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Stuttgart

Stuttgart

State

Baden-Württemberg

Country

Germany

Continent

Europe

Size

207 KM2

Population

635,911

Spending Budget

$446 - $2,429

Famous For

  • Beer & Beer Festivals
  • Museums & Galleries
  • Gardens & Viewpoints
  • Fine Dining

Best Time to Visit

  • May
  • June
  • July
  • August
  • September

History

The city center was completely destroyed during World War II. The present architecture of the city is a mix of both modern and historic styles. Historic buildings include the Old Castle ,housing the Landes museum; the New Palace, the Rosenstein Palace which isnow the Natural History Museum; the Gothic Leonhardskirche, of the hall type; and the Stiftskirche, a 12th-century Romanesque basilica completed in the Gothic style. Examples of modern architecture include the Weissenhof Estate, the town hall, the 633-foot television tower, and StuttgarterLiederhall. It also features the state art gallery, archives, library, observatory, opera, and ballet and the Wilhelma Botanical and Zoological Gardens. The Mercedes-Benz Museum is in the suburb of Untertürkheim, and the Porsche Museum is in the suburb of Zuffenhausen. The suburbs of Bad Cannstatt and Berg are health centres with many mineral springs, from which are exported bottled mineral water, and the famous Cannstatter Folk Festival is held in the Cannstatt Meadows every autumn. Landscaped for a horticultural show in 1939, the Killesbergarkis 50 hectares of gardens, fountains and sculptures in a former quarry on high ground in a northern borough of Stuttgart. The most memorable thing in the Killesbergturm is a 40-metre cable-stayed tower by the structural engineer Jörg Schlaich. The cone structure opened in 2000 and has won many awards for its architecture. Two sets of stairs in a double helix format lead to four platforms at 8, 16, 24 and 31 metres. Combined with the high ground, it is known for a supreme, far-reaching view of the city and Neckar Valley. On a windy day the tower gives a feeling of swaying away in the breeze.

Present Day

Since the monumental happenings of the 1980s, Stuttgart has continued being an important centre of not just Europe, but also the world. In 1993, the World Horticultural Exposition, for which two new bridges were built, and World Athletics Championships of that year took place in Stuttgart in the Killesburg park and Mercedes-Benz Area respectively, bringing millions of new visitors to the city. At the 1993 WCA, British athlete Sally Gunnell and the United States Relay team both set world records. In 2003, Stuttgart applied for the 2012 Summer Olympics but failed in their bid when the German Committee for the Olympics decided on Leipzig to host the Olympics in Germany. Three years later, in 2006, Stuttgart once again hosted the FIFA World Cup as it had in 1974. Stuttgart still experienced some growing pains even long after its recovery from the Second World War. In 2010, the inner city become the focal point of the protests against the controversial Stuttgart 21.In 1990 VII Corps was deployed directly from Germany to Saudi Arabia for Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm to include many of the VII Corps troops stationed in and around Stuttgart. After returning from the Middle East, the bulk of VII Corps units were reassigned to the United States or deactivated. The VII Corps Headquarters returned to Germany for a short period to close out operations and was deactivated later in the United States. The withdrawal of VII Corps caused a large reduction in the US military presence in the city and region and led to the closure of the majority of US installations in and around Stuttgart which resulted in the layoff of many local civilians who had been career employees of the US Army. Since 1967, Patch Barracks in Stuttgart has been home to the US EUCOM. In 2007 AFRICOM was established as a cell within EUCOM and in 2008 established as the US Unified Combatant Command responsible for most of Africa headquartered at Kelley Barracks. Due to these 2 major headquarters, Stuttgart has been identified as one of the few "enduring communities" where the United States forces will continue to operate in Germany. The remaining U.S. bases around Stuttgart are organized into US Army Garrison Stuttgart and include Patch Barracks, Robinson Barracks, Panzer Kaserne and Kelley Barracks. From the end of World War II until the early 1990s these installations excepting Patch were almost exclusively Army, but have become increasingly "Purple"—as in joint service—since the end of the Cold War as they are host to United States Department of Defense Unified Commands and supporting activities.

