Stuttgart is a city with a history of more than a thousand years. It was founded in 950 by the Duke of Ludolph. It currently ranks sixth in terms of population throughout Germany.
For tourists, Stuttgart is interesting sights and museums. If you are not visiting it for the first time, there are still a lot of interesting places worth seeing.
What is interesting?
Stuttgart is a city of art and culture, where many world-class museums and exhibition complexes are open. Here are the famous ballet and opera venues. The city is a recognized center of winemaking, as well as the birthplace of musicians, writers and philosophers. Stuttgart is surrounded by vineyards, meadows and gardens, which are no less interesting than its attractions.
Mercedes-Benz Museum
One of the attractions of Stuttgart can safely be called the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Together with the company and the passage building, it forms a whole complex. Of interest is the structure itself, the project of which was created by the famous architectural bureau.
Externally, the building is very similar to a clover leaf, in the center of which is a platform in the shape of a triangle. The construction of a grandiose center cost 150 million euros. Museum guests have the opportunity to appreciate the scale of the building.
There are several routes through the museum, you will see old cars, including the Kaiser Wilhelm limousine, the car of the Emperor of Japan Hirohito and other outstanding personalities.
The museum’s exposition will help you plunge into the history of the famous auto giant: from the appearance of the first carriage in the nineteenth century to modern race cars. The halls feature prototypes of simpler vehicles: firefighters, tow trucks, trolleys and buses. By the way, in the city you can often see those models that are still being tested and not produced. Usually they are covered with an opaque film so as not to reveal all the secrets.
old lock
Among the attractions of Stuttgart there are also ancient complexes. Be sure to visit the old castle, which was built in the V century. After several centuries, the building lost all its significance and was turned into an ordinary stable. Later, the castle was again turned into an incredibly beautiful building, which became the residence of the Dukes and Counts of Württemberg.
Currently, the castle houses a museum. The monumental building attracts the eye with a stunningly beautiful openwork facade, a courtyard made in the Renaissance style. The museum exposition is dedicated to the history of the city and the surrounding lands.
Botanical Garden
Tourists who love flowers and lush greenery are advised to visit another attraction of Stuttgart - King William’s Botanical Garden, which founded it in the mid-19th century.
The garden was laid out on the territory of about 30 hectares. He was given a name in honor of the founder. Currently, the zoo is considered one of the largest in Europe. On its territory collected up to 10,000 samples of fauna and flora. Here you can see animals that live in completely different climatic regions of the world, and exotic plants.
In the park there are pavilions built in the Moorish style, where bicentennial sequoias and orchids grow. Here is the largest magnolia grove in Europe. The park is open to guests until dark, only the zoo closes a couple of hours earlier.
Picture gallery
One of the main attractions of Stuttgart in Germany is the State Picture Gallery, which was opened in 1843. Gradually, she turned into a museum of fine art. Later, a new gallery appeared in Stuttgart, founded by architect James Stirling. Over time, the museum turned from a provincial institution into a status organization of European level, and later a third building was erected, which is completely devoted to graphic drawing.
The main part of the gallery’s exposition is the collection canvases of King William I. The ruler was a famous connoisseur of the works of Rubens, Vermeer, Durer, Canaletto and other famous masters of the XIX century.
The museum exhibits works by Picasso, Renoir, Monet, Matisse, Modigliani. In the gallery you can see graphics, sculptures and even photographs.
Solitude Castle
Another popular attraction in Stuttgart is Solitude Castle, located to the west of the city. It was built by order of Karl Eugene. Since the Duke was very fond of hunting and resting away from people, he needed a residence outside of Stuttgart.
It was erected in 1745, in appearance it is very similar to the famous Sanssouci in Potsdam. Whether such a similarity happened by chance or if it was intentional is unknown. Initially, the castle served the owner for receptions. In the courtyard were built household buildings for retinues and servants.
The project of the complex has one feature: the building is connected by a direct street 12 km long with Ludwigsburg Castle.
Later, the Karl School functioned for a long time on the territory of the complex, whose director was Caspar Schiller himself, the father of Friedrich Schiller. In the seventies of the last century, the castle was carefully restored. Currently, it houses an academy, exhibition halls and a villa for art scholarship holders.
Bear castle
Stuttgart's attractions and surroundings include the unique Bear Castle. In the XVIII century it was erected by order of the Duke Karl Eugene von Württemberg. The three-story pavilion is made in the ancient Roman style. Guests of the city and its residents love to visit the castle; here you can take a walk and dine in a fine restaurant.
The building has an unusual history. During its existence, it was destroyed and restored. At the beginning of the 19th century, William the First built a hunting pavilion on the site of an old building. Around the complex there was a park, which was constantly expanding, gradually it turned into a reserve for hunting fun. It was inhabited by 700 deer, which were periodically shot for honored guests of the Bear Castle.
At the moment in Stuttgart you can already see the fourth version of the building. Restoring it, the architects managed to maintain the original style. The windows of the top floor provide an excellent opportunity to admire the wonderful natural landscape and sculptures of bears at the foot of the castle.
Weissenhof
Weissenhof is another of Stuttgart's attractions, a photo of which you see below.
The White Yards are recognized as a symbol of modern German urban development. The settlement arose not so long ago, in 1927, but at the same time it has already earned the title of monument of modern European architecture.
It was planned by local authorities to show, using the example of one block, what modern buildings will be like. Leading architects were involved in the design and development of the experimental mini-town. They were faced with the task of designing residential complexes for socially needy segments of the population. In total, 16 scientists from different European countries worked on the creation of the White Quarter.
Each architect had his own vision of the quarter, so a variety of buildings appeared here. For example, the German architectural specialist Behrens created a building with landscaped terraces, the French developed new design options for facades, and Walter Gropius designed family houses that were built using completely new technologies.
As a result, a completely new quarter was created in Stuttgart with white buildings that were revolutionary for those years. Currently, houses serve as a vivid example of experimental architecture of the 30s of the twentieth century.
Monastery church
The monastery church is not just a landmark of the city of Stuttgart, it is its symbol. The temple was founded at the end of the X century. This is the only building preserved in the city from the time of the dynasty of kings of Hohenstaufen.
True, little is left of the original structure. For tourists, the basement floor of the south tower is open, which is an example of Romanesque architecture of the XII century.
The church has changed over many centuries. So, for example, a Roman basilica appeared, and a tombstone to Ulrich was installed inside the temple.
At the Monastery Church, worship began in 1534. For more than 400 years, pious parishioners visited the temple until it was destroyed during the war. Later, local authorities took up its restoration and now it has the appearance of an asymmetric structure with two towers. Inside preserved wall paintings of the XIII century. Magnificent sculptural compositions remind us that the temple for many years was the tomb of the rulers of Stuttgart.
Currently, the monastery church is the main Protestant church in the city.
Stuttgart Landmarks Reviews
According to tourists, Stuttgart is a terrific city worth visiting. Even those guests who are in it quite often, note its diversity. It has collected so many interesting places that every time you will have the opportunity to see something new.
In the article we cited only part of the best sights of Stuttgart. In fact, there are many more, and the scope of one article is indispensable.
Tourists highly recommend visiting a local zoo, which is incredible in size - it is simply impossible to get around it in one day. Going to it with the children, you will get a lot of impressions.
All ancient sights are located in the historic city center. City guests strongly advise car fans to head to the Porsche Museum.
It will be very interesting to stroll along the main street of Stuttgart, where there are shops of all famous brands and excellent cafes, where you should dine and taste the famous wine, which the region is famous for.