Stuttgart Holidays

Holidays to Stuttgart come top of the class for zoo trips, car museums and city festivals.

Stuttgart city breaks

Wine trails, car museums, an A-lister zoo, and more parks than you can shake a stick at… there’s a jolly for everybody in the German city of Stuttgart. You might know the capital of the state of Baden-Wurttemberg for its car manufacture industry – heavyweights Porsche and Mercedes-Benz both have their stylish headquarters here. But look beyond the va-va-voom and you’ll also find a tip-top foodie scene, loads of nightclubs, and a jam-packed calendar of festival and events.

Buff up on art and history

The best way to get under the skin of Stuttgart is to go full-blown tourist and take a whistle-stop tour of some of the city’s key landmarks. Our faves include the 18th-century Solitude Palace, and the Staatsgalerie – an art gallery crammed with works by artists like Matisse, Picasso and Dali. There’s also the Landesmuseum Wurttemberg, a castle bursting with Baden-Wurttemberg art, handicrafts and archaeology.

Time for a breather

From above, Stuttgart’s a patchwork quilt of different shades of green. It’s got a top collection of parks, including Killesbergark – 50 hectares of gardens, fountains and sculptures. This park is a must-visit in the summer if you’ve got green fingers. It’s got a magnificent ‘valley of roses’, as well as eye-popping displays of 200 varieties of dahlia. Your park to-visit list should also include Killesbergturm, where a 40-metre-tall tower is worth the climb for views over the city.

Excellent events

The Stuttgart calendar is studded with all kinds of festivals and events. We’re talking wine and beer festivals in the summer, Fruhlingsfest in the spring, and of course, the annual tinsel-clad Christmas bonanza in the winter. July plays host to the Summer Festival of Cultures, which is a rainbow-tinted whirlwind of music and food from destinations like Jamaica, Cuba and the Middle East.

At a glance

Tuck into some sweet German desserts
Try a tipple at the Stuttgart Wine Festival
Clock a tiger or two at Wilhelma Zoo

A pretend beach

It’s a bit of a slog to get to Stuttgart’s nearest beach – over seven hours actually, if you want to drive north to Germany’s coast. The closest thing to the seaside in this city is a rooftop bar called Sky Beach, which is decked out with sand, palm trees and a creative cocktail menu.

Bargain Buys

Bargain Buys
Pick up a cheap foodie treat at one of Stuttgart’s open-air markets. Marktplatz and Schillerplatz squares both hold beehive-buzzing food markets on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays. Or, nab yourself an authentic German souvenir at the weekly flea market at Karlsplatz square – it runs on Saturdays.
Mid-Range Buys

Mid-Range Buys
Go big at the five-storey Konigsbau Mall, where shops and boutiques rub shoulders with cafés and restaurants. You can shop ‘til you drop here, for everything from clothes and homeware to shoes and bags. Refuel at one of the many food places, whether it’s a multi-course meal or a grab-and-go nibble.
Designer Buys

Designer Buys
If you really want to break the bank, make your way to the gift shop in the Mercedes-Benz Museum. Less a souvenir shop and more a high-end car-themed boutique, this treasure trove is packed to the rafters with display cases of glittering watches, exclusive Mercedes-Benz fragrances, and glitzy model cars. If you’re an MB owner yourself, there’s a big choice of car accessories to splash the cash on, too.

Laid-back evenings

Laidback evenings
Put your fanciest pants on for a night at the Friedrichsbau Varietè. This ornate theatre shows off a packed year-round programme of everything from glittering burlesque shows to laugh-out-loud comedy acts. Try not to be distracted by the eye-popping theatre interior. It was restored to its original 1920s Art Nouveau form after being completely destroyed in World War Two.
Lively evenings

Lively evenings
Boogie on down along the Theodor-Heuss-Strasse – this street is packed with nightclubs and live music venues like sardines in a tin. Uber-late nights with dancing and disco balls are high on the agenda, with lots of venues staying open ‘til dawn.

Maultaschen

A Stuttgart dish with a backstory comes in the form of maultaschen – a dumpling-style pocket of pasta crammed with spiced meats, spinach and breadcrumbs. Rumour has it that Catholics in the 17th century would make this dish during Lent, in order to hide meat inside – which they weren’t meant to be eating during the religious celebrations.
Schweinebraten

Move over, roast chicken – it’s all about the pork joint here in Stuttgart. Sunday dinners look like melt-in-the-mouth pork slices, prepared with mustard and minced garlic. It’s usually plated up alongside soft potato dumplings, red cabbage and sauerkraut.
Schwarzwalder kirschtorte

There’s no resisting a slice of schwarzwalder kirschtorte. This cherry, cream and chocolate ensemble’s likely to turn even the most committed savoury fan over to the sweet side. We’re talking layers of chocolate sponge cake, sandwiched with dollops of whipped cream, and decorated with brandy-infused cherries. Chocolate shavings and more cream make this even more of a sweet treat, in addition to the literal cherries that go on top.
Ofenschlupfer

Tempt your tastebuds with ofenschlupfer, a bread pudding that originates from the Baden-Wurttemberg region. This warm dessert is made up of layers of bread, thickly cut apples, scatterings of flaked almonds and raisins, all soaked in a silky custard. Pair it with vanilla sauce and fresh cream or ice-cream on the side.
Stuttgart wines

Stuttgart’s surrounded by vineyard-clad hills, and there are lots of ways to sip on a local wine without visiting a pub. You can walk to some of the closest wineries in 20 minutes, where tours and tastings are a great way to get to know the tipples in this part of Germany. Or, let your hair down at Weindorf, an end-of-summer festival held every year in the centre, which celebrates local wines over 10 days.