Stuttgart, capital of the Land of Baden-Württemberg, is beautifully situated in a basin enclosed by forest-covered hills and orchards, open only on the east towards the Neckar. From the valley bottom, where the older part of the town and the historic buildings are to be found, the houses climb up the surrounding slopes; when these are too steep for streets they are reached by flights of steps or stepped lanes. Stuttgart is an important fruit-growing center. In the districts of Berg and Bad Cannstatt are the most productive mineral springs in Europe after those of Budapest.
West of the Haus der Wirtschaft stands the Liederhalle, a concert hall. In nearby Hegelplatz is the Linden Museum of Ethnography (Museum für Völkerkunde).
Schillerplatz is surrounded by a number of interesting buildings, including the Old Palace, the Prinzenbau, the 14th C Fruchtkasten, and the choir of the Stiftskirche.
10km/6mi west of the city center stands Schloss Solitude, built for Duke Karl Eugen in 1763-67, with fine state apartments. An international art academy was established in the subsidiary buildings in 1990.
This 18th century palace has recently been turned into a world class restaurant. The master chef attending the restaurant of Solitude is Chef Gerd Hammes.
Address: Schloss Solitude, Kavaliersbau Haus No 2, D-70499 Stuttgart, Germany
Hours:
April 1 to October 31: 10am-12pm, 1:30pm-5pm; Closed: Mon
November 1 to March 31: 1:30pm-4pm; Sun:10am-4pm; Closed: Mon, Mon
Tips: Tours of the castle are available with a reservation.
Schlossplatz is home to the Jubilee Column of 1841, numerous old buildings, a bandstand, lovely gardens, a shopping arcade, and many nearby restaurants.
On the Hoher Bopser (481m/1,578ft), a wooded hill in the south of Stuttgart, rises the Television Tower (Fernsehturm; 217m/712ft high including the aerial), with a restaurant at 150m/490ft and above it a viewing platform.
This was the first tv tower to be built of reinforced concrete.
Address: Television Tower, Jahnstrasse 120, D-70597 Stuttgart, Germany
Below Schloss Rosenstein is the Wilhelma Zoological and Botanic Garden (named after a little Moorish-style palace built in 1842-53), beautifully laid out, with hothouses, animal houses and enclosures and an aquarium.
Address: Wilhelma Zoological and Botanic Garden, Wilhelma 13, D-70376 Stuttgart, Germany
On the Württemberg, near Obertürkheim, can be found the burial chapel of Queen Katharina (d. 1819), a domed rotunda in neo-classical style; fine views.
On the right bank of the Neckar lies the old district of Bad Cannstatt, with the Kursaal (two mineral springs; restaurant) and the Kurpark. At Taubenheimstrasse 13 was the workshop of Gottlieb Daimler (memorial museum). On the Cannstatter Wasen (Meadows), the scene of the annual Spring and Folk Festival, are the large Neckar Stadium and the Hanns Martin Schleyer Hall, one of the most modern sports halls in Europe.
On the southern edge of old Stuttgart, in Eberhardstrasse, are the Tagblatt-Turm (1927-28; 61m/200ft high) and the "Kultur unterm Turm" cultural center (theater, periodic exhibitions).
The German Agricultural Museum is located in Stuttgart. Exhibits highlight the rural agricultural industry with agricultural equipment and other special exhibitions.
Address: German Agricultural Museum, Garbenstrasse 9, D-70593 Stuttgart, Germany
Hohenheim, situated on the Filder Plateau above the stream of Körsch, south of the city center, was already the seat of a noble family in medieval times.
Within the region of Hohenheim, the primary attractions are the Palace and the Botanic Gardens.
The annual three-week festival, J.S. Bach Summer Academy, runs from mid-August to early September and includes both concerts and courses. The repertoire does not focus exclusively on Bach, and often includes works by Brahms and other famous composers. The performances take place in the Liederhalle, the Stiftskirche, the Leonhardskirche, Neues Schloss, and St Eberhard Church.
Address: Sommer Akademie JS Bach, Internationale Bachademie Stuttgart Johann Sebastian Bach Platz, D-70178 Stuttgart, Germany
Near the Weissenhof lies Killesberg Park, laid out from 1937 onwards, with exhibition halls used by the Stuttgart Trade Fair, a congress center, a chair-lift and a summer theater.
From the station Königstrasse, the town's main business and shopping street (pedestrian zone), runs southwest, past the Cathedral of St Eberhard (R.C.; rebuilt 1955), to the Schlossplatz, continuing to the Wilhelmsbau.
In the eastern district of Untertürkheim is the Daimler-Benz Museum, which gives a comprehensive survey of the development of car manufacture. Between Untertürkheim and Obertürkheim extends the Neckar Harbor.
Always closed on: New Year's Day (January 1), New Year's Eve (December 31), Christmas - Christian (December 25), Christmas Eve - Christian (December 24)
In the Berg district on the left bank of the Neckar stands Schloss Rosenstein (1824-29), which together with the Museum am Löwentor (1984) houses the State Museum of Natural History.
There are two museums here of nature sciences. One is devoted to biology and the evolution of living species. The other is devoted to the origins of the earth with exhibits of fossils, dinosaurs, and Ice Age man.
Address: National Museum of Nature Sciences, Rosenstein 1, D-70191 Stuttgart, Germany
Hours:
January 1 to December 31: 9am-5pm; Sun:10am-6pm; Sat:10am-6pm; Closed: Mon
The Neckar Stadium, Stuttgart's largest sports arena, with accomodation for 70,600 spectators, was built in 1933 (architect, Paul Bonatz) for the German Gymnastics Festival, enlarged for the Gymnastics Festival of 1973 and further improved for the world football championship matches in 1974.
The Porsche Museum displays its history of sports car manufacturing with 20 famous racing and sports cars. Facts about the auto industry and other vehicles are also highlighted.
In the northwestern part of central Stuttgart, near the Ministry of Economic Development, is the Haus der Wirtschaft (State Factory Inspectorate, Stuttgart Design Center, etc.). In the Stadtgarten is the University of Technology.
Address: State Factory Inspectorate, Theodor-Heuss-Strasse 4, D-70174 Stuttgart, Germany
To the south of the Tagblatt Tower lies the large complex of the Schwabenzentrum (Swabian Center; 1980), with shops, shopping arcades and quiet little courtyards with restaurants. Beyond the broad Hauptstätter Strasse is St Leonard's Church (Leonhardskirche; 15th C.).
This exceptional museum gives a detailed portrayal of Kepler's life along with a thoughtful perspective on his work in its broader context. The Kepler Museum was the birthplace of the noted astronomer and mathematician featuring his documents, models and writings.
Address: Kepler Museum, Keplergasse 2, D-71263 Weil der Stadt, Germany
Above Stuttgart to the north, near the Academy of Fine Art, is the Weissenhof, a pioneering and influential housing development, built in 1927 for an exhibition by the Werkbund, a group of leading international architects, including Le Corbusier, Mies van der Rohe and Gropius.
North of St Leonard's Church, just before Charlottenplatz, on the right, is the Bohnenviertel, a part of the old town of Stuttgart which has been rebuilt in modern style. At Kanalstrasse 4 can be found the Writers' House (Schriftstellerhaus), a forum for discussions between writers from Germany and other countries and for encounters between authors and readers.
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Weil der Stadt - Statue of Kepler, Germany
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