Stuttgart
Discover Stuttgart
Stuttgart is known as a centre of mechanical and automobile engineering with the headquarters of the world-famous Bosch, Mercedes and Porsche within its metropolitan area. It does not, however, resemble most other industry hubs, as it is a rather sparse city spread over many hills and valleys, with forests, parks, mineral springs and even vineyards within the city. Stuttgart is the capital of the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. With a population of approximately 632,000 in the immediate city (2017) and more than 5.2 million people in the metropolitan area (2013), Stuttgart is the 6th largest city in Germany. Stuttgart forms the centre of Region Stuttgart, a densely populated and idustrialised area that is closely interwoven and shares the same public transport system consisting of 179 cities and municipalities with a rich history to discover.
What to Experience in Stuttgart
Taste of Stuttgart...
There are restaurants all over Stuttgart. The traditional Swabian cuisine with onion-topped roast pork, think noodles called "Spätzle" or Maultaschen (stuffed noodles) is very tasty. Of course there are also restaurants serving styles from many other parts of the world. Stuttgart publishes a book annually entitled Stuttgart geht aus (Stuttgart goes out). This is available at most book stores on Königstraße (e.g. Wittwer). This book, published in German, is a great guide to restaurants in the city. Food courts with various types of (fast) food can be found in the malls Milaneo, Gerber and Königsbaupassagen. In the morning, locals definitely want to get some fresh bread (and brezels and broetchen [bread rolls/buns]) from the baker's shop and serve them with butter, cheese, ham, honey, jam and eggs from the fridge. Many locals and visitors will enjoy breakfast at the bakery itself, in the "Stehcafe" - literally, "standing cafe". These are usually a corner of the shop with tall tables which you stand at rather than sit at. Orange juice together with coffee or tea or hot chocolate will fit nicely. The breakfast in hotels will also look more or less that way. You can also order this breakfast setup in some or the other cafe or pub, but you'd have to know the good places at first, if you don't want to end up with a poor dish. There are 3 Starbucks coffee shops along Königstraße (a 4th in the high-end district on Calwer Straße).
Culture & Religion
Culture
From Stuttgart you can arrange many nice day trips: The main shopping street in Stuttgart is the Königstraße which starts at the main railway station. Left and right of Königstraße are interesting shops, too, but Königstraße is a good startpoint for navigation in the inner city. Stores and shops usually open their doors M-Sa 10:00 to 20:00. 48.8017259.2204287 Cannstatter Carré, Wildungerstraße 2 (S-Bahn to Bad Cannstatt). Shopping mall (updated Sep 2021) 48.7305689.1085488 SchwabenGalerie, Schwabenplatz 7 (S-Bahn to Vaihingen or U1 to Vaihingen Schillerplatz). Shopping mall in Vaihingen (updated Sep 2021) There are weekly food markets in almost every district. Days and opening times vary a lot. To get an overview on the website of Stuttgarter Wochenmärkte There are restaurants all over Stuttgart. The traditional Swabian cuisine with onion-topped roast pork, think noodles called "Spätzle" or Maultaschen (stuffed noodles) is very tasty.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple Options48.69059.19261 Stuttgart Airport (STR ), ☏ +49 711 948-0. The 6th busiest airport in Germany, reflecting the city's size and importance. It is on the southern outskirts of the city and connected via local rail (S-Bahn) and will eventually be connected to mainline high-speed railway. The airport is a base for Lufthansa's low-fare subsidiary Eurowings. Moreover, most major European carriers have connections to Stuttgart from their main hubs, so there is a wide choice of direct flights to other German and European cities, and even if there is no direct flight from your origin, you will easily find a connection through any of the hubs. Stuttgart has a direct connection to Atlanta. Moreover, Stuttgart's main railway station (Hauptbahnhof) is just an hour away by high-speed train (ICE) from Frankfurt Airport, which is one of Europe's major aviation hubs....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Stuttgart has a very compact city centre with most destinations within walking distance. Nearly all visitors arrive at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). From there the remarkable 1.2-km-long pedestrian shopping street called “Königstraße” leads through the heart of the city, passing the Schlossplatz with the amazing New Palace, to the Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte). Other main sights (e.g. museums, opera) are just around the corner. Stuttgart's public transportation system comprises two light rail system - the Stadtbahn (or U-Bahn) and Schnellbahn (S-Bahn), as well as a city bus system. It is managed by VVS and is fully integrated in that there is one fare and ticketing system for all forms of transit, so that a single ticket can be used on any mixture of buses and trains that may be required to complete the journey. The VVS's network called is divided in zones. The city of Stuttgart is only Zone 1.
