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The "Alte Schloss" was built in the 12th century
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Stuttgart, located in the southern part of Germany and a major city along the A8 - one of the busiest motorways on earth - is the home of well known car factories such as Mercedes and Porsche but also the place where famous writers, researchers and inventors (e.g. Gottlieb Daimler, he was one of the inventors of the car beside of Carl Benz) used to live and work. Today Stuttgart is a city in the Neckar valley with many historical and modern sites to see. That's because it was continuously capital of Wuerttemberg since the 14th century. The main buildings in the city like the "New Schloss" (which has been designed after Versailles, but has been destroyed in WWII and the "Old Schloss"are only examples of all the highlights you will see. As a major university city it is home to students from all over the world. Going up to Vaihingen and continue to Herrenberg you will pass the "German Silicon Valley" with well known company names hosting their research facilities here.
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Favourite spots: |
Up in the hills of the Wangener Hoehe you will find many nice places like pubs and restaurants - mainly known only to the very local people there. That's a place you can go if you want to get away from the rush and busy downtown. If you are downtown, have a look at the old market hall where you find any kind of food from around the globe. Walk through the Japanese garden which has been left from the 1986 international garden exhibition and you feel your are in Osaka! A must do is the Staatgallerie and I cover that special place in the next section. A nice place for a quick lunch is Bernd's on Charlottestreet. If you have a car, you may also do a tour along the Neckar River and visit the very old City of Esslingen which is just about 20 minutes away or Ludwigburg with the beautiful palace. Ludwigsburg resembles a German Versailles but is of course smaller. Best time to visit is spring. An other highlight of your trip certainly will be a visit of the Wine Musum in Uhlbach.
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What's really great: |
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The entrance to the Wilhelma
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It's difficult to say what is the best place - simply because there are so many. Maybe a good point to get an overview of the City is the restaurant on top of the TV tower. It is one of the best of the area but have your credit cards prepared, it's a 3Star as I remember! However you will be rewarded with a splendid view of all the Neckar valley and the city. The Staatsgallerie certainly is a not to be missed and mandatory mustdo which contains collections of medieval art up to modern art from Max Liebermann to Picasso. A stroll thru the busy Koenigstrasse - the pedestrian zone - will give you a time for power shopping and also the feeling to be in a real metropole. In a small site street - the Calwer street you find many nice and snug restaurants, pubs and also some clubs. A famous place is the Calwer Microbrew but usually cramped after 5 p.m. On Tuebinger street you find many places usually populated with students. In the Friedrichsbau there is a famous variete and worth to set
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Sights: |
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Some art at the killeberg park
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Try a walk through the Rosensteingarten and then up to the Killesberg. You walk in the green but alway in the very city. Killesberg provides a perfect view over Stuttgart. My favorite place is the Wilhelma, a zoo founded by king William I in the 19th century and completely built in arabian architecture which is a real exotic spot in the middle of ancient swabian buildings and places. The botanical gardens of the Wilhelma are just marvellous. They have different themes over the year but if you like the lotus flowers in blossom come in May or June. If you are tired, relax in one of the many public bathes like Leuze's or the Cannstatt Bath. Cannstatt is also a very old part of Stuttgart and is famous for it's history dating back to the 6th century.
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Accommodations: |
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The TV tower, built in 1956 and still standing!
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My first recommendation would be the Schlossgarten Hotel just across the central station. An other nice place to stay is the Hotel Zeppelin, named after the famous founder of the Zeppelin airship. A beautiful and very quiet place to be is the Hotel Maritim beside the Liederhalle. For those of you loaded with cash you can take the Interconti but they do not really have a nice spot in the city. All those hotels are in the city center but you find also nice and plunky camps in the suburbs at more reasonable prices.
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Nightlife: |
Try Perkin's Park on Killesberg. One of the favorites - also for the locals. For those of you who like more outdoor sitting the "Schoene Aussicht" in Untertuerkheim will certainly do -it's also reasonable. Many clubs of different quality are located downtown such as "L'Orange", Stella, Osho's and others. Presumably you will not be left on the streets of the city. The Zapata is a special place but quite noisy. Meanwhile also an "ancient" place is the disco "Boa" founded the 70's of the last century;-) The "California Sidewalk Cafe" within the Friedrichsbau is an ideal spot to relax after a busy day in the city.
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Hangouts: |
My favorite was the Amadeus just close to the Old Schloss in the city center. That's certainly a good place to start if you are new to the city. However, there are so many other places to go but the space they provide here does not take all names. So check the Stuttgart Web pages or get a recent issue of the Prince magazine of Stuttgart. Here you will find what's up and hip in the city. On Calwer street there are a couple of nice pubs and places to go. In the suburbs you find also the famous brooms hanging out at regular homes during certain times of the year. Here are the places where the locals come together and drinking wine and feeling fine ;-) So theres not a sign of a pub but just a colourfull broom as an invitation. Prices are really afordable for the budget tourist in those places. Stuttgart is also home of the second largest fair beside the oktoberfest on earth - the Cannstatter Wasen which takes place in late September. So if you are tired of Munich, try Stuttgart!
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Restaurants: |
You certainly like the Speisemeisterei for high end food. That's one of the best restaurants I found in Germany. If you like traditional swabian food go to the Ochsen in Wangen or try some of the small traditional restaurants like the Kausbirestuble in Hedelfing. Those places are mainly distributed in the suburbs but definitely a typical swabian highlight. International cuisine is everywhere from Shish Kebab to Sushi and all varieties from around the world. A nice place was the Vietnamese Restaurant Saigon in Eberheartstreet. Special events to mention are the many festivals like the "Winedorf" , the Fishmarket (they haul the fishmarket from Hamburg to Stuttagart once a year!) and the Christmas market. Beside of those major events you can count on that there is a fair or an event elsewhere in the area every week over the year. Check the Stuttgart agenda when planning a visit!
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Other recommendations: |
Up the Mt. Wuerttemberg -or Rothenberg- is the tomb of the late king and queen of Wuerttemberg. The Museum of Mercedes Benz and the Porsche Museum is a must do for car freaks. Stuttgart is home to both companies but don't expect a Mercedes Benz Factory Outlet ;-) In Degerloch, an other suburg is the TV tower which was the first modern TV tower on the globe built back in 1956. It's still the landmark of the area. The Solitude Castle with it's beautiful lawns will provide you also as nice place for a meeting in the exclusive restaurant. If you like horse back riding that's one place to go as well. A must do is of course the Staatsgallerie which contains one of the most important art collections of the world. If you are still hungry for other sites a suggestion for a rainy afternoon is a visit of the Lindenmuseum which contains artefacts from exotic countries around the world. Especially the collection of Papua New Guinea is unique. Trust me, Stuttgart is not a prosy place.
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Published on Saturday September 11th, 2004
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