhibition, the International Gartenschau, and the European Championships in athletics were held here. Stuttgart is today South Germany’s second largest city and a popular tourist destination.

Geolocation

In short

Overview of Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and the city has a great location between soft hills, vineyards and hot springs. There are a lot of sights here, as well as recreational facilities. It is never far to lovely nature in the city center and in the immediate vicinity.

 

As a residential city, Stuttgart has its share of impressive and elegant castles and residences, from the old Alte Schloß to the elegant Neue Schloß from the Baroque era. You can also walk the vast historic castle gardens extending from the city center, and arrive at king Wilhelm I’s Moorish-inspired buildings in the oasis of Wilhelma.

 

About the upcoming Stuttgart travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Stuttgart travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the German city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Stuttgart is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Stuttgart and Germany

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Stuttgart you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Königstraße • Wilhelma • Lovely Gardens • Hot Springs • Mercedes Benz

Overview of Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the German state of Baden-Württemberg, and the city has a great location between soft hills, vineyards and hot springs. There are a lot of sights here, as well as recreational facilities. It is never far to lovely nature in the city center and in the immediate vicinity.

 

As a residential city, Stuttgart has its share of impressive and elegant castles and residences, from the old Alte Schloß to the elegant Neue Schloß from the Baroque era. You can also walk the vast historic castle gardens extending from the city center, and arrive at king Wilhelm I’s Moorish-inspired buildings in the oasis of Wilhelma.

 

About the upcoming Stuttgart travel guide

  • Contents: Tours in the city + tours in the surrounding area
  • Published: Released soon
  • Author: Stig Albeck
  • Publisher: Vamados.com
  • Language: English

 

About the travel guide

The Stuttgart travel guide gives you an overview of the sights and activities of the German city. Read about top sights and other sights, and get a tour guide with tour suggestions and detailed descriptions of all the city’s most important churches, monuments, mansions, museums, etc.

 

Stuttgart is waiting for you, and at vamados.com you can also find cheap flights and great deals on hotels for your trip. You just select your travel dates and then you get flight and accommodation suggestions in and around the city.

 

Read more about Stuttgart and Germany

 

Buy the travel guide

Click the “Add to Cart” button to purchase the travel guide. After that you will come to the payment, where you enter the purchase and payment information. Upon payment of the travel guide, you will immediately receive a receipt with a link to download your purchase. You can download the travel guide immediately or use the download link in the email later.

 

Use the travel guide

When you buy the travel guide to Stuttgart you get the book online so you can have it on your phone, tablet or computer – and of course you can choose to print it. Use the maps and tour suggestions and you will have a good and content-rich journey.

Other Attractions

State Theater, Stuttgart

Stuttgart State Theater/Staatstheater Stuttgart

This theater is the Stuttgart Opera House. It was built 1909-1912 as the Royal Court Theater with two buildings, named The Large House/Großes Haus and The Small House/Kleines Haus. The opera house has been preserved, while the playhouse is a new building from 1959-1962.

 

Killesberg High Park/Höhenpark Killesberg

In the district of Killesberg is the Höhenpark Killesberg, which is a nice, recreational area close to the city center. The park was laid out in 1939 for the garden exhibition Reichsgartenschau, and you can i.a. see art, lakes, fountains and the Killesbergbahn mini railway.

 

Television Tower, Stuttgart

Stuttgart Television Tower/Fernsehturm Stuttgart

Fernsehturm is a transmission og viewing tower on the Bopser mountain in the outskirts of Stuttgart. The tower is 216 meters/709 feet itself and built at a level of 485 meters/1,591 feet above sea level, and there is a cafe and two observation decks here.

 

King’s Building/Königsbau

Königsbau was built 1856-1860 in classicism. The Königsbau colonnade is 135 meters/443 feet long with 34 columns, and today the Königsbau Passagen shopping center is located behind the columns.

 

Johanniskirche, Stuttgart

St John’s Church/Johanneskirche

St. John’s Church was built in 1864-1876 in a neo-Gothic style. Construction was initiated due to lack of capacity for the city’s Protestant congregation. The church was built with 1,300 seats in a very beautiful place in front of the small lake Feuersee.

 

The Rack Railway/Zahnradbahn

Stuttgart’s rack railway is commonly called Zacke, and it connects the district of Heslach and the higher-lying Degerloch. The track was opened in 1884, and on its 2.2 km/1.4 mile long track it climbs 205 meters/672 feet with the highest gradient of 17.5%.

 

Wilhelma, Stuttgart

Wilhelma

Wilhelma is a combined zoo and botanical garden, which is a great place for a walk. Historically, Wilhelma started as a small castle, and today it is one of Stuttgart’s many green oases, where you can experience interesting plants, beautiful gardens and much more.

 

Middle Garden/Mittlerer Schloßgarten

The Mittlerer Schloßgarten is the middle of the three parts of the Castle Gardens, Schloßgarten, extending from the city center to the River Neckar. In this part of the garden you can e.g. visit the city’s planetarium and see the ruin of the Neue Lusthaus building from the late Renaissance.

 

Cannstatt Mineral Baths, Stuttgart

Cannstatt Mineral Baths/Mineralbad Cannstatt

Mineralbad Cannstatt is one of Stuttgart’s thermal baths that uses the city’s abundant hot mineral water resources. There are several pools here; both indoors and outdoors.

 

Bismarck Tower/Bismarckturm

The Bismarck Tower is a tower built on the highest point in northern Stuttgart, Gähkopf, which reaches a height of 409 meters/1,342 feet. The tower is 20 meters/65 feet high and it opened in 1904. You can walk up to the top of the tower and from here there is a great panoramic view.

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