Stuttgart is known as a centre of mechanical and automobile engineering with the headquarters of the world-famous Bosch, Mercedes and Porsche within its metropolitan area. It does not, however, resemble most other industry hubs, as it is a rather sparse city spread over many hills and valleys, with forests, parks, mineral springs and even vineyards within the city.
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Stuttgart is the capital of the Bundesland of Baden-Württemberg in Germany. With a population of approximately 606,000 in the immediate city (2024) and more than 2.8 million people in the metropolitan area (2024), Stuttgart is the 6th largest city in Germany. Stuttgart forms the centre of Region Stuttgart, a densely populated and idustrialised area that is closely interwoven and shares the same public transport system consisting of 179 cities and municipalities with a rich history to discover. Stuttgart consists of 23 districts (Stadtbezirke), which are further divided into 152 localities (Stadtteile).
Stuttgart has a very compact city centre with most destinations within walking distance. Nearly all visitors arrive at the main train station (Hauptbahnhof). From there the remarkable 1.2-km-long pedestrian shopping street called “Königstraße” leads through the heart of the city, passing the Schlossplatz with the amazing New Palace, to the Rotebühlplatz (Stadtmitte). Other main sights (e.g. museums, opera) are just around the corner. Stuttgart's public transportation system comprises two light rail system - the Stadtbahn (or U-Bahn) and Schnellbahn (S-Bahn), as well as a city bus system.
Stuttgart, which once had a reputation as the conservative capital of the south-west, has turned into a bustling metropolis with world-class culture, great shopping and night-life. The capital’s architecture is an appealing mixture of historical and modern buildings with green parks and even vineyards throughout the city. The unique cauldron-shaped landscape offers plenty of scenic lookouts and formed a dense city centre where nowadays fortunately most of Stuttgart's main attractions are. In the heart of the city centre the Palace Square is a must for visitors and an ideal starting point for a tour. 1 Schlossplatz (Palace Square).
1 Zoo Wilhelma (zoological and botanical gardens), Neckartalstraße, Bad Cannstatt. Definitely a must for families. But watching monkeys and weird flowers in this old place can be fun for young adults, too. (Unless you feel pity for the locked up creatures.) Wilhelma is also worth visiting for its architecture and landscaping features - the core of Wilhelma is housed in a 19th-century palace and park landscape in the Moorish style, created for and named after the former king Wilhelm of Württemberg. In winter there is a special exhibition called Christmas Garden with beautifully illuminated sculptures. (updated Sep 2021) 2 Planetarium.
There are restaurants all over Stuttgart. The traditional Swabian cuisine with onion-topped roast pork, think noodles called "Spätzle" or Maultaschen (stuffed noodles) is very tasty. Of course there are also restaurants serving styles from many other parts of the world. Stuttgart publishes a book annually entitled Stuttgart geht aus (Stuttgart goes out). This is available at most book stores on Königstraße (e.g. Wittwer). This book, published in German, is a great guide to restaurants in the city. Food courts with various types of (fast) food can be found in the malls Milaneo, Gerber and Königsbaupassagen. All these are in the city center: 1 Udo Snack, Calwer Str. 23.
Stuttgart has developed a vibrant nightlife with many clubs and pubs in the heart of the city. The most popular street for clubbing is the Theodor-Heuss-Straße ("Theo"). Several bars, clubs and lounges have opened here. During the summer, there are also many opportunities to have a drink outside. In the "Theo" you can listen to good house, drum'n'bass, hip-hop and other kinds of electronic music. However it is not always easy to get into most clubs because of the restrictive door policy! For a more laid-back atmosphere try the area surrounding the "Hans-im-Glück" ("Lucky Hans") fountain just a stone's throw from Königsstraße.
Stuttgart is quite safe. Even at night one may walk alone through the city without fear. One rare exception is the central city park, which should be avoided during late night hours. The biggest danger for a pedestrian in Stuttgart is probably the cars (or the bicycles in the parks). As the city centre is at the bottom of a relatively deep valley and the traffic situation is far from satisfactory, Stuttgart has an endemic smog problem that gets worse when the weather "traps" the air in the valley.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
Top-rated tours and tickets from €6 — book ahead for the popular ones.
Tours and tickets provided by Viator (a Tripadvisor company). Some links earn Stayonomy a commission.
In Jul, Stuttgart typically sees ~25°C daytime highs and 17 rainy days.
Cheapest destinations travellers searched recently — refreshed daily.
Flight prices are real fares travellers found in the last 48 hours, refreshed daily — the booking site confirms the final price. Train, bus and ferry fares are shown on the operators' booking sites. Weather data by Open-Meteo; exchange rates: ECB reference. Data updated 2026-07-21. Some links earn Stayonomy a commission at no cost to you.