The writer and poet Eduard Mörike had taken Stuttgart to heart and praised the beautiful houses and their bays, "which stand almost cheerily on little towers at the corners" in 1853 in his "Stuttgarter Hutzelmännlein". And even to this day, Stuttgart is full of architectural ornaments, despite the bomb attacks and severe destruction in World War II. The "Metropolis between forest and vineyard", as an advertisement slogan once proclaimed, is actually worth seeing and experiencing.

Sightseeing

Old and new Castle, television tower, Fruchtkasten, main railway station, Haus der Wirtschaft (Chamber of business), Regional Parliament building, Killesbergturm, Königsbau, Markthalle, Musikhochschulturm, Schlossplatz, Solitude Castle, Stiftskirche, Wilhelmspalais

Mercedes Benz Museum

The "Mercedes-Benz Welt" came into existence in an areal spanning 60,000 sqm in front of the main gate of the Daimler factory in Stuttgart-Untertürkheim. It was inaugurated in time for the Football Worldcup 2006. With this, it replaced the Mercedes-Benz Museum in the main factory at Untertürkheim, that was present since 1923, and continues the history. More than 110 years of innovative automobile history are covered by the exhibition. You can see on display the world's first car built by Karl Benz and Gottlieb Daimler, and of course the first Mercedes and another 160 vehicles which constitute of the Mercedes Legend. Also worth seeing are the race cars such as the "Blitzen-Benz", with which Bob Burman set his sensational record in 1911 at Daytona Beach with 228 km/h. You will also find limousines and sports cars from the 1920's and 1930' s. Prestige and performance, luxury and comfort characterise the vehicles of this period. Examples are the Kaiserwagen and the compressor sports car with the 500 K Special Roadster as highlight. Also observe the 260 D, the first series manufactured diesel car of the world and the 170 V, the Mercedes-Benz that sold most before the World War.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 9 am to 6 pm, closed on Mondays
Entry fee: 8 € per person

Württembergisches Landesmuseum Stuttgart

The Württembergische Landesmuseum Stuttgart is one of the most important museums established in the 19th century. Its historical core piece, the art chamber, however dates back to the 16th century. In those days, the dukes used to collect relics from the Roman empire and almost everything in the world that was rare, precious and unusual. The museum documents the history of the region, from the Stone Ages (oldest works of human art ) through the Celts (burial objects of the Celtic princes in Hochdorf), Alemannians, classical antiquity, provincial Roman department, sculpture and paintings from the Middle Ages to the present day: coins, watches, furniture, scientific instruments and a separate museum of musical instruments and a Roman Lapidarium. Crowns and sceptres as well as the jewellery of the queens bear testimony to the Württemberg kingdom.

Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday from 10 am to 5 pm
Entry fee: Adults 3 €, reduced 2 €, free for children up to 13 years old

Carl Zeiss Planetarium

The creation of the new Stuttgart Planetarium was possible only because of the generous donation from the Carl Zeiss Foundation and numerous donations from the people of Stuttgart and from Stuttgart based companies. It was built between 1975 and 1977 according to the plans of the architect Beck-Erlang and inaugurated on 22 April 1977. The technical equipment has been gifted by the Carl Zeiss Foundation. On the occasion of the 100th death anniversary of Carl Zeiss on 3 December 1988, the Stuttgart Planetarium was renamed as the Carl-Zeiss-Planetarium. The planetarium is very active and committed to European and international concerns. Thus, congresses and symposia with European and international focus are organised, besides these there is close cooperation with planetariums of partner cities to Stuttgart, such as Strasburg.

Opening hours:
Tuesday and Thursday from 10 am to 3 pm, Wednesday and Friday from 10 am to 8 pm, Saturdays and Sundays from 2 pm to 6 pm, closed on Mondays
Entry fee: Adults 6 € per person, reduced 4 €

Wilhelma: Zoological and botanical garden of Stuttgart

When Wilhelm I., King of Württemberg, commissioned Ludwig in 1842 to build the Wilhelma castle, he was not thinking so much of a zoo as a paradise garden on the lines of the famous Alhambra in Granada. The "Maurische Garden" that was laid till 1863 in this manner thus forms the seed core of the present day Wilhelma. With about 9,000 animals covering about 1,000 species and with about 1.7 million visitors a year, today the Wilhelma is also the biggest animal park in Germany. It has giraffes, zebras, lions, tigers, elephants, polar bears, snow leopards, penguins, crocodile, kangaroos, to name a few, and many more species. Equally interesting are the aquarium and the demonstration farm. As you wander through the botanical garden, you will probably notice palms, bananas, cypresses, useful plants (including cocoa, star fruit, cotton), orchids, tulips, magnolias and the tropical garden.

Opening hours:
May to August daily from 8.15 am to 6 pm
April and September daily from 8.15 am to 5.30 pm
March and October daily from 8.15 am to 5 pm
November to February daily from 8.15 am to 4 pm.
Entry fee:
Normal tariff (March to October): Adults 10.80 €, children from 6 to 17 years old 5.40 €, school children / college students (with ID card up to 28 years) 5.40 €, family ticket I (1 parent with own children from 6 to 17 years) 16.20 €, family ticket II (parents with own children from 6 to 17 years old) 27 €
Evening tariff (after 4 pm) and winter tariff (November to February): Adults 7.40 €, children from 6 to 17 years old 3.70 €, school children / college students (with proof of identity, up to 28 years old) 3.70 €, family ticket I (1 parent with own children from 6 to 17 years old) 11.10 €, (parents with own children from 6 to 17 years old) 18.50 €

TV Tower

After a construction phase of 20 months, the Stuttgart Television Tower was commissioned on 5th February 1956. With an impressive height of 217 m it is the original model for television towers all over the world. From no other point in Stuttgart is the view of the city, across the vineyards of the Neckar valley, the Swabian countryside and further to the Alb, the Black Forest and the Odenwald so extensive as from the TV tower. On many days, the panoramic view also extends to reveal the mountain tops of the German, Austrian and Swiss Alps.

Opening hours:
Daily from 9 am, last trip at 10.30 pm
The view platform is open till 11 pm
Closed on 24th December
Entry fee: Adults 3 €, children from 3 to 13 years old 2 €, free for children under 3 years old

Tour of the Neckar on board a ship

The Neckar, a tributary of the Rhine, joins it near Mannheim. It is 371 km long and navigable till Stuttgart since 1957 through the expansion of the barrages, and up to Plochingen since 1968. With the completion of the Stuttgart Harbour in 1958 the Neckar passenger ferry Berta Epple started services. With a present fleet size of 4 ships, the Neckar-Käpt'n can travel up stream along the Neckar till Plochingen. Downstream ,the ships normally go up to Heilbronn, however, extensive canal systems linked to the river make it possible to go further downstream up to Mannheim and then up the Rhine till Basel or Rotterdam.
Information, timetables and prices available under telephone + 49 (0) 711 54997060