A plan for Stuttgart

Stuttgart is the capital of the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. With a population of approximately 606,000 in the immediate city (2024) and more than 2.8 million people in the metropolitan area (2024), Stuttgart is the 6th largest city in Germany. Stuttgart forms the centre of Region Stuttgart, a densely populated and industrialised area that is closely interwoven and shares the same public transport system consisting of 179 cities and municipalities with a rich history to discover.

Stuttgart consists of 23 districts (Stadtbezirke), which are further divided into 152 localities (Stadtteile). The five inner districts are named Mitte, Nord, Ost, Süd and West ("centre", "North", "East", "South" and "West", respectively). The outer districts are mostly former towns with their own names - of note are Zuffenhausen (Porsche headquarters and museum), Untertürkheim (headquarters of Daimler-Benz and Mercedes-Welt, as well as sports arenas sponsored by Porsche and Mercedes), and Bad Cannstatt (nice old centre, mineral water and lots of vineyards).

Despite being smaller and most densely populated among major German cities (when looking at the statistics), Stuttgart appears anything but that. This is because the population is not concentrated in the relatively small and hardly "metropolitan" centre, but is evenly spread over the hills contained within the city area, with multiple population centres stemming from the small towns that were incorporated into the present-day Stuttgart. Therefore, you will find many points of interest quite far away from each other, and the use of Stuttgart's very convenient public transport system quite necessary. Stuttgart is a big city with a small-town atmosphere.

A distinctive feature of Stuttgart is the significant difference in elevation within the city limits. Because of this, the city has an estimated 400 - 600 staircases sprinkled throughout. You can climb some of these stairs and get to the top of the Karlshöhe hill from where you will get a good view of the city center.

Stuttgart, which once had a reputation as the conservative capital of the south-west, has turned into a bustling metropolis with world-class culture, great shopping and night-life. The capital’s architecture is an appealing mixture of historical and modern buildings with green parks and even vineyards throughout the city. The unique cauldron-shaped landscape offers plenty of scenic lookouts and formed a dense city centre where nowadays fortunately most of Stuttgart's main attractions are. In the heart of the city centre the Palace Square is a must for visitors and an ideal starting point for a tour.

City Centre

1 Schlossplatz (Palace Square). The Schlossplatz is the largest square in Stuttgart, right in the middle of the Mitte in front of the Neues Schloss. It was created as parade grounds for the palace, and is now a public green area with lawns, flowerbeds, twin fountains and a decorative bandstand. It immediately adjoins the Koenigstraße, and a number of key buildings can be accessed immediately from it. In warmer months, the Schlossplatz is always full of locals, students and tourists enjoying its relaxing atmosphere. It is also an event location. (updated May 2026)

2 Neues Schloss (New Palace), Schlossplatz 4. The arguably most recognizable symbol of Stuttgart was constructed between 1746 and 1807 when the Duke of Württemberg, Carl Eugen, found the Altes Schloss and the erstwhile ducal residence in Ludwigsburg to be insufficiently stately. The new palace was a grandiose undertaking that took many decades, architects and four successive Dukes of Württemberg to complete, given the ever-changing tastes and plans, as well as constant scandalization within the Duchy regarding the costs of the lavish residence.The result is a palace inspired partially by Versailles and other grand royal residences, which gave the centre of Stuttgart an airy, garden park feel. The palace became a state museum in 1918 when the last King of Württemberg abdicated, and was almost completely destroyed in World War II. It was rebuilt in 1958-1964 to serve as a seat for the local government of Baden-Württemberg. It now houses the Ministry of Finance and the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Tourism of the Land.Guided tours are available, but they are offered infrequently and on an irregular basis.

Culture

1 Zoo Wilhelma (zoological and botanical gardens), Neckartalstraße, Bad Cannstatt. Definitely a must for families. But watching monkeys and weird flowers in this old place can be fun for young adults, too. (Unless you feel pity for the locked up creatures.) Wilhelma is also worth visiting for its architecture and landscaping features - the core of Wilhelma is housed in a 19th-century palace and park landscape in the Moorish style, created for and named after the former king Wilhelm of Württemberg. In winter there is a special exhibition called Christmas Garden with beautifully illuminated sculptures. (updated Sep 2021)

2 Planetarium. A fascinating astronomical journey, projected by optical hightech equipment: Carl Zeiss Planetarium. Almost all the shows conducted here are in German. You may have to check with the office for English show timings.

3 The Stuttgart Ballet. Watch and listen to the ballet company of the state theater Stuttgart. It is one of the world's best ensembles founded by legacy of John Cranko. Definitely a top place to go to in the evening. You'll need to reserve tickets in advance.

4 SI-Centrum. There are two musical theatres (Apollo-Theater and Stage Palladium Theater) in the hotel/conference/entertainment complex called the SI-Centrum (Stuttgart Musical Centre) in Möhringen close to the A8. This complex includes also the Millennium hotel and a spacious underground complex that houses many conference rooms, bars, restaurants, a casino and a huge wellness pool area.

5 SchwabenQuellen, Plieninger Str. 100. (updated May 2024)

6 Wagenhallen (Inneren Nordbahnhof 1). Around 80 creative artists, architects, designers and musicians present their work in an old train depot and discarded train wagon.

7 Corso Cinema International, Hauptstraße 6 Vaihingen (S-Bahn Vaihingen). Most cinemas will run movies with synchronised German voice-over/dubbing and you will be unable to enjoy the movie unless you understand German. CORSO Cinema International in Vaihingen shows movies with original audio track (and possibly German text captions). €7.80 for adults.

