Stuttgart: Culture, Views and Green Routes

Views and Routes

The Stuttgart TV Tower was the world’s first reinforced-concrete television tower. It is a good 217 metres tall and has an observation deck as well as dining facilities. In good weather, the view from the tower platform and panoramic café extends to the Swabian Alb. The Killesberg Tower also offers views: it is 42 metres tall, and its four platforms are at heights of 8, 16, 24 and 31 metres, offering views across Stuttgart and the Neckar Valley.

At Bismarck Tower, 92 steps lead up to the platform, which offers panoramic views across the Neckar Valley. Visitors can climb the tower every weekend between Easter and the end of October; check the latest visitor information when planning your trip. Stuttgart has more than 400 outdoor stairways, known in Swabian as Stäffele. They connect the valley basin with the slopes and offer views across the basin. The Green U provides a different way to enjoy movement in green surroundings: this eight-kilometre, U-shaped green corridor runs from the city centre to Killesberg Park.

Museums and Architecture

Opened in 2006, the Mercedes-Benz Museum displays 160 vehicles and more than 1,500 exhibits across nine exhibition levels. The collection is arranged into two tours: the first comprises seven Mythos rooms, while the second has five Collection rooms. The building itself has a distinctive form: it has neither enclosed rooms nor straight walls, and its interior is modelled on a DNA double helix.

More than 80 vehicles and 200 small exhibits are on display at the Porsche Museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen. Visitors can watch specialists repair historic vehicles through a glass wall. The automotive theme thus ranges from the collection to a behind-the-scenes look at work on historic vehicles.

Stuttgart’s architectural history is also reflected in Solitude Palace, built between 1763 and 1769 on the orders of Duke Carl Eugen as a hunting lodge and pleasure palace. Since 2016, the two houses by Le Corbusier in the Weissenhof Estate have been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site alongside other buildings by the architect. The semi-detached house has been restored faithfully to the original; the Le Corbusier House in the estate has been a museum since 2006.

Parks and Regional Cuisine

In the 100-hectare Rosenstein Park, you can stroll among native and exotic trees and use the lawns for picnics. The park is a protected historic monument. Wilhelma combines a zoo and a botanical garden and is the only institution of its kind in Germany. It is home to around 1,200 animal species and more than 8,500 different plant species and varieties.

Stuttgart’s Market Hall is a culinary meeting place for locals and tourists. Its offerings include fruit and vegetables, sausages and meat, spices and flowers; the hall has been a protected historic monument since 1972. The Stuttgart Wine Village also brings together regional cuisine and wine. It has been held every year since 1974, from late August to early September. At the Hocketse, visitors can sample hundreds of wines from Baden-Württemberg; regional fare and traditional Swabian dishes are also available. For a specific trip, it is advisable to check the event dates.

Museums and observation towers offer a different focus from park walks, plant diversity and regional cuisine. If you are travelling with people who have different interests, this contrast can help you set shared priorities. When looking for a place to stay in Stuttgart, you can then first decide which experiences you want to shape your visit the most.

Discover more destinations: Feuerbach, Wangen, Stammheim, Bad Cannstatt, Untertürkheim, Rohr.

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