Stuttgart is the capital and largest city of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It is located in the southwestern part of Germany, on the river Neckar, near the Black Forest mountains.
Stuttgart is one of the country’s most famous cities due to its economic, administrative and cultural importance, but especially for its technological industry. Among the best-known companies based in Stuttgart are Porsche, Daimler AG, Bosch or Celesio AG. In addition to these, the city is also recognized for the wine grapes grown in the urban area, being among the 13 most important wine regions in Germany.
If you want to visit the most important tourist attractions, you can opt for the StuttCard and you can choose between the simple version (offers free entry to all museums, discounts for Citytour, theater or certain restaurants) and Card Plus where, in addition to the advantages offered by the simple card, transport is also included (2017 rates: for 24 hours – €15 without transport included; €25 with transport; for 48 hours – €20 without transport; €35 with transport; for 72 hours – €25 without transport; 45 € with transport Here you find a brochure with information about the facilities offered by the card, here is the list of points of sale and here is a map of the metro network in Stuttgart).
What can you visit in Stuttgart?
Naturkundemuseum am Löwentor – is a museum of paleontology and geology, which also includes Museum Schloss Rosenstein (biology museum), located in Rosensteinpark . The museum was founded in 1950, on its three floors evidence covering 250 million years of history is exhibited: fossils found mainly in southwestern Germany, camps of prehistoric people, insects preserved in amber or a cave from the age of ice.
Plants, amphibians, reptiles, birds and mammals from the main ecosystems are presented at the Museum Schloss Rosenstein. Organized tours on different themes, as well as projects, workshops or school programs take place within the museums. Entrance to the museum costs €5/adult and €3/child. Entry is free with the StuttCard. Opening hours: Tuesday – Friday 09:00 – 17:00, Saturday and Sunday 09:00 – 18:00.
As I said above, Museum Schloss Rosenstein is located in Rosensteinpark – the largest English garden in southwestern Germany.
If you get to visit the museum, don’t miss a walk in the park, among the old trees and wide meadows. Many trees are over 150 years old, being among the first planted.
Next to the Rosensteinpark is the Schlossgarten (“Palace Gardens“) – a 600-year-old park. Known for jogging, walking, cycling, beaching or partying, the Schlossgarten is one of Stuttgart‘s most famous and popular green areas. In the park you can find playgrounds for children, fountains, lakes, barbecues, cafes and terraces.
The Porsche Museum is located in Porscheplatz, Zuffenhausen, next to the factory of the same name. It was opened in January 2009 and is today the second most visited museum in Stuttgart , after the Mercedes-Benz Museum.
Inside the building there are cafes, a shop and the exhibition itself, which includes 80 cars and several other smaller exhibits, chronologically presenting the brand’s history.
The price for visiting the exhibition is €8/adult (free access with StuttCard) and free for children under 14 years of age. Hours: Tuesday–Sunday 09:00 – 18:00, last entry at 17:30.
Fernsehturm – in case you get nice weather, you must climb the television tower to see the panorama of the whole city. Unfortunately, we didn’t exactly have a great day to see the city and it was very foggy. Before you go to visit the tower, you can access the live cam from here and see if it’s a good time to climb. The Stuttgart TV Tower is 217 meters high and is the first tower in Germany built of reinforced concrete. The ticket costs €7/adult, €4/child 6-15 years old, free/child under 6 years old. Free access with card.
Ludwigsburg Palace (Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg) was built between 1704 and 1733 under Duke Eberhard Ludwig Württemberg and is the largest Baroque palace in Germany. The architecture and the original furniture inside show the different conceptions of the eras, with styles such as neoclassicism, baroque or rococo being found. The palace is surrounded by a huge park and gardens, which are a tourist attraction in themselves, especially during summer and autumn. Residenzschloss Ludwigsburg can only be visited inside on guided tours (in German or English) which differ according to the season. The program can be found on the official website. (Tip: The temperature inside is quite low, so you should be dressed fairly thickly, regardless of the season).
Apart from the interior of the palace, you can also visit the Ceramics Museum, the Baroque Gallery, the Fashion Museum or Carl Eugen’s Apartment. The price for visiting the palace and museums: €13/adult, €7.5/child, free access with StuttCard .
This is how we conclude the first part about visiting the city of Stuttgart, but the second part will follow with equally interesting tourist attractions. Below you will find a photo gallery of the objectives presented in this article.
Enjoy!
(Stuttgart – February 2017)
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