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The Old Castle on Schillerplatz in Stuttgart, Germany


The Karlshoehe in Stuttgart, Germany

Stuttgart, Germany, in a nutshell

Stuttgart - ingenious, cosmopolitan and full of charm

Stuttgart - ingenious, cosmopolitan and full of charm

Charmingly situated in the heart of one of Germany`s largest wine-growing regions, this vibrant metropolis fascinates visitors from all over the world.
The state capital of Baden-Württemberg delights tourists not only by virtue of its magnificent panorama, its impressive gardens and parks, its fine squares, splendid palaces and buildings in a wide range of architectural styles, but also by its cultural and culinary diversity and its typical Swabian ingenuity.

Automobile Industry

One main attraction for visitors to Stuttgart is the sensational Mercedes-Benz Museum (See The spectacular Mercedes-Benz World).
On a total area of approx. 17 000 sq.m. spread over 9 levels, some 160 vehicles are on display. These include not only the earliest models - such as the Gottlieb Daimler Motor Carriage and the Motor Car patented by Karl Benz, both dating from the year 1886 - but also the latest series production vehicles.

Since the end of January 2009 Porsche opened a new, spectactular museum in Stuttgart-Zuffenhausen with 80 stylish and historical sports cars on show. (See The Porsche Museum)

Art

Stuttgart is home to world-class art. Stuttgart State Gallery with its outstanding art collection is one of Germany`s most popular art museums. The classical architecture of the old building houses outstanding paintings of the 19th and 20th century, especially of the Classic Modernism, from Expressionism through to Picasso`s later ouvre, as well as contemporary art. The adjoining New State Gallery, the postmodern masterpiece designed by the famous British star architect James Stirling, presents works of various eras from Gothic to the 18th century. (See Stuttgart State Gallery and Museum of Art )

The Old State Gallery presents works of art from the Middle Ages up to the 19th century, with not only Old German, Italian and Netherlandisch painting but also paintings and sculpture from Classicism to Impressionism.

20th century art is to be found within the postmodernist architecture of the New State Gallery. Here the focus is on Classical Modernism and postwar art. The extension designed by Wilfried and Katharina Steib contains the Graphics collection comprising over 400 000 works. A further "temple of art" is Stuttgart Museum of Art, a glass cube opened in 2005, which at night seems to hover above the Königsstrasse like a light sculpture.

Stuttgart`s municipal art collection, which occupies an area of some 5000 sq.m., is particularly famous for the greatest collection of works by Otto Dix, a leading representative of the New Objectivity movement, with over 300 examples of his paintings, drawings and graphic art.

Museums

Other museums also give fascinating insights: Württemberg State Museum in the Old Palace not only illustrates the history of the region, but also stages impressive temporary exhibitions, from the Stone Age, Celts and Romans up to modern times. The House of History documents the political history of southwest Germany over the past 200 years, while the Linden Museum at the Hegel-Platz is one of the leading museums of ethnology. The two state natural history museums, the Museum Schloss Rosenstein and the Museum am Löwentor, vividly bring to life the diversity and evolution of life forms, including long-extinct animals such as the dinosaurs of the Triassic period or the large mammals of the Ice Age.

Performing Arts

In the evening we recommend a visit to the famous Stuttgart Ballet or the award-winning, internationally acclaimed Stuttgart State Opera at the magnificent Opera House.
For theatre lovers Stuttgart offers a wide choice of shows at over 40 different venues. Top artists, magicians and cabaret thrill audiences with international vaudeville at the Friedrichsbau.
Stuttgart`s highly-acclaimed orchestras travel the world as musical ambassadors for the city. The SWR Radio Symphony Orchestra, Stuttgart Philharmonic, Stuttgart State Orchestra, Stuttgart Chamber Orchestra and the International Bach Academy impress by virtue of their exceptionally high standard,wonderful sound and artistic diversity.

Attractions

The unique SI-Erlebnis-Centrum Stuttgart offers a wide range of leisure activities, from fantastic musicals to over 19 theme restaurants, the Stuttgart Casino and the SchwabenQuellen, a complex comprising over 6000 square metres of sauna and bathing facilities. A visit to the unique "Wilhelma", Europe`s largest zoological and botanical gardens, is also an enjoyable experience at any time of year. The combination of some 10 000 animals and plants and magnificent Moorish buildings set in a historical park will delight young and old alike. Also highly recommended is a visit to Stuttgart`s "Sternwarte" (astronomical observatory) on the Uhlandshöhe and to the Carl Zeiss Planetarium.

Mineral Springs

Stuttgart`s mineral springs are the second most prolific in the whole of Europe. Those who value the medicinal qualities of mineral water can relax in one of the three mineral spas in Stuttgart`s Bad Cannstatt district: the Mineralbad Leuze, the Mineral-Bad Berg and the Mineral-Bad Cannstatt. Each day 22 million litres of invigorating mineral water gush from their 19 springs - a natural resource which on this scale is unparalleled in Western Europe.

Stuttgart Festivals

Stuttgart`s traditional festivals also enjoy international popularity: the great, family-friendly Stuttgart Spring Festival, the elegant Summer Festival with its white pavilions, countless fairy lights and lanterns, and Stuttgart Wine Village, with over 120 lovingly decorated wine arbours set up around the Old Palace. At the end of September it`s time for the more boisterous Cannstatt Beer Festival - which began in 1818 as a thanksgiving festival - with its countless fairground attractions and vast beer tents holding up to 5000 guests. The Advent season sees the opening of the Stuttgart Christmas Market. First documented as early as 1692, it is today one of the biggest and best of its kind in Europe. Hundreds of lovingly adorned wooden huts with artistically decorated roofs entice visitors to wander round in the nostalgic atmosphere against the magnificent backdrop of the Old Palace.

Regional Kitchen

And last but not least we must mention the "stars" in Stuttgart`s gastronomic firmament: Stuttgart is renowned for both Swabian and international first-class cuisine. Many award-winning chefs have successfully established themselves here, and along with the Swabian "Wengerter" (wine growers) they gladden the hearts not only of Stuttgart`s inhabitants but also of epicures from all over the world.

Stuttgart 21- The new heart of Europe