Being born and raised in Stuttgart and having lived in other German cities, I would say I can provide authentic and efficient guidance on how to tackle the city of engineers and the birthplace of the Automobil.
Table of Contents
In my personal opinion, Stuttgart is a bit of a lost case like San Francisco. Ok, not as bad just yet, but way too many people voted green and now the city is not very well cared for. Best to leave and visit Munich, Hamburg or Dresden 😉
However, if you do get stuck here, here’s my flower bucket of things that should make for an enjoyable time.
Architecture
Sadly, Stuttgart suffered massive bombings during WW2 and suffered even more architectural “sins” in the rebuilding phase. Nonetheless many historic and post-modern buildings might grab your attention.
Castles
Lords of Southern Germany always had a great sense for generous architecture and luxurious living. Paired with the German eye for detail and focus on efficiency, we can admire many stunning relics of better times (gold standard).
My favorite is Solitude Palace and Hohenheim Palace. 100% worth a visit during summer. If there’s snow it’s also cool.
-> Full list of castles
Fernsehturm – TV Tower
The Stuttgart TV tower is unique as it was the first telecommunications tower in the world constructed from reinforced concrete in 1954. It is the prototype for many such towers worldwide. The design is timeless and a great reflection of our drive to innovate, engineer and aim for perfection. An icon landmark with a purist yet elegant shape.
-> Link
Modern Architecture
There’s also the Weissenhof Siedlung which is famous among socialist architects and the library cube by North Corean, excuse me, South Korean architect Eun Young Yi. I’d favor any castle visit over any of the modern stuff.
The “Altes Stuttgart” Instagram channel reflects on the “before” and “after” of Stuttgart’s urban appearance: https://www.instagram.com/altesstuttgart/
Cars
The car was invented in Stuttgart. Period. And we didn’t invent the speed limit. There are three highways without speed limits that you can reach from Stuttgart.
Here’s a map.
Porsche Rentals
Porsche Museum offers rentals. You need to create an account with Porsche to book it and it’s good to reserve early. They will also assist with good routes to explore.
Link
There are also luxury rental options which might have more variety. Further you can book with budget rentals like Starcar which offer Porsche models.
If you’re hungover, the Mercedes Benz Museum is a relaxed option. For more more excitement, of course the Hockenheim ring is calling.
https://www.hockenheimring.de/en/activities/driving-experiences/racenroll-fahrerlebnisse/
Bonus: Trains
For those who enjoy train rides, the “Zahnradbahn” and the only funicular “Seilbahn” are spectacular rides and a must-do.
Food
Swabian Cuisine is super tasty and heavy. You definitely want to try “Maultaschen” which are huge dumplings. It’s not easy to find really good ones, so check tripadvisor and Google for reviews before. It should look like this:
Otherwise Swabian Cuisine is famous for “Linsen Spätzle Saitenwürstle” ; “Zwiebelrostbraten”; “Schnitzel” ; “Sauerbraten” and of course Pretzles.
Swabian Cuisne Wikipedia
Restaurants / Cafes
WIELANDSHÖHE
Karlshöhe Beergarden
Bitcoin
The German bitcoin community is massive and very active. In Stuttgart, there are a few places that usually accept Bitcoin and Lightning Payments:
Herbert’z Espresso Bar
https://btcmap.org/merchant/node:4745884933
Lucky Lounge Lotto Kiosk
https://maps.app.goo.gl/HSzFPxZsEbFVt3K99
Hotel Princess in Plochingen
https://btcmap.org/merchant/way:254576880
Bitcoin Stuttgart Community Group: https://t.me/einundzwanzigStuttgart
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