Future

Stuttgart has a lot to offer to satisfy different tasting buds. For Turkish food lovers Alaturka is the restaurant for kebabs. Christophorusis known for its Mediterranean and regional delicacies along with a wide variety of wine. The restaurant is located in Porsche museum and is famous for its steaks. Injeera is known for its African delicacies. The signature dish of this place is the combo platter with which you just can’t go wrong, it’s a combination of beef, chicken, lamb, lentils, collard greens, potatoes and okra. Kerns Pastetchen is an Austrian restaurant known for its amazing wine collection and it’s curry soup with shrimp. Udo Snack is an affordable snack place and are famous for their curry wurst and burgers.
Must Visit Places ------------

The Mercedes-Benz Museum

Stuttgart can trace its long love affair with the automobile back as far as 1887, when Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach set up shop here. The Mercedes-Benz Museum celebrates that more than 130 years of automotive history in over 1500 exhibits that cover nine floors and put the invention and development of the automobile into the context of each era's technology, daily life, and society. At the heart of the exhibits are 160 vehicles: some of the first ever built, auto racing legends, and prototype cars of the future. Among the cars is the world's first motorcycle — a Daimler — from 1885, which bears almost no resemblance to today's, except that it has two large wheels (it also has two smaller ones that look a lot like kids' training wheels!) You don't need to be car crazy to have a good time here, but for automobile lovers, this and the Porsche Museum (see below) are the two best museums in Stuttgart.

Schlossplatz

The expansive Schlossplatz is the focal point of the city. Surrounded by buildings dating from Stuttgart's past as a ducal and royal capital, this vast open space is well-used. Its green lawns and benches are popular places to catch some sun, and its gardens are pleasant places to stroll in good weather. In November, the square becomes a children's Christmas Market, with a miniature village, holiday rides, and a skating rink. The Jubilee Column, erected at its center in 1841, commemorates King William I's 25 years of rule. Here, too, you'll find a cast-iron bandstand (1871); a fountain; and pieces of modern sculpture by Calder, Hrdlicka, and Hajek. Dominating one side of the Schlossplatz is the massive Neues Schloss or New Palace. Built in late Baroque style and completed in 1807, the palace — once home to former kings — is now used by the state government.

Staatsgalerie Stuttgart

From one look at the colorful exterior of Stuttgart's State Gallery, you know it's not another stodgy museum. The 1984 opening of the new building, designed by James Stirling and itself a masterpiece of contemporary architecture, marked the transformation of the museum into one of the finest art collections in Europe — and one of Germany's most visited museums. Although it has an excellent representation of German Renaissance art, as well as Dutch and Italian masters from the 14th to 19th centuries, the Staatsgalerie is best known for its outstanding collection of 20th-century paintings. With a special focus on the Classical Modern period from 1900 to 1980, the collections include significant works by Henri Matisse, Paul Klee, Marc Chagall, Joan Miró, Max Beckmann, Salvador Dalí, Franz Marc, Wassily Kandinsky, and Pablo Picasso among others.

The Porsche Museum

The most popular part of the museum, even for those with little interest in automobiles and racing, is the interactive 12-meter Porsche Touchwall, where you can use touch frames to browse through more than 3,000 drawings, photos, posters, and advertisements from the vast historical archive. In the interactive Porsche in the Mix sound installation, unique in the world, you can play sounds of engines, horns, and brakes of various models throughout the years and mix them into an original music track. After composing your own piece of Porsche music, you can send it to yourself via email.

Ludwigsburg Palace

North of Stuttgart, in the small city of Ludwigsburg, is the vast and lavishly decorated Ludwigsburg Palace, one of Germany's largest and loveliest Baroque palaces. In decorating his private apartments here, Duke Carl Eugen of Württemberg spared no expense, commissioning the great fresco painter Matthäus Günther to decorate the walls, and papering even dressing rooms with hand-painted wall coverings. A highlight is the grand Marble Hall, with magnificent chandeliers and its ceiling fresco of clouds against blue giving the impression of open sky. The oldest preserved palace theater in Europe, a galleried confection built for the duke in 1757, still has its original stage machinery, with a collection of rare 18th- and 19th-century stage sets. The Theatre Museum shows some of the ingenious mechanisms for moving these and for creating the illusions of thunder, rain, and wind.

