Stuttgart

Being the home to the headquarters of motor giants Porsche and Mercedes Benz, Stuttgart is no stranger to life in the fast lane. With impressive museums, fascinating art galleries and host to the magical Cannstatter Wasen beer festival, there is plenty to keep visitors up to speed.

Stuttgart’s infamous beer festival is second only to Munich’s Oktoberfest, but the smaller crowds and mini funfair provide a more family-friendly atmosphere. Another popular festival in the Stuttgart calendar is the summer festival, a four day beer-bashing with live music, dancing and traditional German food held on the fringes of Eckensee Lake in Obere Schlossgarten Park.

Though much of Germany is noted for its delicious, frothy beers, Stuttgart is the Motherland’s premiere wine region and the colourful vineyards paint a petty picture across the rolling hills. Explore the old-worldly charm of the Bean District with its impressive baroque architecture and cobbled streets lined with bohemian cafés and wine taverns and you are sure to encounter the local delights.

Cars and Art

For motor car enthusiasts Stuttgart is a dream and you would be disappointed to miss the Mercedes-Benz Museum with its awe-inspiring array of vintage and modern cars. On a smaller scale but equally impressive in the engine room, is the Porsche Museum, a staggering exhibition of pristine sports cars engineering spanning back more than 75 years.

With the stunning Kunstmuseum Stuttgart, art aficionados are not to be disappointed either. Housed in a modern cuboid building, the glass hexahedron glows with a remarkable light display after dark and is home to a prestigious collection of Otto Dix, the local 20th century expressionist best known for his etchings depicting the brutality of war and repressive Weimar Society.

Stuttgart has a diverse culture of national and international cuisine with everything from comfort foods to fine dining in stylish restaurants and plush hotels. For the best value for money, try one of the many small, family-run restaurants tucked in the narrow side streets.

Built on one of Europe’s largest natural mineral reserves, Stuttgart boasts a wealth of hot, steamy mineral baths complete with saunas, hot tubs and swimming pools. The gem of Stuttgart’s relaxing spas is the Mineral Bath Berg. Housed in a nostalgic 1950’s building its iron-rich water has been proven to have medicinal qualities. Das Leuze has a playground and is geared towards families with children whilst the Mineralbad Cannsatt is dedicated to adults looking for peace and relaxation.

Travelling to Stuttgart by Ferry

Stuttgart is another German city that is along way away from the coastline of mainland Europe, it’s a 6 hour in any direction to reach the ocean and when taking the ferry and driving to Stuttgart, this is something you will need to factor into your travels.

If you choose a ferry that arrives in Europe later in the day, you might want to think about stopping of somewhere overnight, though if you use any of the overnight ferries then you’ll usually arrive in the morning after a good night rest, meaning you’ll be able to reach Stuttgart that day. Only try to drive the full distance in one day if your used to driving that much in a day. If your traveling on by train there is no direct trains to Stuttgart from any of the ports, though you’ll get from Amsterdam with just one change.