Ultimate Guide: Top Things to See and Do in Stuttgart
I wrote this travel blog on what to do in Stuttgart after my 2 days media trip there. Though I have explored much more, the things mentioned here are the most popular tourist highlights.
Just like my other travel guides – whether it is a brief 6 hours in Berlin guide or a detailed one-week road trip in Germany guide – this blog too will help you with some of the most popular things to see in Stuttgart. This guide is moreover meant for those who are short in time. People with more time can, of course, explore more.
Now let’s get started…
What To Do In Stuttgart
Before I got there, I had no idea what to expect. The attractions there, moreover, never felt as charming as tourist attractions in Munich or in Frankfurt did. A few people moreover discouraged me by stating that it’s not Stuttgart that you would want to visit in Germany, especially if you’re bound in time. Rather, as they suggested, you go to more vibrant and backpacking-friendly towns of Munich and Berlin.
But to hell with it, I still took chances and decided to explore some of the popular things to see in Stuttgart.
It turned out that I instantly fell in love with the town. Between lights and life, and the many loud cars chasing each other on the streets, I didn’t have to think much about what to do in Stuttgart. The town had its own charm and it revealed itself pretty conveniently.
Popular Things To See In Stuttgart
Though a popular university town, there are still enough tourist places and things to see in Stuttgart. And speaking of my favourite destinations, out of my 2-day stay there, here are 4 suggested places…
Kingstreet, Stuttgart
My first stop, without having a need to use the hop-on-hop-off Stuttgart bus tour, was King Street (or Königstrasse) located right next to the central train station.
Though some may find exploring King Street and shopping there a very touristy experience, I found it a must-do while travelling Stuttgart.
So yea, the first recommendation in this what to do in Stuttgart blog will be Kingstreet.
Palace Gardens, Stuttgart
From Kingstreet, you can walk through the Palace garden, as it is only a stone’s throw away.
Redesigned in 1951, the palace garden, today, is a place to linger, relax, and to marvel at. With ancient trees, large expanses of lawn and lakes, the upper Palace Gardens contain the New Palace, the Opera, and Playhouse.
Though the Opera house is open to the public, the New Palace (that contains the ministries of Baden-Wurttemberg state government) is closed for public.
Television Tower, Stuttgart
Other than place gardens, the Television Tower is perhaps one the second most popular things to see in Stuttgart. It is one of the most outstanding cultural monuments in the city too.
From its two-storeyed observation deck, at a height of 150 meters above the ground, you can admire the magnificent bird’s eye view of Stuttgart city as well as look into the surrounding green spaces.
And what makes Television Tower even more interesting is the augmented reality technology, which, with the use of the “360-degree Television Tower” app shows you all the tourist attractions and municipalities in your direction.
Mercedes Benz Museum
Out of all architectural and technological marvels, my favourite one turned out to be Mercedez Benz Museum in Stuttgart, for this is where the legend began, with its pioneering invention of Gottlieb Daimler and Carl Benz – the automobile!
It is moreover the only place in the world with two car museums, and that too belonging to brands like Porche and Mercedes.
Though it is recommended to visit both, I happened to visit Mercedes Benz museum only, and recommend you to do the same, if you’re bound with time and can visit only one of the two.
Covering a floor space of 16,500 square metres, the Mercedez Benz museum, on its 9 different levels, presents 160 vehicles and over 1,500 exhibits – documenting a 130-year-old automobile legacy, without a break.
Best Way Travel In Stuttgart
Now that we have discussed what to do in Stuttgart, covering some of the popular things to see there, next up is how to travel inside the city.
You can reach most of the tourist highlights in Stuttgart by foot, but if you don’t like walking, public transportation in the city is going to make things easier for you.
Buy a single ticket for every journey, or the ‘Stuttcard Plus’ city card, if you’re going to use public transport a few times. The Stuttcard Plus is valid for 24, 48 or 72 hours.
You can buy it at one of the tourist information centres in the town as well as on the tourism website.
Other than free public transport in Stuttgart that comes with it, what makes Stuttcard Plus city card better is that it gives you a free (or a discounted) access to most of the tourist sites.
For example, I used my Stuttcard Plus city card to access the Mercedez Benz Museum and Television tower for free and saved more than 12 Euros straight away, in addition to free transport throughout its valid period.
Note that there are two types of city cards, one is Stuttcard and the other Stuttcard Plus. Where Stuttcard is cheaper, it only offers free admission to the major museums and leisure facilities, whereas Stuttcard Plus gives you that, on top of free public transport in the city.
Buying a city card is always useful. This is how I travelled Vienna on a budget and many other towns in Europe. I have spoken more about how a city card can help you save money in my budget travel tips for Europe blog.
Hop-On Hop-Off Stuttgart Bus
Public transport is the best way to explore popular things to see in Stuttgart. Not only it is a budget option, but it’s easy to understand (how it works) too.
Yet, if you feel overwhelmed, and get confused about using a tram or a bus, the send the best option to explore the popular tourist highlights in the city is by using the hop-on-hop-off Stuttgart bus.
Valid for 24 hours, the hop-on-hop-off Stuttgart bus service makes it easier and quicker for you to explore the popular things to see in Stuttgart. With an onboard “Audio Guide”, you moreover get a good overview of different tourist highlights.
Where To Stay In Stuttgart
Though one of the biggest cities in Germany, it still isn’t very big in size. So no matter where you stay, all tourist highlights in Stuttgart are still going to feel close to you.
Yet, if you’re looking for a very central location I can recommend International Studenthotel, as a place to stay in Stuttgart.
The hotel is located at only a 10-minute walk from the central train station (or two tram stations). The rooms will be clean, the ambience will be nice, and the free morning breakfast will be grand. All in all, it’s one of the best places to stay in Stuttgart.