Where to Stay
To stay in the city centre (Mitte) around the Königstraße is probably the nicest, but also most expensive option. Still in walking distance are the beautiful districts of West and Süd. Other accommodations further out in the districts Nord, Cannstatt, Feuerbach or Vaihingen are perfectly reachable by public transport. If you intend to arrive by car check at the hotel for parking possibilities. If you have an early morning flight, it is possible to spend the night in the airport, as check-in areas stay open at night. The main telecommunications provider in Germany is Deutsche Telekom which trades under the names of T-Home (for landline phones), T-Online (for Internet connections) and T-Mobile for mobile communications. Anything relating to these companies are easily identified by the bright pink "T" logo. There are often shops in German towns called "T-Punkt" (Literally T-Point) where you can buy cell phones and get other information. Stuttgart is quite safe.
Money & Budget
The main shopping street in Stuttgart is the Königstraße which starts at the main railway station. Left and right of Königstraße are interesting shops, too, but Königstraße is a good startpoint for navigation in the inner city. Stores and shops usually open their doors M-Sa 10:00 to 20:00. 48.8017259.2204287 Cannstatter Carré, Wildungerstraße 2 (S-Bahn to Bad Cannstatt). Shopping mall (updated Sep 2021) 48.7305689.1085488 SchwabenGalerie, Schwabenplatz 7 (S-Bahn to Vaihingen or U1 to Vaihingen Schillerplatz). Shopping mall in Vaihingen (updated Sep 2021) There are weekly food markets in almost every district. Days and opening times vary a lot. To get an overview on the website of Stuttgarter Wochenmärkte There are restaurants all over Stuttgart.
Language & Talk
If you do speak German well, beware that some people still speak the local Schwäbisch dialect natively, which may somewhat affect their standard German. They love to practise other languages (especially English) and will try to help you. 48.69059.19261 Stuttgart Airport (STR ), ☏ +49 711 948-0. The 6th busiest airport in Germany, reflecting the city's size and importance. It is on the southern outskirts of the city and connected via local rail (S-Bahn) and will eventually be connected to mainline high-speed railway. The airport is a base for Lufthansa's low-fare subsidiary Eurowings.
Safety Information
Safety Overview
Stuttgart is quite safe. Even at night one may walk alone through the city without fear. One rare exception is the central city park, which should be avoided during late night hours. The biggest danger for a pedestrian in Stuttgart is probably the cars (or the bicycles in the parks). As the city centre is at the bottom of a relatively deep valley and the traffic situation is far from satisfactory, Stuttgart has an endemic smog problem that gets worse when the weather "traps" the air in the valley. While there are attempts to combat the air pollution, for example by issuing discounted or free public transit tickets on smog days, the problem is likely to persist for some time. Pretty much the whole state of Baden-Württemberg is a risk zone for ticks. Some of them spread encephalitis or borreliosis. So keep your feet covered or use repellant in forest areas. For connections and timetables see webpages of Deutsche Bahn AG.
Nearby Destinations
Glimpses of Stuttgart
white and red cross on green grass field during daytime
A couple of people that are walking down a path
Old Palace, Beautiful, Summer day, Europe, Germany
Stuttgart in Autumn
white concrete building during night time
Stuttgart Feuersee
A Giant Volksbank Building In The Middle Of Stuttgart!
Modern Multi-Level Library Interior with Bookshelves in Stuttgart, Germany
brown concrete building during nighttime
Vintage architecture buildings in West district of Stuttgart
white and red cross on green grass field during daytime
A couple of people that are walking down a path
Old Palace, Beautiful, Summer day, Europe, Germany