There are restaurants all over Stuttgart. The traditional Swabian cuisine with onion-topped roast pork, think noodles called "Spätzle" or Maultaschen (stuffed noodles) is very tasty. Of course there are also restaurants serving styles from many other parts of the world.

Stuttgart publishes a book annually entitled Stuttgart geht aus (Stuttgart goes out). This is available at most book stores on Königstraße (e.g. Wittwer). This book, published in German, is a great guide to restaurants in the city.

Food courts with various types of (fast) food can be found in the malls Milaneo, Gerber and Königsbaupassagen.

Budget

All these are in the city center:

1 Udo Snack, Calwer Str. 23. Of course McDonald's, Burger King and Subway are in town, too. If you want to try their locally renowned single shop competitor, go to Udo Snack in Calwer Straße. (updated Jan 2023)

2 Vegi, Steinstraße 13. the best falafel in Stuttgart. Perfect for vegetarians and vegans. Numerous sauces and options to choose from. Always fast and very friendly service. Seating is available in the snack bar and outside. Very friendly and young staff. (updated Jan 2023)

3 Rudolfs Küche und Café, Rotebühlpl. 28. Half of the food is vegetarian/vegan. Various daily meals. By doing self-service you get your food faster. The concept at Rudolfs is very worthy of support. (updated Jan 2023)

4 Brunnenwirt, Leonhardspl. 25. Very tasty food. Especially the schnitzel (very high quality meat and preparation). The ambiance simply iconic. Great for eating a currywurst in the cold at 11PM. Legendary snack bar in Stuttgart's red light district. Great curry special and shashlik skewers. (updated Jan 2023)

5 Al Zain, Marienstraße 18. Best shawarma. It is a decent Syrian restaurant and the food is very tasty. (updated Jan 2023)

Mid-range

6 Carls Brauhaus, Stauffenbergstraße 1 (Schlossplatz). Opened in April 2014, the Carls Brauhaus serves decent Swabian cuisine. (updated Sep 2022)

Stuttgart has developed a vibrant nightlife with many clubs and pubs in the heart of the city. The most popular street for clubbing is the Theodor-Heuss-Straße ("Theo"). Several bars, clubs and lounges have opened here. During the summer, there are also many opportunities to have a drink outside. In the "Theo" you can listen to good house, drum'n'bass, hip-hop and other kinds of electronic music. However it is not always easy to get into most clubs because of the restrictive door policy!

For a more laid-back atmosphere try the area surrounding the "Hans-im-Glück" ("Lucky Hans") fountain just a stone's throw from Königsstraße. In this charming quarter in Stuttgart's old town centre, many pubs and bars are crammed next to each other. Especially in the summer months a unique southern flair mixed with a great party scene with open-minded people make this area special.

Concerts, nightclubs and events are covered by local magazines (generally not in English). Try Lift and Prinz.

Because street drinking is still legal in Germany budget-travellers can save some money if they buy their drinks at a supermarket. A beer is there, e.g. only €0.50 compared to €3 and more in pubs. There are two of the REWE supermarkets at the beginning and the end of the Königstraße. There you can buy cheap snacks, softdrinks and alcoholic drinks from Monday to Saturday up till 22:00. Lots of young people do so and hang around the beautiful Schlossplatz.

Bars and pubs

1 Palast der Republik, Friedrichstraße 27. In a former public toilet house, the "palace" is the place to hang out in hot summer nights. Get your beer at the fastest barkeeper you've ever seen and find your place outside (maybe on the ground).

2 Mata Hari (Hans-im-Glück-Brunnen). At the Mata Hari you can get exotic beer in an old-fashioned tea-house style. At long tables and benches young folks sit together and drink their beer. Contact to others comes therefore almost automatically.

Stuttgart has a very compact city centre with most destinations within walking distance. Nearly all visitors arrive at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). From there the remarkable 1.2-km-long pedestrian shopping street called “Königstraße” leads through the heart of the city, passing the Schlossplatz with the amazing New Palace, to the Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte). Other main sights (e.g. museums, opera) are just around the corner.

By public transport

Stuttgart's public transportation system comprises two light rail system - the Stadtbahn (or U-Bahn) and Schnellbahn (S-Bahn), as well as a city bus system. It is managed by VVS and is fully integrated in that there is one fare and ticketing system for all forms of transit, so that a single ticket can be used on any mixture of buses and trains that may be required to complete the journey. The VVS's network called is divided in zones. The city of Stuttgart is only Zone 1. Most lines will lead via Hauptbahnhof, ending in a layout that is pretty centralised: If you want to go somewhere, chances are, you have to ride via Hauptbahnhof. The following Stadtbahn or S-Bahn stations are in the heart of the city: Hauptbahnhof, Schlossplatz, Charlottenplatz, Stadtmitte (Rotebühlplatz), Feuersee, Rathaus, Staatsgalerie and Berliner Platz (Liederhalle). For a complete description see the official map of VVS-network.

Stuttgart is quite safe. Even at night one may walk alone through the city without fear. One rare exception is the central city park, which should be avoided during late night hours. The biggest danger for a pedestrian in Stuttgart is probably the cars (or the bicycles in the parks). As the city centre is at the bottom of a relatively deep valley and the traffic situation is far from satisfactory, Stuttgart has an endemic smog problem that gets worse when the weather "traps" the air in the valley. While there are attempts to combat the air pollution, for example by issuing discounted or free public transit tickets on smog days, the problem is likely to persist for some time.

Pretty much the whole state of Baden-Württemberg is a risk zone for ticks. Some of them spread encephalitis or borreliosis. So keep your feet covered or use repellant in forest areas.