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Guide to Stuttgart, Germany
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StuttgartPerhaps the most environmentally friendly city in all of Europe, Stuttgart is a place where the people form unions with the parkland, and where there is always room on the roadways for another eco-conscious cyclist. In addition to its cleanliness, Stuttgart also a city surrounded by some of the best vineyard in Germany, and celebrations for this achievement cannot be more blatantly and ebulliently shown than during the citys hallmark festival, Cannstatter Volksfest. In Stuttgart, you will never find a dull moment (though it is quite laid-back and slow-moving for a German city), and here youll always have a grand time - not measured in extravagance, but measured in wholeheartedness and warmth.
When to go:
The region in which Stuttgart resides is different to that of the rest of Germany. While the majority of the country experiences climatic extremes at each end of the yearly spectrum (winter/summer), Stuttgart is one of a number of locations within its region that sees much milder conditions. This, of course, allows Stuttgart to be one of the premier wine cities in Germany. Nevertheless, most visitors opt for summer when deciding on their visit times, and if youre not looking to take part in any city-wide celebrations, we suggest booking a flight for summer. On the other hand, if you wish to embroil yourself in the magic and mayhem of Cannstatter Volksfest, there is only one time to do so, and that is during the month of September (leading into October).
Getting there and around:
Though Stuttgart International Airport is dwarfed by that of Frankfurts, the terminal still sees travelers from all parts of the globe, and an additional high-point for the airport is its location in relation to the city it serves. At 13km (8mi), the terminal is no short walk away, but it will only take you a short time (depending on airport and roadway traffic) to reach your hotel, or in the vaguest sense, the city center. A train is the fastest way if you catch your ride right before it departs, but if you happen to be waiting for quite some time, we suggest opting for a taxi if it is not a peak travel hour during the day.
It is no surprise that the people of Stuttgart are enthusiastic environmentalists. A benefit to the heavy use of the bicycle is that the roadways are usually quite clear. As a result, a car rental sounds like a good idea, but why not come as a visitor to the city and take part in the city-wide cause for clean air while youre here? There are plenty of places where you can rent a bicycle, and just about everyone in the city owns some sort of two-wheeled contraption, so having yours stolen is a small to non-existent issue. If you dont feel the need to break a sweat, you can always find a seat on the S- and/or U-Bahn; day passes are the best value.
Attractions:
To get acquainted with some fantastic architecture, theres no better place to start than in the Schlossplatz, Stuttgarts main square. Here youll come to greet beautiful fountains, classical buildings, and highlight of the area, the Art Nouveau Kunstverein, which holds the municipal art gallery and the Wurttemberg Art Society.
For a more in depth, and possibly a more intriguing artistic experience, visit the Staatsgalerie (State Gallery), where youll come across one of the best collections of medieval and modern art in the country. A portion of the Gallery, known as the Neue Staatsgalerie, is where youll stand in the presence of pieces by the likes of Picasso, Giacometti, and Klee in the most famous gallery in the city, the Steegmann Collection.
Near the edge of Stuttgart, you can find the Bad Cannstatt Mineral Baths, where people from all over Europe (some from far reaches of the world) come to enjoy the health benefits of the baths, saunas, hot tubs, and swimming pools. There are two main mineral baths in the area: MineralBad Cannstatt and Mineralbad Leuze. The first is directed solely at the adult crowd, and the latter is more family-oriented.
Automotive enthusiasts will enjoy the Mercedes-Benz and Porsche Museums, where, among many of the well-designed exhibits, you will encounter the first automobile ever built (Mercedes-Benz Museum).
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