Altes Schloss and Landesmuseum

Overlooking one side of Schlossplatz is massive Altes Schloss or Old Castle. There is no trace of its 10th-century origins; the existing building with its beautiful courtyard surrounded with multiple arcades was built between 1553-78. The impressive structure now houses the Württemberg Landesmuseum, with its fascinating collections of medieval art, musical instruments, watches, and clocks, as well as the magnificent Württemberg royal crown and crown jewels. Especially interesting are the archaeological collections, with rare artifacts tracing prehistoric inhabitants of the caves in the Swabian mountains, including the world's oldest human artworks. Later Celtic, Roman, and medieval pieces include rich grave finds of weapons and jewelry. The modern glass collection is among the best in Europe, and a superb costume and textile collection focuses on 18th-century European decorative fabrics and textiles from the Art Nouveau period. In the south wing is the 16th-century palace church, with tombs of famous former residents and royalty.

Wilhelma Zoological and Botanic Garden

Today one of Germany's largest zoos, with more than two million annual visitors, Wilhelma Zoological and Botanic Garden was created as a private royal retreat for the Swabian King Wilhelm I. The buildings were constructed in the Neo-Moorish style, which was popular among European royalty in the mid-19th century, and set among gardens in a large, green park. Among the many things that make this zoo and botanic garden so outstanding is the way the fanciful historic buildings have been repurposed as the setting for animals and plants — and how these two have been integrated. For example, the Moorish Villa is now home to a combined animal and plant house, and a pavilion that was once the king's vantage-point overlooking the Neckar River is now the Main Entrance. The Belvedere Pavilion above the Sub Tropics Terraces and the Damascene Hall are still in use, as is the covered walkway lined with decorative terra cotta.

Fernsehturm Stuttgart

The world's first television tower would be interesting enough, but the 217-meter-tall Fernsehturm Stuttgart has the added attraction of an observation deck and restaurant, with sweeping views that reach across the city and Neckar Valley into the Swabian countryside, as far as the Black Forest and the Odenwald. The tower opened in 1956 and soon became a prototype for such structures as far away as Johannesburg and Wuhan, China. Stuttgart engineer Fritz Leonhardt proposed the innovative concrete construction, with the suggestion that it could become a tourist attraction, as well as a transmission tower, and it quickly became one of the city's most visited spots. To get here, take the U-7, U-8, or U-15 subway line or the #70 bus to the Ruhbank stop. Another interesting tourist attraction on the edge of the city with far-reaching views is the Birkenkopf, a 511-meter-tall hill built after World War II entirely from the rubble of destroyed buildings. As remarkable as the views may be, it's a thought-provoking experience knowing you're standing on the detritus of a war-torn city while looking down on the new one that rose from its ashes.

Esslingen

Only about 17 kilometers east of Stuttgart, the town of Esslingen feels centuries away. Its position at the point where ancient trade routes crossed the Neckar River was strengthened by the building of two bridges early in the medieval era and grew into a major trading center, protected by a hilltop castle, whose ramparts and towers you can explore for lovely views of the old town and Neckar below. Down in the Old Town, you'll feel as though you'd stumbled into the Middle Ages, walking along street after street lined with half-timbered buildings. More than 200 of these remain, dating from the 13th to the 16th centuries. Other highlights are the church of St. Dionys, with the unusual bridge between its tall towers, and the lovely red Town Hall with its glockenspiel, a clock where moving figures perform.

The Grabkapelle on Württemberg Hill

Perched high upon the Württemberg overlooking Stuttgart and the Neckar valley is the Grabkapelle, the burial chapel of Queen Katharina, erected by King Wilhelm I as a monument to his beloved wife after her premature death in 1819. Built between 1820 and 1824, this beautiful structure consists of a domed rotunda in Neoclassical style inspired by the Pantheon in Rome (it's also where Wilhelm himself is buried). It is considered the most romantic spot in Stuttgart, in part because of its beautiful setting, but mainly because of Wilhelm's inscription above the entrance to the chapel, "Love never dies," in memory of his lost queen.